Three Weeks Post-Op!

Sydney's doing great. These photos are three weeks post-op! The swelling has decreased significantly and a lot of the sutures have fallen out. She is anxiously looking forward to starting preschool tomorrow! She had been wearing a plastic protective cup over her ear, but we can leave that off now unless Dr. Reinisch tells us otherwise. We will continue to post pictures as the ear heals, so check back periodically.

HOME AT LAST

We arrived in Quincy shortly before 9 PM Friday evening after an uneventful day of travel. Brooke and I would like to thank everyone for their thoughtfulness, prayers, and support during Sydney's journey. Over the next several months, we will periodically be posting updates and pictures as Sydney's new ear heals. Sydney is scheduled to begin stage one ear reconstruction on the left side in January and stage 2 on both ears in May. Once again, thanks to everyone for the support you have shown us!

Back to the Beach

Sydney playing with her dolls before we left for the beach.

The Pacific Ocean

Sydney tries to chase down a seagull.

Today was a lazy day. Sydney wanted to go shopping so we went back out to the Grove to do some window shopping only (heaven forbid if that kid ever gets a credit card when she is older). There we discovered the Farmer's Market which consisted of numerous places to eat and shop. One could dine on anything from traditional American to Korean, French, or Cajun food. You could also shop for fresh produce, wine, baked goods and meat. One shop even had fresh rabbit for $8.95/pound. Then we went to the beach for a couple of hours and called it a day. As you can see, Sydney is back to her old self. This week has been long and we are ready to come home. Ian has had fun staying with Grandma and Grandpa but is ready for us to come home as well and is anxiously awaiting our return. Sydney has one more appointment with Dr. Reinisch tomorrow and then it's time to pack our bags.

Bandages Changed, Hair Washed, and Off to Rodeo Drive!

Before her hair is washed.


****Graphic ear photo ahead****

Her ear is swollen and not as pretty now, but that is to be expected. Dr. Reinisch says everything looks fine.

Mom and Syd on Rodeo Drive for a walk only! Dad had his wallet under lock and key!

Today started with a late breakfast at IHOP before Sydney's appointment with Dr. Reinisch. Danny Bonaduce (Danny Partridge) decided to come in and have some pancakes while we were eating breakfast. I guess you never know who you will run into at a Hollywood IHOP. I didn't have my camera but wouldn't have taken his picture anyway -- that dude kinda scares me. Then it was off to Dr. Reinisch's office for a bandage change and hair shampooing. As you all can see, the ear is pretty swollen and bruised now, but that is to be expected at this point. It will take several months or longer to have a more normal appearance. We then took a stroll down the famous Rodeo Drive in Beverly Hills. That place is obscene! I saw a pair of sunglasses in a window for $2395.00! Anybody who would pay that kind of price is insane.

CA Science Center and Downtown Disney

Today we decided to go to the CA science center in downtown LA. All I can say is that we weren't impressed. It was a huge building that seemed rather empty. We went to 1 gallery before Sydney got hungry. We ate at the science center and then proceeded to the gift shop. That was the highlight of the trip. After that we went to Downtown Disney, a shopping area right outside of Disney Land. It was a nice area with a lot of neat restaurants and some fun shops--Lego store, Liby Lu, the biggest Disney store I've ever seen, and a few more. That's about all for today. Tomorrow is another bandage change with Dr. R., and hopefully a hair washing--I'm sure that won't be too fun.

Aquarium Visit

Brooke Makes Some New Friends

Sunday Alan was feeling much better so we took Syd to the Aquarium of the Pacific in Long Beach. She liked seeing "Nemo" and his friends. She seems to be back to her normal self. Can't wait to get home, the days are getting long.

POST-OP PHOTO!

BEFORE

AFTER!

Here is one post op photo. This photo was taken at the end of the procedure before much swelling set in. The ear is much more swollen now, which is to be expected. It will take a while for the swelling to subside. The scars should fade over time. I think you will agree with Brooke and I that the results are incredible!

Celebrity spotting

John Cusack

Sean Hayes

Jennifer Coolidge

Arsenio Hall

Molly Shannon

Today was a pretty lazy day. Alan woke up this morning with the stomach flu, and spent the day in bed. Sydney and I went out a few times--which means I drove in LA. I was a little scared since Alan has done all of the driving since we've been here. It wasn't bad because I had the Tom Tom. On our way back from Walgreens we drove right in front of the Grauman's Theater where they were having the premier of the animated movie, Igor. I went back to the hotel and got my camera and went star gazing. It wasn't long before I saw John Cusack, Sean Hayes, Jennifer Coolidge (Stiffler's mom in the American Pie movies), Arsenio Hall, and Molly Shannon. It was interesting to see the stars walk the "purple carpet". The press was there taking pictures too. After that Sydney and I made a trip to Mc Donald's and to Target. We made it back in one piece, and I managed not to wreck the car ...Yeah. Driving in LA/Hollywood isn't bad at all. We're hoping Alan feels better tomorrow.

A visit to Dr. R's office and Sleeping Beauty

Sydney with her new friend Allison.


