Progress!

       We are now 6 weeks in to the lengthening process and we have 3 cm!  As you can see above, Eleanor's fixator has 6 struts or bars with threads that we turn daily.  We turn 2 struts at a time, three times per day. The turns can be quite painful as they pull the 2 different bones apart by 1mm per day.
     During surgery, the fixator was placed, anchored just below the knee and at the ankle. Both the fibula and tibia were broken. We were able to start turning the struts one week after surgery.
    We now follow up with Dr. Paley every 2 weeks to make sure that everything is going well. It is amazing to watch the progress! The first set of pictures were taken 2 weeks into turning and the second are from this week. If you look closely, you can see the cloudy area between the bone. This is new bone forming and it is exactly what we are supposed to see!
     We have a 5.3 cm goal for this lengthening and if all continues to go well, the last turn should be April 1st! Keep up the good work Eleanor, you are almost there! You are such a brave, determined girl. We are so proud of you!