The Little Lion - Rory's Story

 Yesterday's pre-op went really well, so we now have a confirmed date.  Rory is having his right foot amputated on Thursday 29th April; two weeks' today.  (It also happens to be my Mum's birthday... sorry Mum!) I'm delighted that we finally have a date, and that it's so soon. This means that not only do I have ample time left of my maternity leave, but we should also have his prosthetic before I go back to work too, which was always best case scenario for me.  Nonetheless, when the official countdown clock was started a few days ago I was overcome by a sense of... dread? Reality? Doubt?  I know it's the right thing; it's the next step in his journey and it will allow him to regain his freedom. But it has been difficult to focus on what he will gain when at the moment all I'm seeing is what he's going to lose. His perfect, incredible, beautiful little foot, that I've adored for over 9 months. It would have been easier if his foot wasn't workin...

Over the last month we've had a handful of check-ups with Rory's consultants; we've seen his main Paediatric Consultant who oversees his general health and we've caught up with the Plastics team for a review of his skin graft. We've also had sessions with Physio from both Grimsby and Sheffield.  Medical Update Generally, Rory is doing really well! Developmentally he is doing excellently for his age, which was a relief to hear - there is always a worry in the back of our minds as to whether the meningitis will have any long term affects on his mental abilities. Fortunately there are no indications whatsoever that this is the case, although we'll obviously watch this as he grows. Rory is able to hold himself up and balance on his one leg, which his physios say is a great achievement for any 9 month old, let alone one with pretty much one leg! Although we are still trying to encourage him to crawl, it's looking more and more likely that he will skip crawling al...