Charlie and Walker

Besides his wacky sleep patterns, Charlie is mostly fully recovered from his time in the operating room.  His scar is a little scabby and sometimes irritated, but in general, he is blissfully ignorant of the ordeal he underwent almost four weeks ago.  He is usually very happy, flirtatious and connected with his family and those around him.  He wants food, attention, hugs, kisses, tickles, snuggles, nuzzles and all the simple necessities that normal babies want from their loved ones.  His favorite thing is to canoodle with his older brother, Walker.  And Walker, being a master canoodle bug, is always more than happy to oblige.

Reach Benefit Cabaret

Amazing.

Thank you to all of Charlie's friends at the 

Utah Shakespeare Festival!

Two Weeks Post Op

Thank you everyone.  Thank you to all of you who have sent best wishes, prayers, good advice, emails, medical information, meals, money and more.  We are so grateful for the out-pouring of support that Charlie has received during this incredible time.  Charlie is now two weeks post op and as you can see from the photos below, he is recovering beautifully.  We have taken Charlie on a few errands here and there, and while he is suspicious of being in the car (Are you taking me back to the hospital?) he is happy to be out and about enjoying the sunshine.  But mostly, we're spending the recovery period and home.  Again, thank you for all you've done.  We couldn't have done this without you.

Yours,

The Greenman Family

What scar?

Its official.  Charlie doesn't even look like he had surgery.  The swelling is gone.  The bruising is gone.  And his hefty scar is completely masked by hair.  His recovery has not been without its bumps and hick-ups, but Charlie is looking so good these past few days.  He is finally getting some regular sleep, which is contributing to a more relaxed version of Charlie than we've seen in the past week.  He has bouts of crying, anger and irritability that seem out of character and more related to the surgery, but these out bursts are becoming fewer as the days pass.  Mostly, he is calm and engaged and happy.  Here are the latest photos. 

Charlie's Second Face

It's been nine days since Charlie had a cranio vault remodel to correct the effects of his Craniosynostosis.  The swelling and bruising which accompanied the first part of his recovery are mostly gone and we are now starting to see the beginnings of Charlie's new face.  Dr. Fearon intentionally set Charlie's temples wider than other kids his age.  He wants Charlie to have room to grow into his new face without having a second surgery.  So the wide brow will become less so as he grows.  Charlie's incision, which zigzags across the top of his head from ear to ear is almost invisible at first glance because it is camouflaged by hair.  Charlie is looking good and feeling like his old self again!  Here are some photos of Charlie taking a look at himself in the mirror for the first time since his surgery. 

6 Days Post Op

Another great day of healing and recovery, napping and playing.

Thumbs Up - 5 Days Post Op

A big thumbs up from Charlie.  This is what 120 hours post op looks like in the Greenman household.  Charlie is having a great day, minus some serious teething.  While Charlie was in surgery, Dr. Fearon noticed that his upper dental Frenulum was thick and taught.  This can cause delays when teeth come in and usually cause a big gap between a child's two front teeth.  So, while Dr. Fearon was working on his skull, he also snipped Charlie's dental Frenulum to create a little space and allow his front teeth to descend properly.  I think he just saved us lots of money on orthodontics.  Now, Charlie is sensing lots of dental movement.  Ouch! Break out the teething gel.

Four Days Post Op

Hello friends, family and Charlie fans,

Charlie has been recovering from his craniofacial surgery for four days now and the physical changes have been nothing short of amazing.  Dr. Fearon began the procedure at 2:30pm on August 1st and Charlie's response since that time has been incredible.  He is healing so quickly.  Every time Jack and I look away for even a moment, Charlie's head changes while our gaze is elsewhere.  Charlie has his fussy moments, sure, but this doesn't seem out of the norm for a one year old baby.  Mostly, he wants to be in our arms, looking around and interacting.  And as you can see, he is still smiling.

Aug. 5 at 10:30am

Happy First Birthday!

One year ago today...

...and here are a few shots of Charlie on his birthday.  

His eyes are open and his swelling and bruising has 

decreased considerably.  Happy birthday, brave bear cub!

Post Surgery Smiles

Hello again dear friends and Charlie fans,

Charlie had a great first day home from the hospital.  Yes, he was very unhappy this afternoon when his swelling and bruising peaked between noon and 4pm.  However, tonight he's looking and feeling much better.  He is smiling when he hears familiar voices and trying very hard to interact even without the use of his sight.  We're thrilled that he wants to move, roll, kick and exercise his limbs.  Dr. Fearon explained that physical activity is a very healthy sign and that he cannot damage his new skull shape by moving around.  In fact, Dr. Fearon said that moving will actually help Charlie's head heal faster and encourage the bruising to dissipate sooner.  So tonight, we're all smiles at the Greenman house. 

