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December 2009

On December 1st Christos had rodding surgery to replace his bent femur rod. The first set of rods were inserted in his femurs four years ago (see 2005) by the same doctor who did this surgery to Christos, Dr. Anastasios Kanellopoulos, and really helped Christos to be able to walk independent and get stronger. In April 2007, though after a fracture at his right femur, the rod was bent. The next two years and after a series of mostly femur fractures, both rods were bent and not expanding anymore. Moreover there is a leg difference about 8 mm caused by the femur bowing which along with his femurs bowing did his walking problematic and tiresome. Thus Dr. Kanellopoulos recommended to replace both his rods.
In the first phase he replaced the right rod. There were several difficulties during the surgery due to the large deformation of the bone but the result was very satisfactory.
Christos, a few days after surgery is very good. What impresses me is his maturity and calmness facing all this situation and he was very curious to know as much as possible details. He even asked me if he could have a look to the rod they removed. But I had never thought of that but I could ask the surgeon so at the following surgery to replace his left surgery, hopefully next month.

November 2009

At first grade this year Christos loves school!!
He loves his teacher, Mrs. Christina, because she teach him how to read and write and soon he will be able to read by himself as he says.
Unfortunately a fracture and replacement surgery of the legs of starch which has been postponed for some time since mid November, will keep away from the classroom with their peers.

August 2009 - Trip to Ioannina

In August we had a trip to the city of Ioannina.

August 2009

On August 16, 2009 Christos had his 6th birthday!

July 2009

Mid July Christos had his regular pamidronate infusion at our local hospital. It is a two day infusion as there is a restriction on the hourly dose of medicine that can be given. He gets half the dose during a three-hour infusion in the afternoon and continues the next morning with the rest dose. Christos is one of the most favourite boy in the pediatric clinic and he feels very comfortable there.
Every time after a pamidronate infusion Christos is very active and sometimes becomes rekless so there is always ar risk of fracture. For this reason we must be very careful and often have to remind him that he should watch his steps and not run. But just hours after we got back home without any apparent reason, Christos fell while running out of his room. He fell on his left side and i took him gently on his bed and as soon as I calmed him down he told me he was hurting pointing somewhere in the midline of hisleft femur. With just painkiller and a few movies soon he was calm and confortable. We did not feel like to have an x-ray as he said his femur was hurting and he did not weightbare at all so it is a fracture for sure probably not so serious.
Two weeks later and has begun to weightbare at his left foot but it is too early to walk. He must get strong enough to walk on his own. The surgery to replace his femur rods is postponed till autumn and we all have to be very careful to avoid another fracture if possible.

Mid July 2009

Christos wanted so much to travel with boat so we traveled for the weekend to Thasos island. Both he and his brother, Lefteris, were thrilled especially playing on the seaside.

