Jacob's Journey with PFFD

Therapy 2011

admin — Tue, 07 Jun 2011 00:48:22 +0000

Jacob is working hard with his therapist Don. A one hour visit per day- 5 days per week to keep Jacob’s muscles from tightening as his femur is being lengthened. Jacob could not have a longer leg without the dedication of Paley’s team including the wonderful therapists at Paley’s Advanced Limb Lengthening Institute.

Kenny G visits Quantum House 2011

admin — Sun, 06 Mar 2011 00:37:20 +0000

Kenny G paid a special visit to Quantum House- a wonderful supportive home for families with kids who are receiving medical treatment in West Palm Beach County. Kenny G was so incredibly talented and giving sharing his music with all the kids.

Recovery in Hospital 2011

admin — Tue, 01 Mar 2011 02:30:51 +0000

A therapy Dog called Jake makes a visit to see Jacob and the same age!

Daddy hanging out with Jacob in the hospital play area.

Sister beats Jacob playing the WII.

Grandma arrives from San Diego to help out.

Brother and sisterly love!

Some family time.

Pre and Post Op Surgery Feb 2011

admin — Thu, 24 Feb 2011 22:52:38 +0000

David, Rachel, Jacob and Jessica woke up at 5am on the 22nd for Jacob’s surgery arriving at Pre-Op at 6am. We were all a little anxious.

Next was the pre-op room to prepare for surgery.

Jacob has taken Duckie to every surgery for the last eight years.

Every surgery Rachel, Jacob’s Mom accompanies Jacob into the surgery room until he is administered anesthesia.

Six hours later Jacob had made it through the lengthening surgery. I hard wait for Mom and Dad and sister.

Surgery Feb 22nd 2011

admin — Tue, 22 Feb 2011 02:52:58 +0000

Our family has arrived in Florida for Jacob’s second lengthening surgery. The next journey to a longer leg begins tomorrow the 22nd of February 2011. He will have a fixator device on his leg to lengthen his femur bone 8cm over 4 months. We are staying at Quantum house a facility for families of special needs kids on the hospital grounds at St. Mary’s Hospital. I have included photo’s taken at pre-op with our family and doctor Paley-world renowned Orthopedic surgeon.

Dr. Paley Update 2010

admin — Mon, 26 Jul 2010 00:29:35 +0000

Dr. Paley is now head of the Paley Advanced Limb Lengthening Institute in West Palm Beach Florida.We will be traveling there for Jacob’s next limb lengthening early 20011. See links for more details.

Jacob’s Update 2010

admin — Sun, 25 Jul 2010 23:18:58 +0000

Jacob is now 9 years old and loving life! He is enjoying the summer holidays and right now is visiting his grandparents with his sister Jess in San Diego. Jacob recently visited Hanger Prosthetics in Denver. Expert Orthotist James Feulner custom designed Jacob a new shoe lift. Jacob is due for his second limb lengthening procedure with Dr. Paley at the Limb Lengthening in Florida http://www.limblengtheningdoc.org/ February 2011. His discrepancy will be reduced by 3 inches so that his short leg will almost be touching the ground after the next lengthening. Meanwhile his new shoe lift is awesome!

Batman pays Jacob a visit!

Rachel — Sat, 29 Dec 2007 18:44:01 +0000

Wow October 2007 Batman arrives at the Hackerman Patz house in his Batman mobile to visit the kids. How cool is that! Jacob was so excited to meet Batman!

Update December 2007

Rachel — Sat, 29 Dec 2007 18:23:07 +0000

Jacob and Rachel flew to Baltimore on the 16th of December from Denver. Jacob had surgery the following morning to remove his fixator and a pin was placed at the top of his femur to stabilize it. Two hour later the surgery was a success and a removable cast was applied to Jacob’s leg. Dr. Paley gave us the thumbs up to return to Colorado the following morning just in time for Christmas. The cast is removable so that Jacob can shower which is very nice. We are all home as a family and enjoying the snow including sledding out our front door! The cast has to stay on until the 8th of January and then therapy starts again, slowly at first, to regain full movement of Jacob’s knee. Right now he is at 60 degrees and he will ultimately be at 100-110 degrees, by June 2008.

Merry Christmas and Happy New Year from the Colorado Katz Family! Jacob is wearing the cast under his pants and you wouldn’t even know it! The best present of all this year is a longer leg for Jacob! We thank God for blessing Jacob with a longer leg!

Update November 2007

Rachel — Thu, 15 Nov 2007 20:46:08 +0000

We all made it home after a four day road trip from Baltimore to Denver. Jacob is now back at school in first grade. Jacob attends in a wheel until the end of January. The kids at his school have been great! Jacob leaves school at 2:30pm so he can then attend physical therapy at Childrens Hospital Physical Therapy department in the afternoons. At therapy Jacob is regaining his full range of motion in relation to his left knee and hip. Jacob was at 42 degrees with his knee bends when we stopped lengthening and now he is at almost 55 degrees. This is awesome. He should regain about 5 degrees a month until his fixator comes off and then more rapidly after that. We just found out that Jacob will have his surgery to remove the fixator mid December and then he will NOT be able to weight bear at home or school for another month which would bring us up to the end of January. Physical therapy then continues to regain full movement of his knee and hip until June 2008. We are so proud of Jacob and we can all see a light at the end of the tunnel!