Marcia's Adolescent Years

Chapter 1- Marcia

I talk normal for being almost 2 years old.
I miss some physical milestones so my parents are concerned.
I don't try to crawl like normal babies I drag my legs behind me and pull with my arms to move.
It is hard to change my diaper because I am stiff.
I was hard to get to sleep. I love to lay on daddy's chest. It helps me sleep. I am comfortable there.
Daddy is taking me to Children's hospital. He is worried about my legs.
I love daddy.
Daddy didn't like the doctors at Children's Hospital they called me slow that made daddy mad. "My daughter is not slow. Something else is wrong if you choose not to help me find out what it is I will find a better hospital with better doctors who will."
The next day daddy took me to A.I. DuPont for Children. Daddy and Mommy are happier with the doctors there.
Mommy and Daddy find out that I have Cerebral Palsy and water my brain, but they don't tell me.

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I am a 5 year old little girl. I am not like most kids. I struggle to get around.
It is the way I am suppose to be.
My name is Marcia Belle Bucella, but everyone calls me Marcy.
I like my name. I wish everyone would call me by my real name, but very few people say it right, most people call me Marsha instead of Marcia It is pronounced-Mar-see-a. I settle for Marcy with a y it will due for now.
I don't tell anyone that I don't really like it because they still call me Marcy anyway. I want people to like me. My mommy even calls me Marcy, sometimes she calls me Marcy Belle.

I am much smaller then most kids.
I have medium brown eyes and hair
Mommy likes to keep my hair short because it is easier to take care of. I don't like it short. I think it makes me look like a boy.

Every three weeks I go to A.I. DuPont hospital for Children. I like my doctors there. They are trying to find a way to help me. My legs don't work well. I am tip toed. I can't put my heals flat. My knees turn in so, it is hard for me to stand up without some help or some kind of support or mobility aide. My doctors tell mommy that I am spastic which means I am stiff all the time. My left arm, legs,feet,and toes are what is affected. My legs aren't straight unless you make them straight and they won't stay straight for long unless you hold them that way. When you let go they just bend strange again. It hurts to keep my legs straight. I am afraid of falling. My body just buckles when I try to stand because it hurts me and I am afraid that I will fall so I don't try to do it by myself.

My doctor and parents decide that it is best for me to have surgery. My surgeons name is doctor Mcquinn. My operation involves heel cord,hamstring and adductor lengthening. The adductors and the hamstrings were done to help my muscles relax. The heel cords were done to help me walk with a flatter foot. Only time will tell if the operation will work.

The surgery is scheduled.

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The day of the surgery I feel scared and excited. I trust my doctor with my life. I am scared because I might not ever walk...
I am excited because I might walk someday...
I am sad because I don't know what to feel, but I have to be strong so I smile as the anesthesiologist tells me to count backwards from ten and by the time I get to one I will be asleep...
I felt like I was swinging on a swing... one, twooo... I don't remember even getting to number three.
When I wake up...
I am in a body cast from the waist down. When the doctors put this heavy cast on they also put two long sticks horizontally between my legs to keep them apart. Sadness fills my heart whenever my caregivers carry me; I am after all, nothing short of excruciating, dead weight. I wish I could control the stiffness in my body. I try hard but, my body doesn't seem to be in my control sometimes.

I should stop these negative feelings. I need to learn to be patient with my body and follow doctors orders so I can go home. I am still learning about my body and what is wrong with it.

When I finally got home, excitement overwhelmed me. Mommy managed to set up a nice, comfortable hospital bed in our living room. I was all settled, but something was missing. My sister Leigh wasn't there by my side.
My sister Leigh and I are close in age. She was born on June 29th,1961 and I was born on March 1st, 1964. Leigh has dark brown hair,cut short in a pixie style and dark brown eyes. She is not as Tiny as I am, but she is built small.
Mommy is not real tall. I think that is where we get our height.
Mommy has blue/gray eyes. They always look sad to me.
She rarely smiles, but when she does It could light up a room.
Mommy doesn't laugh often either. She works a lot.

I keep asking, "Where is my sister? " I miss her. Leigh couldn't go with me to the hospital when I had my surgery. She had school. We play school often. Leigh teaches me things that she learns from school. I love my sister so much!

Leigh never treats me different. She loves me very much. I can feel it. She plays with me often. We sing together! I love to sing! I don't have a favorite singer yet. My sisters favorite singer is Donny Osmond. He still is. I love it when she reads to me at night. One of my favorite things we do together is play barbies. We have so much barbie furniture. Barbie, could have a twenty room mansion! Our barbie dolls have more clothes then we do. Barbie campers, Barbie pools and Barbie cars,you name it we have it. My sister even has Donny and Marie Osmond barbie dolls. She still has them.

I keep looking at the door.

"Mommy, why is she taking so long? Tell her I want her to come home, please."

Mommy came to the bottom of my bed.
"Now Marcy your sister will be here when she gets here."

Finally, after what seemed like forever to me. The screen door opened and in stepped my sister. I was so happy she was home. She looked beautiful to me.

Mommy heard her come in so, she asked Leigh if she said hello to me.

Leigh looked over at my hospital bed saying, "That's not my sister!" She ran from the living room crying!

I heard mommy go after her explaining why I looked the way I did with the cast on my legs.
Mommy gently explained to her that the cast wasn't hurting me. I had to wear it until my legs got better to a certain point after surgery.

Leigh came out of our bedroom, but she didn't come near me until she heard me crying in the middle of the night.
She came to my bedside and asked worriedly, "Whats wrong Marcy?"

Wiping my tears away I explain to her that my feet hurt.
She asked me if I wanted her to tell mommy. I told her "No"

"Leigh, will you stay out here with me?"

Leigh replied,"Yes on the couch."

I smiled at her and offered her my own blanket and pillow for the couch.

I never asked her why she ran out of the room earlier. I was just glad she was with me now.
"Hey, Leigh can we play tomorrow?''

Leigh answered, "Yes, now go to sleep, Marcy."

Even though I was still hurting, I went to sleep feeling much happier and safer just knowing my sister was closer.

The next morning I was still in pain so I told mommy.

"You would feel better if you took your medicine."

"I don't like to take medicine, because it makes me feel funny. However, mommy
made me eat breakfast and I had to take it anyway.

I must have fallen back to sleep because when I woke up Leigh is beside my bed asking me if I am ready to play.
I nod my head, yes, excitedly!, wondering what we are going with play with me in bed.

Leigh ran to our bedroom. On her way back to me she yelled, "Close your eyes and no peeking."

I yelled back, "Okay." I loved surprises so, I did as she asked.
It took more then one trip to our bedroom for her to bring out everything she needed.
I could feel her next to me again.

She reminded me not to look.

"I won't" I say as I close my eyes tighter. I felt her put stuff on my bed. Then, Leigh, climbed on my bed and set to work on her surprise. While she was working she asked me if my feet still hurt today. I told her mommy gave me pain medicine.

Leigh began to tell me she came up with this idea last night when she was trying to go back to sleep and she couldn't wait to try it today. Finally, Leigh told me I could open my eyes.

When I did the sight in front of me was awesome! My sister setup a barbie doll house; between my legs. Everything is placed at my reach! How clever of her to use the sticks that held my legs apart as the walls to separate the living room and the kitchen! I can't stop smiling! We Play for hours. This is a memory I will treasure now, always and in eternity.

Chapter 2-Why Is There Pain?  (E) What is causing Marcia's pain? #1905637 by Marcia~I'm Home :)