July 2009

Kindergarten is over and now it is a sweet memory for all of us although it was a very tough year for all of us.
On the one hand the cold and the virus infections - every other week at least one at home had a fever or cough or whatever. Christos even had scarlet fever shortly before closing schools.
On the other hand fractures and especially the last one, and now itis critical to replace the rods inserted at his femurs as they are both bend and the difference between legs is more obvious now.
Despite all these it was a great experience for Christo since he got part of a group of children and ÐáñÜ ôéò éþóåéò êáé ôá êáôÜãìáôá üìùò Þôáí ìéá öïâåñÞ åìðåéñßá ãéá ôïí ×ñÞóôï ìéáò êáé Ýãéíå ìÝñïò ìéáò ïìÜäáò, êÜôé ðïõ äåí ôïõ åß÷å äïèåß ç åõêáéñßá ìÝ÷ñé ôþñá êáé óõíáíáóôñÜöçêå ìå Üëëá ðáéäéÜ, ðïëý äåéëÜ óôçí áñ÷Þ áëëÜ óéãÜ óéãÜ áíïß÷ôçêå êáé Ýêáíå ößëïõò, Ýìáèå íá ëåéôïõñãåß ìÝóá óôçí ôÜîç, íá Ý÷åé õðïìïíÞ, íá óõíåñãÜæåôáé êáé íá ðáßñíåé ìÝñïò óôéò äñáóôçñéüôçôåò. Óå üëá áõôÜ âïÞèçóáí ðïëý ïé äáóêÜëåò ôïõ, ôüóï ç äáóêÜëá ôçò ôÜîçò üóï êáé ïé äáóêÜëåò óå ðáñÜëëçëç óôÞñéîç*Ïñßóôçêå óôçí áñ÷Þ ôçò ÷ñïíéÜò ìéá äáóêÜëá ðáñÜëëçëçò óôÞñéîçò ç ïðïßá èá êÜëõðôå óõã÷ñüíùò ôéò áíÜãêåò ôüóï ôïõ ×ñÞóôïõ üóï êáé åíüò Üëëïõ ðáéäéïý óôçí ßäéá ôÜîç ôï ïðïßï åß÷å åãêåöáëéêÞ ðáñÜëõóç. Êáé åíþ ç ÷ñïíéÜ ðÞãáéíå ïìáëÜ, êÜðïéá óôéãìÞ ïé ãïíåßò ôïõ Üëëïõ ðáéäéïý áíüçôá êáé ðáñÜëïãá æÞôçóáí áðü ôç äéåýèõíóç ç äáóêÜëá ôçò ðáñÜëëçëçò óôÞñéîçò ãéá Ýíá ìÝñïò ôçò çìÝñáò íá áó÷ïëåßôáé áðïêëåéóôéêÜ ìå ôï ðáéäß ôïõò âïçèþíôáò åðéêïõñéêÜ óå áóêÞóåéò åíäõíÜìùóÞò ôïõ, ðñÜãìá üìùò ðïõ Ýèåôå óå ìåãÜëï êßíäõíï ôïí ßäéï ôïí ×ñÞóôï áöïý áðáñáßôçôç ðñïûðüèåóç ãéá ôçí áóöÜëåéÜ ôïõ Þôáí ç óõíå÷Þò åðßâëåøç áðü êáðïéïí åíÞëéêá êáè'üëç ôçí äéÜñêåéá ôçò ó÷ïëéêÞò çìÝñáò. Ôï üëï èÝìá áíôéìåôùðßóôçêå ìå ôç öéëüôéìç ðñïóðÜèåéá ôùí äáóêÜëùí êáé áðü êÜðïéï óçìåßï êáé ìåôÜ ìå ôçí ðáñïõóßá êáé ôñßôçò äáóêÜëáò ìÝóá óôçí ôÜîç.
Ç üëç åìðåéñßá áðïäåß÷ôçêå åîáéñåôéêÜ ÷ñÞóéìç. Ðáñüôé óôçí ðñïóðÜèåéá åðßëõóçò ôïõ èÝìáôïò áêïýóáìå êáé á÷áñáêôÞñéóôåò ðñïôÜóåéò, üðùò ôï íá åßíáé ï ×ñÞóôïò ìå æþíç äåìÝíïò óå êáñåêëÜêé ìå ñüäåò(!), åíôïýôïéò åðéêñÜôçóå ç ëïãéêÞ êáé óßãïõñá êáé ç êáèïäÞãçóç ôùí áñìüäéùí õðçñåóéþí Þôáí ôÝôïéá þóôå íá âñåèåß ç âÝëôéóôç ëýóç. Óßãïõñá äå èá ðåñßìåíá ðïôÝ íá Ýñèù áíôéìÝôùðç ìå ïðïéïäÞðïôå ãïíÝá, êáé åéäéêÜ ãïíÝá ðáéäéïý ìå éäéáßôåñåò áíÜãêåò, ðïõ öôÜíåé íá êñáõãÜæåé üôé Ý÷åé “öéëÞóåé” êáôïõñçìÝíåò ðïäéÝò êáé üôé îÝñåé ôïí Åõñéðßäç Þ ôïí üðïéïí Üëëï õðïõñãü êáé áõôü èá Ýðñåðå íá ëÝåé êÜôé óå åìÜò. Äåí ÷ñåéÜæåôáé íá îÝñù êÜðïéïí õðïõñãü Þ íá ÷Üóù ôçí áîéïðñÝðåéá ìïõ ãéá íá Ý÷åé ôï ðáéäß ìïõ áõôÜ ðïõ äéêáéïýôáé. .
Êáé ôþñá èá Ýðñåðå êáíïíéêÜ áðëÜ íá áðïëáýóïõìå ôï êáëïêáßñé ìáò. ÁëëÜ åêêñåìåß ôï ÷åéñïõñãåßï ôïõ ×ñÞóôïõ ðïõ ãéá êÜðïéï ëüãï ó÷åôéêÜ ìå ôçí åéóáãùãÞ ôùí õëéêþí Ý÷åé “êïëëÞóåé”*ÔåëéêÜ ìÞðùò åßíáé áðáñáßôçôï íá îÝñåéò êÜðïéïí õðïõñãü;. ¸ôóé áðëÜ èá îåêëÝâïõìå ëßãï ÷ñüíï ãéá èÜëëáóóá ìÝ÷ñé íá ïñéóôåß ç çìåñïìçíßá.

Mid May 2009

After a month since his last fracture Christos walks without help. What else? Oh yes, he has scarlet fever but fortunately with mild symptoms. But he misses school..

