I have been dragging my feet updating all of you. I apologize for that. My mind has been processing and processing some more. I may be thinking too much. We had an appointment at the beginning of the month at the Orthopedic surgeon office. We started with having x rays which we have not had since Whitney was born. Unfortunately they showed that her hip is out of socket on her left side and seems to spend the majority of the time out not in. Seeing the x ray film was a blow to me. This is very common for those with Spina Bifida because of their muscle structure or lack there of. I knew this but to see it on your little girl is another thing. Our doctor has recommended a surgery/procedure to lengthen a tendon in hopes that the hip will migrate back in. She would have a hip brace to help with this. The surgery/procedure has a 50-70 percent success rate. She also suggested that we get a second opinion which is now scheduled for the first week in July. If we decide this is best for Whitney it will happen in the next few months. This is a hard decision to make not knowing if it will help. When we look long term it is important that she is balanced to eliminate other issues that could come into play such as scoliosis. Much of what we do now is preventative.
The other addition we have is that she was fitted for her first Ankle foot orthotics (AFO's) This is another one of those things that is not uncommon. She can pull her feet up at the ankle and rests them straight up. These will force her feet in a downward position. She will only have to wear them during naps and during the night. For some reason this was hard for me to process as well. I love her so much that I strongly desire what is best for her. Accepting her differences is all part of this process and I have thoroughly enjoyed this honeymoon stage of just enjoying her being a baby without many props.
Tomorrow we have a clinic where all of the doctors come to one location and you basically have an all day appointment going from doctor to doctor. It seems like a very efficient way to do it so I am excited to go. I may not be excited at the end of the day tomorrow. (: The waiting room will be filled with West Michigan Spina Bifida children. I will let you know how it goes. We will hopefully receive our AFO's tomorrow as well.
