Sore Limbs and Lizards

Oooh - after a balmy day yesterday including home schooling with Granny and walks to the beach; today was a big bump. We took Tara thro' to Brisbane for her first bandage change and altho' Tone suggested we give her extra pain killers - we didn't (totally my fault for not absolutely agreeing with him! Argh! Always listen to Dr Tone!). We did check with the specialist but he thought she'd be fine...but, sob, those new bandages hurt her when they were getting wrapped around her raw red skin. So she hit a wobbly and shed a few tears, little darling. Held our hands tight and cuddled her Lizzy (pet elephant) and Joey (pet cat). The nurses said she was probably also in a bit of shock after seeing her leg without bandages for the first time. And I think they were right because a little later we went for a walk and she said "I'm not scared, but I think next time I won't look...until it's healed and better". 

Interestingly it turns out that these sensations are actually good for her to feel (altho' we will be giving the drugs next time!) - apparently with all the nerves that have been cut in her leg - the brain now needs to rewire everything - and can't do so without feeling the different sensations. So that became a little exciting - the thought that as she heals, her leg will get to experience the feeling of things (like running water) as if for the first time ever. She wheeled herself around Brisbane city centre for the next hour or so, and took notice of every single different texture and sensation she felt as she rode over concrete, carpets, tiles etc. Almost like being blind and then seeing for the first time...And then we got wildly distracted by the crash of a truck getting caught underneath the pedestrian bridge opposite the museum. Hence the pics of semi-elevated truck, and subsequent fire engine! Quite exciting! (And the driver was fine.)

Cassie did a show-and-tell about Tara's operation today - and then this evening it was so cute watching each of the girls sitting on their beds delivering similar show-and-tells to all their soft toys. Tara's dolls got the bonus of being allowed to each touch her stump - but they had to be gentle and got told off if they touched the white bit at the end (where there are a couple of blisters) instead of sticking to the pink section. She also lay them all on their back and made them do exercises with her!

She had a fab afternoon with a visit from a schoolfriend - just what she needed (and she was such a darling - she gave Cassie one of her pressies with a beautiful note and drawings about how she could see that Cassie was sad and she just wanted to help her be happy). Her day ended with a gorgeous chat with her Lizzie Loo (coz Tara had phoned and left a message saying she wished Lizzie Loo were here) and a really funny conversation at dinner about how she used to think she was going to get amputated every year and how lucky she had thought lizards are coz they can grow new tails. But then Cassie said "yeah, but they can't ice-skate and ride bikes...and anyway, they can't grow new legs!"