I have started writing an update on Grace (and the rest of us) about 10 times. I just can't seem to figure out what to say. I know this is because people expect me to feel happy and relieved by Grace's last doctor's appointment but I don't so I have hesitated to talk about it. I feel a little raw and I am not in a place where I want others' opinions or judgements and putting your business out on the internet is kind of begging for judgement. So the update on Grace. She had an appointment with the pediatric orthopedic surgeon on October 4. Her x-rays look good and show that her hip has improved. The problem with hip x-rays on a baby is that there is a lot of cartilage and it can be hard to see what is going on. The best view is with an arthrogram which requires Grace to go under and isn't really a good option at this point. Her last arthrogram at the six week cast change in June did show improvement. The prognosis is that Grace is off the map with the traditional course of treatment. This is basically because the treatment (the cast) did not work to repair her right hip. This is why she spent an additional eight weeks in a brace leading up to the October 4 appointment.
So while the x-ray looks good our surgeon believes the best course of action is to have Grace spend eight more weeks full-time in the brace. The next appointment is November 29 (my 34th birthday). As a side note, and this is where you can see my crazy in full view, even years are always better for me than odd years. As in being 29 sucked! Being 30 was awesome. At 31 I had Jack and I loved him but felt miserable. At 32 I loved being a mom and had so much fun. At 33 hip dysplasia with Grace and a ton of personal growth that has been good but painful. So 34 is going to be good, right!?
Anyway, back to Grace. She is on week three of this eight week timeframe. She is doing very well with her confinement but I can see she is ready to move. She can now sit up on her own, roll over from her tummy to her back, and her fine motor skills are continuing to be refined. She really is just a fabulously happy girl and we all love her.
Jack is in love with Grace which is so sweet. He is doing great too. He talks all of the time and can speak in full sentences. He loves to climb and run and jump. He is a very active kid and loves life. Jack hasn't met a truck he doesn't like and enjoys riding his balance bike all over the neighborhood. Jack is my little guy and I love this age. He is sassy and difficult at times but he is so fun to play with and talk to. He has the sweetest nature and is a terrific kid.
Christian and I are doing well. We are both ready to see Grace in the brace only part-time so that she can start scooting around. Despite the difficulty with Grace's health and the challenge of having a newborn over this last year, we are really a happy family. We have fun. We play hard and our love for each other is deep. We are a team and this foundation feels more solid than ever. We are good. We just want to be done with hip dysplasia.
So that brings me full circle back to the start of this post. I am not relieved by Grace's last doctor's visit. The truth is that I was really disappointed. I believed that Grace would go to only wearing her brace part-time and it felt like a kick in the stomach when I heard she would still be in the brace full-time. I am grateful that the outcome wasn't surgery, but I also know that is still an option depending on how things look at the end of November. As Grace's mom, I am really not going to feel satisfaction until there is complete healing. I just wanted different news. I will keep you updated as the time passes.
Happy fall everyone!
