Continuing on...

So Oliver had his little soft cast on for a week and a half and then we went to see the doctor.  It was not a fun visit.  Because all the blood had dried on the gauze and it was stuck to the wound it was not fun to remove.  The nurse/assistant person tried to get it all off and Oliver screamed bloody murder.  Finally she gave up and when the doctor came in she soaked it in some saline.  Hello...why that assistant didn't do that is beyond me.  So once it was all off the doc looked at the sore and said it looked good.  She showed me how to bandage it back up and said I could change it every time he takes a bath or shower or whatever.  I was a good girl and did that every other day.  Each time I knew it was bath time I cringed.  I had a gut ache because I hated to see the wound.  Brandt wouldn't do it so it was my job to wash it up and re-apply the dressing.


First time finger exposed.

October 10th (big picture), October 13th (top right), October 15th (bottom right)

Finally on October 22, at this appointment, he was given the ok that we didn't need to keep it wrapped anymore.  The stitches had healed enough so that it didn't need protection.  That was nice, but then we got to actually SEE the finger.  It has been amazing to watch how quickly it has healed. 

October 22th

We went to the doctor and physical therapist yesterday morning and he has graduated from visits unless there is a problem.  Oliver likes to hold the pinkie out away from the rest of the fingers and is hesitant to use it.  If I notice him not using it I will remind him to use his pinkie but it is not natural for him.  The PT thinks that it is because the sensation is different in that finger so he is nervous to use it.  Doesn't feel natural.  He went so long with it held out that it is hard for it to retrain to be part of the hand.  She is confident though that if we do some sensory activities regularly (bucket of beans, bucket of noodles, shaving cream, play doh, etc.) he will get sensation back and it will feel natural.  The finger is also bending.  I didn't think that tendon would heal.  Because his finger is so tiny it's not like they could find the tendon and stitch it back together so it has had to do this on its own.  So both the tendons and nerves had to heal back together on their own.  And his finger moves!!  Absolutely incredible.  I do stretches with him and practice bending the finger and rub/massage it to get the scar tissue to go away and help the finger to be straight.  I've also used oils on him, too.  I'm not a huge advocate of essential oils but I think there is something to it.  Every night he asks for his "o-yuls."  Love how he says it.  Whatever it is, it's working, whether it is the amazing docs (which he has), his incredible and amazing body (which he has), prayers (which we have felt), or the oils, the combo of it all has healed my baby.

I am hopeful that Oliver will lay low and stop getting hurt but this kid is giving us a run for our money to say the least.  It's a good thing he came to us so darn cute cause otherwise I don't know that I could handle all our adventures we have already had with him.  We sure do love him - and his little finger.

As a side funny story, right after he had the injury we took him to church but he came to primary with me because I didn't want him to risk it getting bumped or hurt by the kids in nursery.  We were in the back of the primary room and Brandt was there and said "Stumps, come here."  Another guy in there looked at Brandt and was like, "isn't that a little too soon to be calling him that?!?"  We laughed and laughed.  Brandt has called Oliver Stumps since the beginning because he has stumpy legs.  The kid is all torso.  So when it was implied that we were referring to his chopped off finger I had to laugh.