This morning we let Sydney sleep in since she was a cranky bear yesterday, but it didn't help too much. We decided we would go to the Aquarium of the Pacific which is about 40 miles away from our hotel. We noticed last night there was a piece of tape loose which was holding her ear cup on. We decided to place an extra piece of tape on it to make sure it was secure. In the process we noticed that the blue "silly putty" like substance that was supposed to be on her new ear had fallen off. We immediately called Dr. R. and he told us to bring her in. He usually does not take the blue stuff off until the second post op appointment because it helps to keep the swelling down. Sure enough Syd's blue stuff had fallen completely off, so he took everything off and cleaned the ear. It was swollen and blue and didn't look much like an ear at the time. It probably won't for a few weeks. After he cleaned it he put a new ear cup--with extra tape--and the netting back on. Sydney was completely hysterical by this time and kept screaming "I want to go home" over and over. We thought she would fall asleep as we drove to the aquarium, but no such luck. Halfway there we ended up turning around and going back to the hotel for a nap.

After nap we decided to go see Sleeping Beauty which was playing at the El Capitan Theater, a block from our hotel. The theater is owned by Disney, and they show Disney movies there. It just happened to be Sleeping Beauty which Syd has never seen. The theater itself was beautiful. Alan said it was the way movie theaters should be. When we walked into the theater a man was sitting on the stage playing Disney music on a very large organ. The movie screen itself was covered by green velvet drapes. As it was time for the movie to begin the organ descended below the stage, and the drapes came open. A 1-2 minute light show featuring the Hollywood skyline started. After that we watched the previews, and then Sleeping Beauty herself danced across the stage before greeting the audience. Sydney was all smiles, and asked if Cinderella was coming next. The movie was good, and Sydney had one of the biggest smiles ever when the prince kissed Sleeping Beauty.

Bandages Changed Today!

Dr. Reinisch with another patient, Sydney and Brooke
Sydney is all smiles now! Thanks for the balloons Uncle Steve, Aunt Mary, Madie, Jack, and Hadie

Sydney had her first post-op visit today. The main bandage that covers the ear remained in place and was not changed, but everything else was. Her drains were removed as well as the dressing from the incision on her abdomen. She did not like having any of this done, but is now doing much better. We plan to venture out later; Sydney wants to go back to the American Girl Store. I'll end up buying that place by the time we are done.

Second Day Post-Op

Sydney does her best Rocky impersonation -- "Yo Adrian, I did it!"
Sydney and Daddy play Winnie the Pooh memory match game.
Sydney received a package today -- a present from her brother Ian and Grandma and Grandpa Bockenfeld.

Hi everyone! Sydney is feeling much better today. We may try to venture out later. We have not received post-op pictures yet; hopefully we will receive those tomorrow at her first post-op appointment. We should also be able to take some pictures then. Her bandages will be changed tomorrow. Other than that, everything is going well.

First Day Post-op

Sydney did pretty well last night. She ate a few bites of Jell-O and drank a little juice, but soon fell asleep. She slept all night long only waking a few times for a drink. This morning she got up and had a bite or two of waffle and some more Jell-O. The only thing she has complained about is her tummy hurting. They took the skin graft from her abdomen(too bad she couldn't have donor skin...I could have fixed her right up:-) ) and put in a pain pump that she will have until Thursday. She watched part of a movie this morning, but is back to sleep now. Here are a few pictures from yesterday.


Picture 1--Waiting in her hospital PJ's. This was right before we tried to get her to drink her "juice" aka liquid versed. She wanted no part of the
"juice" even though we never called it medicine. Such a little stinker!!

Picture 2--Sleeping back at the hotel.

Picture 3-- Eating a few bites of Jell-O. You can see the plastic cup covering her ear as well as the drains and the netting. The drains and pump are being held in a little pouch that she wears around her neck.

Won't be much activity today. I'm doing some laundry, and Alan is reading a book. I probably won't post any more pictures until Thursday when the dressing comes off--unless we get the ear picture from Dr. Reinisch. Talk to you soon.
Brooke

Surgery's Over!

Sorry, it took us a while to get this update. Dr. Reinisch came out to talk with us at 2:25 PM LA time and said that everything went smoothly! Sydney was slow to wake up and, as you can imagine, not in the best of moods. We arrived back at our hotel around 6:30 PM LA time and she is already sleeping. She has two drains coming out of her head, one from her new ear and one under her scalp. There is also a tube placed under the skin on her lower abdomen that slowly releases a local anesthetic where he took a skin graft. He took pictures in the OR when he was done. We are anxiously waiting for him to email those pictures to us and then we will post them. Any words I place here describing the wonderful work Dr. Reinisch did will not do him justice. Wait for the pictures.