May 2009

It is already three weeks since Christos right femur fracture. Fracture happened Good Thursday. It was the first time Christos faced his fracture with real anger and I had to give for at least two days painkillers in order to be confortable Ôéò ðñþôåò äÝêá ìÝñåò Þôáí áñêåôÜ êáêïäéÜèåôïò êáé ëåò êáé, äåí Ýöôáíå ìüíï ôï êÜôáãìá, Ýêáíå êáé ðõñåôü ãéá êáíÜ äõï ìÝñåò ëüãù ßùóçò ðïõ ôïí êáôÝâáëå áêüìç ðåñéóóüôåñï. Áðü ôçí Üëëç ï âñï÷åñüò êáéñüò êáôÜ ôç äåýôåñç âäïìÜäá ôùí äéáêïðþí ôïõ ÐÜó÷á óßãïõñá äå âïÞèçóå ìéáò êáé ìáò Ýêëåéóå ìÝóá óôï óðßôé.
Áðü ôçí óôéãìÞ üìùò ðïõ Üíïéîáí ôá ó÷ïëåßá êáé åðÝóôñåøå ï ×ñÞóôïò óôçí êáèçìåñéíÞ ôïõ ñïõôßíá ôá ðñÜãìáôá Üëëáîáí èåáìáôéêÜ! Êáé ðáñüëï ðïõ ôçí ðñþôç ìÝñá óôï ó÷ïëåßï ìåôÜ ôéò äéáêïðÝò ï ×ñÞóôïò áñíéüôáí íá êáôåâåß áðü ôï êáñüôóé ôïõ, ôçí åðïìÝíç ü÷é ìüíï Þèåëå íá ðáßîåé óôç ðáñÝá áëëÜ ìåôåß÷å êáíïíéêÜ óå üëåò ôéò äñáóôçñéüôçôåò óôï ìÜèçìá êáé ãõñíïýóå ðßóù óðßôé ÷áñïýìåíïò. Êáé Þäç ðñéí êëåßóïõí ôñåéò åâäïìÜäåò áðü ôï êÜôáãìá, ï ×ñÞóôïò ìðïñåß íá êéíåßôáé áñêåôÜ Üíåôá êáé áêüìç êáé íá ðåñðáôÜåé ìå ðñïóï÷Þ êáé êñáôþíôáò ôïí áðü ôá ÷Ýñéá.
Åßìáóôå áêüìç óå áíáìïíÞ íá ïñéóôåß ç çìåñïìçíßá ãéá ôï ÷åéñïõñãåßï áíôéêáôÜóôáóçò ôùí åíäïìõåëéêþí Þëùí óôïõò ìçñïýò ôïõ...

April 2009

Happy Easter!!
The photo is from a little celebration kids had at the kindergarten on March 25th. March 25th here in Greece is a federal day, a commeration of the revolution in 1821 declaring our liberation from the Ottoman Empire and the beginning the Greek War of Independence.
Since Christmas Christos got really strong. Starting pt lessons really helped. In Christos case is really important to have his rods being replaced while Christos is in the best physical condition he can.
That why is was a really bad luck his right femur fracture on Great Tuesday when he slipped while running in the house. His dad gave him his usual painkillers and soon Christos was feeling better. Just for phycological reasons we wrapped his femur with an ace bandage and he stayed in bed watching movies and being careful with his leg.We will wait and see how serious things are.

March 2009

The carnival this year Christos and his classmates made handmade masks and hats with their teachers help and they had a party.
At the party he dressed - what else? - dinosaur!! I found the pattern at the internet. Next year's carnival he wants to be a knight - thankfully it will be much easier to find a knight's costume - since he loved swords. On Clean Monday three-day vacationswe went to Athens.

The visit at the Attica Zoo will be unforgetable!! He was thrilled and for more that two hours he was running up and down visit all the animals and he wanted me to read all the info for every animal at the park!! Next day at the school he descrided really excited his experience to his classmates!!
ÊáèáñÜ ÄåõôÝñá ôï ôáîßäé ôçò åðéóôñïöÞò. ÓôáìáôÞóáìå ãéá ëßãï óôçí Óôõëßäá üðïõ õðÞñ÷å öáãçôü, ÷ïñüò êáé ôñáãïýäé áí êáé ôïí ×ñÞóôï ôïí åíäéÝöåñáí ìüíï ïé ÷áñôáåôïß óôïí ïõñáíü.

Christos was given birth on 16 August 2003.
Christos has a rare bone disease called osteogenesis imperfecta type IV. From nine months old he has begun treatment with biphosphonates (pamidronate) and in the dues 2005 it was he had both his femurs rodded.
As for his growth it almost regularly follows the 3rd centesimal place in growth curves so much for the weight what the height..
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