And here is a video of Charlie kicking and smiling and enjoying being IV free.

All our love,

Jack and Sarah Greenman

Charlie is Home!

Charlie had a good night.  He ate small meals and was able to keep everything down.  His pain medication doses became more and more spread out and he actually slept for normal stretches during the night.  This morning he was looking good and ready for his first full bottle since having surgery less than 48 hours ago.  His eyes are still swollen shut and probably will be for a few more days. 

Dr. Fearon and Dr. Sacco came for a short visit this morning and determined that he looked "awesome" and that we could "pack it up" and go home.  Home?  Yes!  Home!  By 10am this morning, Charlie was home and happy to be so.  When Jack and I entered the house, Charlie heard the familiar sounds of our sticky front door, our beeping house alarm and keys hitting the dining room table.  He picked his head up off of my shoulder, smiled and let out the first giggle we've heard all day.  Jack and I cannot thank you enough for your prayers and healing thoughts.  Charlie's surgery and recovery went even better than we could have imagined.  He did everything quickly, smoothly and ahead of schedule.  We are amazed.

Charlie last night before bed time.

Charlie taking his first full bottle this morning.

Jack and Charlie take a spin around the ward in a Red Flyer wagon while waiting for discharge.

Charlie in his car seat on the way home

Charlie having his second meal of the day at home in his Daddy's arms.

Charlie is out of ICU

Hello again!

This is Jack and Sarah reporting from Charlie's bedside.  Our little super guy slept most of the night in the ICU and awoke this morning feeling pretty disoriented and uncomfortable.  Luckily, his blood levels were looking very good and he was alert enough to interact with us!  Charlie's face is bruised and swollen - both of which are completely normal for this kind of surgery.  His right eye was swollen shut, but the left eye was free and open all morning.  He could see us and smile at us and even do a bit of giggling!

After a short morning in ICU, Charlie's surgeons determined that he was well enough to move upstairs into his own room.  He was transferred out of ICU at 9am in a padded Red Flyer wagon.  Charlie is not yet able to keep any food down, but he is resuming his normal napping patterns. By 2pm, Charlie's swelling had increased considerably causing his second eye to swell shut.  He's also running a fever this afternoon. Again, we're told that this is all normal.

If he continues on this path, Charlie will be released tomorrow afternoon providing that he is alert and able to keep down his food.  Thank you so much for all your notes, emails, texts, phone calls and best wishes.  Charlie is doing beautifully and we're hoping to be home soon soon soon.  I've included some photos from Charlie's day below.  Please know that some of them depict bruising and swelling and may be uncomfortable for some people.  Again, he is doing very well and all of his doctors are super pleased with his progress!

First nap of the morning in Mama's arms.

Looking at his Daddy.

All smiles for his Mama.

Charlie leaving the ICU in a red wagon with his Daddy.

Reunited with Charlie in the PICU

It's over!  Charlie came through his surgery beautifully.  His doctors are very pleased with his new head shape and said that we have every reason to expect a swift recovery.  Charlie is now resting peacefully in the PICU.  He is feeling the effects of left-over sedation as well as his pain medication, but this is helping him to sleep and stay calm.  He has some slight swelling and bruising both of which will increase over the next two days.  Right now, however, he looks beautiful.  Jack and I are amazed and awed by his new head shape - his sweet perfect face was untouched and he looks like himself.  Thank you everyone for sending your healing light and loving thoughts to Charlie today.  We are filled with gratitude.

Charlie's Big Day

Hello friends, family, healers and Charlie fans,

This is Sarah and Jack reporting from the waiting room at Medical City in Dallas, Texas.  Charlie had a good night's sleep and a non-eventful morning before heading to the hospital for check-in.  Today, Charlie is having a "cranio vault remodel" to separate his fused skull bones.  It's 2:45pm and Charlie is currently in the OR with Dr. Fearon (craniofacial surgeon) and Dr. Sacco (neurosurgeon).  The last hour and a half was mostly prep work and now they're at the beginning of the procedure itself.  They estimate that Charlie will be done around 6pm this evening.  Thank you all for your best wishes and prayers for Charlie.  Even in his hospital gown, he had the golden glow of healing light energy.  Its all around him. I've included some photos below from our morning.  We will post another update here when surgery is over and Charlie is safe in our arms.  Look for it tonight!

As soon as we arrived, Charlie decided to take a nap.  Smart kid.

One last look at his beautiful crooked head.

Charlie fell in love with nurse Tracey, who gave Charlie a cute new outfit.

Sarah and Charlie walking up to the operating room.

Jack and Charlie had one last big cuddle bug moment before

Charlie was taken into the OR with his nurses and anesthesiologist.

All our love, 

Jack and Sarah