12:45 LA Time

Report from the OR is that everything is still okay and there is another 1-2 hours to go.
Alan and Brooke

11:00 AM LA Time

Report from the OR is that everything is going well.
Alan and Brooke

7:55 LA Time Monday -- Sydney's in Surgery

We will try to update this throughout the day. Sydney went back about fifteen minutes ago. As expected, she did not go too willingly. They tried to give her some liquid Versed to drink before going back and even that was a struggle. I am sure she will do fine, however. Brooke and I are holding up as well as can be expected. I know Sydney is in very capable hands and that the Lord Jesus Christ is watching over her. We ask that you continue to pray for her during the day. More updates later.
Alan and Brooke

THANK YOU

As Sydney begins what will be the first of many surgeries, we would like to take this opportunity to thank our families and friends for the love, prayers, and support that has been given to us. A very special thanks to the entire Blessing family including my staff, colleagues, and administration whose support, thoughtfulness, and generosity is greatly appreciated.
Alan and Brooke

A trip to the Santa Monica Pier and up the PCH

Today we decided to take Syd to the see the ocean, and went to the Santa Monica Pier. It was a lot of fun. We walked down the pier and looked around. The amusement park(Pacific Park) was closed for a private party, so we walked along the beach for a while. Sydney wanted to look for seashells. I found a small one in the sand and showed it to her. After that she was stopping every few feet to pick up more. I ended up with a pocket full. We tried walking in the water, but she didn't like that at all. The water was a little chilly, but I think she would have played in the sand for hours if we let her. We coaxed her off the sand with the promise of lunch which we ate at the Bubba Gump Shrimp Company. Since Pacific Park was closed until 4 we decided to take a drive on the Pacific Coast Highway and let Sydney have a chance to take a nap. We drove along the PCH, which runs along the coast, for about an hour. The most exciting part was driving through Malibu and seeing the massive mansions that sat upon the hillsides. There were also many beautiful beaches full of surfers and swimmers. I have never seen anything like it. After our drive we headed back to the Santa Monica Pier where we took in a few rides before going back to our hotel. Sydney took a bath and headed off to bed. I hope she is ready for her big day tomorrow.

Saturday

Today was bittersweet as we had the opportunity see my good friend and former Quincy physician Dr. Donald Mann. Don's family is from North Hollywood. Unfortunately his father Mack passed away on Tuesday. We were fortunate enough to be able to go to his services today and see Don and his family. Our thoughts and prayers are with his family. Don returns to Cincinnati next week where he will continue a surgery burn fellowship at the Shriner's Hospital there.

Otherwise we have not done much today. Sydney wants to go swimming later in the pool at our hotel. Last night there was a nationally televised event, Stand Up For Cancer, held at the Kodak Theater. The back entrance to the theater is literally 50 feet from the door to our hotel room. We didn't see anyone famous however.

Sydney Has Lunch at The American Girl Store and Meets Dr. Reinisch

Lunch at the American Girl Cafe


A delicious dessert to end our meal.

A big smile and shopping bag in her arm--Daddy, hide your wallet!!

In the waiting room at Dr. R.'s office.

Dr. Reinisch

Today started off early as Sydney is still on Illinois time. She was up at 5 am LA time. I tried to get her back to sleep, but it didn't work. So we got up, ate breakfast, and got ready for the day. We ventured to "The Grove" shopping center today. It was extremely nice with a mix of upscale and moderate shops. We started out at the American Girl store. Sydney was very excited. We headed straight for the Bitty Babies. She picked out a tea set--she loves having tea parties--and a T-shirt. as we were looking through the store we saw the cafe. We were able to have lunch there. Syd got to pick a doll to sit at the table with us. She was dancing and hopping all around with excitement. The 4 course meal was very good. After lunch we headed back to the hotel for a much needed nap.

At 4 o'clock we had an appointment with Dr. Reinisch. We left at 2:30 to ensure that we had enough time for the 4 mile trip. It was a good thing we did because we got a little lost. The office building has 2 addresses, one for Beverly Hills, one for LA--why I don't know--but I had the wrong one. Anyway we ended up getting there with about 25 minutes to spare. Dr. Reinisch was wonderful and spent about an hour with us. We talked about the surgery and found out that he will be taking a skin graft from Sydney's abdomen. He said that he likes to use the abdomen graft in bi-lateral cases because it gives him more skin to work with. The skin is also a little thicker than the scalp graft skin. I wasn't expecting that, and almost shed a tear. However, I know that Dr. Reinisch is fantastic at what he does and will do what is right for Syd.

We made it to LA!!

It was raining cats and dogs when we left St. Louis this morning, but it was bright and sunny as we flew into LA. Sydney loved the plane ride. She asked me, "When are we going to blast off?" several times as we were waiting for take off. Then as the plane sped down the runway she let out a big "WooooHooo". The flight was uneventful--which was a good thing. Sydney finally fell asleep as we touched down in LA, and we had to wake her up. Needless to say the trip through the airport wasn't too pretty. We made it to our hotel around 2:00 LA time. It is in a fun area within a block of the Kodak theater(where they have the Academy Awards), Grauman's Chinese theater (home to many red carpet premieres), and within view of the "HOLLYWOOD" sign. We ate lunch/dinner at UWink--a restaurant where you order your food via a touch screen at your table. It was neat, but I don't think we'll be going back. We did a little sight seeing of the area before Sydney's exhaustion kicked in. Syd is about asleep, and Alan is off to the grocery store. Tomorrow we meet with Dr. Reinisch.
I want to thank you for all the prayers and support. They really mean a lot!!