Meet Polly the Dog!

Yes we have got a dog, and her name is Polly, named after Polly Pocket, when you have three little girls, John and I tend to get out voted, we were pushing for Poppy but Polly it has ended up being called!

Polly with the Girls!

So, we got her two weeks ago, and she flew up from Christchurch, and she was the smallest thing you have ever seen. To say the girls were excited was an understatement. Paddy talked non-stop on the way to the airport to pick her up and then on the way home she held her in a death like grip with a grin from ear to ear!!

We got Polly for Paddy (even though she is a family dog), we thought it might be good for Paddy when she has her surgery this year, I wonder if she will reduce my stress levels?! Well the poor dog doesn't get a moments peace and she is so good with it all, the other day I went out side and there was Polly on the back of the bike, just cruising, Paddy was very pleased with her self.

Paddy and Polly

We are getting there with toilet training, and as I have to clean up another wee I tell myself we are doing this for the kids!

Last week we went to puppy school, and Polly decided to make friends with the biggest dog there - a doberman, Polly is only 2kg, and she won't get much bigger than 3, this other dog was 8 so there was a bit of a size difference, that didn't worry Polly she got stuck right in.

I still can't believe we have got a dog, just when the kids had started sleeping a bit later we get a puppy, it truly is like having a child, I think all the Mums at school think I am slightly bonkers, like I said I have to keep telling myself we are doing it for the kids!

The Relatives from Ireland

Dinner at Sky Tower

I can't believe that Mick and Bett have been and gone, it had been 10 years since we had seen them last, at our wedding in London, so we had a lot of catching up to do.

They hadn't met Emma, Paddy or Georgie before so it was fantastic that they finally got to see them.

Auckland really turned on the weather for them as well, hot and sunny - just beautiful.

Dinner at Tony's Restaurant (Yet another meal!)

We had lots of laughs talking about when John and his brothers were growing up, and the holiday's they all had back in Ireland. They bought over a few photo's and I can't believe the clothes they used to wear, how short were mini skirts back in the days, and how flared were the pants/jeans? The waistbands they were up around the armpits!! I am just as guilty, the fashion was just the same in NZ!!

John took them out and about to see the sights of Auckland, but we mainly did lots of eating, Bett was brilliant at puddings, and we had one almost every night, my poor waist I think expanded several cms!!

John, Mick, Bett, Lizzie and Pat

So after 2 weeks they headed off to Fiji for a bit of tropical paradise before heading back home to Ireland, we had a fantastic time with them here and I hope they did too.

Catch up time

I haven't posted for awhile as things have been very busy at the Walsh household in the last few weeks, so I thought it was about time that I caught up on some of our news.

First of all our appointment with out surgeon regarding Paddy and her leg. We went and saw Paddy's doctor on the 20th of Feb feeling very nervous and armed with loads of questions as we knew we had to tell him which way we were going to go as in LL (leg lengthening) or amputation.

I was very nervous and teary the morning of our appointment and the slightest thing set me off! When we arrived at hospital we ran into Carol and William, William has FH (Fibula Hemimelia) and he had his foot amputated at the age of one. After seeing them I felt much better about things because seeing how William gets around is just amazing, you wouldn't know that he has a prosthetic on, and seeing that calmed my nerves no end! In fact I managed to pull myself together by the time we got to see the doctor, John couldn't believe it, he thought I was going to go through a box of tissues!

So, we had to get to the bottom of why if we LL would they only do 3cm's, Paddy has a 5 cm difference now and the projected difference is 15 cm, (this is a lot to lengthen) by the time she is fully grown. It was explained to us that in NZ they will only lengthen 20-30% of the length of the tibia as any more can lead to complications. So basically if we had gone down the LL route she would never catch up, ever, and to us the risks are not worth it. With amputation they can predict the outcome but not so with LL. There are many risks involved and sometimes they end up with their foot amputated anyway.

Apparently the pain with LL is excruciating and John and I both didn't want to put Paddy through all that with an outcome that is not guaranteed, if they could have said to us the pain is worth it and the results are fantastic we would have done it, no second thoughts what so ever.

So we decided to amputate, it was a hard, hard decision and I still have lots of wobbly moments thinking can we really amputated Paddy's foot, but we have to think long term. It will be only the one operation (hopefully-think Heather Mills she had to have a stump revision, but this is unusual, and also did anyone see her on 'Strictly Come Dancing ') Once she has the operation, she will be in a cast for two weeks, then they fit her stump for a prosthetic, then they make it and hopefully before too long she will be up and walking.

I think the hardest thing for me is that so many people react to someone having a prosthetic, Carol said to me so many people stare at William, sometimes she feels like saying to them would you like me to explain to you what has happened to my sons leg, I am dreading that, but I am sure with time I will get used to it.

So there you are, decision is finally made, now we just have to get through the operation and get on with things. We have phoned the hospital and told them our decision we are now just waiting to hear from them.

If anyone has any questions just email me or post a comment. If there is anyone who doesn't know what LL is all about here is a link with some pictures and what they do is turn the screws every day until new bone grows, this takes about 4-5 weeks then the frame is left on for other 6 months until the bone hardens. This is the easy part, the hard part is stretching all the muscles, tendon, ligaments etc, they don't want to be stretched and it is very painful http://www.wheelessonline.com/ortho/ilizarov_technique



Here is another link, this story is about a little girl called Sarah Walsh (no relation) and she has the same condition as Paddy, she had her foot amputated and you can see how well she is doing.

http://www.steps-charity.org.uk/links/8-122-fibular_hemimelia.php

Decision time

Side on of Paddy and her leg

Paddy with her little leg

Today I got a phone call from the hospital and tomorrow we have to go and see Paddy's surgeon about what we are going to do about her leg. I have been so stressed waiting for this appointment, now that it is finally here I am pleased, it is time to move forward and for Paddy to get on with the rest of her life.

We have had lots of talks to Paddy about what we should do, as I think it is important that she has some idea that something is going to happen. Can you imagine how she would feel if we just took her along for the surgery without telling her anything and she either wakes up with a missing foot or a huge leg lenghtening device on her leg? Anyway she has told us she wants a "magic leg" and she seems to understand the concept of it all. Over the holidays we met a few people with prosthetics and they do so well, however we will see what her surgeon has to say about it all.

I have put on a couple of photo's so everyone can see what her leg is like, at the moment there is a 5 cm discrepency and they predict by the time she is fully grown it will be at least 10 cms, to John and I that is just too much to lenghten.

Paddy and Georgies 4th Birthday

Happy Birthday

Cake Time!

Entertained by Trixie the Fairy!

I know it has been a month since P & G's birthday but I thought it would be nice to see a few photo's of the day!

I had to put one in of the cake I made as I was very pleased with the way it turned out!!

Needless to say the girls loved it. Emma has already put in a request for a blue mermaid one, I just hope I can do it!!

The Irish relatives are on their way!!

Have just had a phone call from Uncle Mick and Aunt Betty from County Mayo, in Ireland. They are coming to stay with us for 16 days on the 25th of Feb. Great news, John hasn't seen them for nearly 10 years and they haven't seen our kids before so it will be just fabulous to see them! Hope the weather holds out, we have had the most brilliant summer that I can remember since I was little, in fact in has been so good our grass looks rather brown, I am sure the winter will make up with copious amounts of rain, as Auckland is so famous for!!



Oh and we did lose the cricket, what more can I say!

John is at the 20/20 cricket, New Zealand vs England, and I think NZ is going to lose. Hopeless!! If England wins I will never here the end of it, fingers crossed NZ hits a few six's!