Beginning and an End

Well, we had our big visit with Shr*ners Hospital for Childr*n. It was a long trip and we're all glad to be home for a while.

The appointment slip simply said "Anna Noelle" being seen for "Limb Deficiency."

Anna did excellent being still for the x-rays. She didn't cry once and wooed all the ladies :)

We met with Dr.W and his PA who confirmed Anna's deficiency and evaluated her leg length discrepancy as 2.5cm and projected it to be 27% shorter than her right leg at full growth which is significant. He said her hips, spine, and femur were all good to go (positive news since fibular hemimelia can affect all of these things). He did detect a slight knock knee which is common with FH but he said it wasn't anything to be concerned about right now.

We also met the head of the prosthetics department. We really liked him. He showed us all sorts of prosthetics the kids and parents pick out and explained the ins and outs a little more. I asked him a little about his schooling, too- what a great profession to go into! It must be so rewarding to help children walk for the first time on a daily basis. And imagine the need in third world countries for prosthetics. We saw so many people in India who couldn't walk due to some malformed leg or foot. Finish rabbit trail.

We dropped in to the orthotics/prosthetics department at the hospital and we saw several kids. One girl had an above the knee prosthetic, another boy walked out on his two amputated leg stumps, and we even walked by a child with no legs at all.

Everyone we met was really great- the nurses, PA, the Care Coordinator, and even the Shr*ners in the lobby. We saw a Shr*ners transportation van pull up from Virginia, busing in a family. It's nice to be surrounded by people devoting their lives to helping others.

Surprise- Anna was scheduled for a Boyd amputation of the left foot above the ankle on March 6 at the age of 11 months old. This will enable her leg to fit into a below the knee prosthesis. Dr. W plans to also separate her joined index and ring finger at that time. Total surgery time would be about 4 hours and recovery 6 weeks or so. Thus, there will be no big one year birthday party planning for this family. I guess instead she will get a new leg for her birthday.

Pooped.

So in conclusion, we went in for our first appointment and came out with a surgery date. No need to visit any time in between. We are relieved for some freedom from travelling. The whole family is run-down, especially Anna. I think she needs some consistency and to just be at home right now. Here's to hoping her sleeping/eating gets back to normal quickly.

All in all, today was a significant day. While it marks the end of our quest and questions regarding medical treatment options for Anna, it also marks a beginning of sorts to the rest of our journey with her. As I've said before, her story is already written in God's book. We have the privilege of seeing it unfold day by day.