Well, it has been awhile since I last posted anything. I am sorry for the delay, it is just that a lot has happened lately so here I go... On Jan. 9, 2010 we took our little love bug to the Pediatrician for her regular 6 month check up and shots. Abigail is as healthy as can be. She weighed 19 pounds and was 28 inches long--all in the 97th percentile among other babies her age! She is my chunky monkey but oh so cute and cuddly! Anyway, during a routine hip and joint check her Pediatrician felt a "click" in her left hip and ordered some X-Rays. In my mind I knew what was going on--being an OT you have access to knowledge about these types of things but I didn't want to scare Clayton until we received the diagnosis. Sure enough, at 6 pm the same night Abigail's pediatrician called confirming the diagnosis of Developmental Dysplasia of the Left Hip. (DDH) This simply means that during her development in utero Abigail's femoral head did not fit properly inside the hip socket causing it to not grow normally and now her hip dislocates very easily. It can be caused by several different reasons...1.) first born daugher (girls are more susceptible due to the position of their pelvis), 2.) low amniotic fluid (which is why I was induced), 3.)Hereditary, or 4.) Breech position--Abigail was not breech.
Anyway, we went and saw Dr. Scott Rosenfeld, Pediatric Orthopedic Surgeon, at Texas Children's Hospital on Wednesday, Jan. 13th. He immediately confirmed the diagnosis and scheduled a closed reduction surgery for Monday, Jan. 18, 2010.
January 18, 2010 was the most difficult day for both Clayton and I. Watching the surgeons take your baby girl away from your arms to go into the O.R. was incredibly hard and I could hardly stand. She is the most precious thing in our lives and having to watch her go through what she is still going through is the most difficult thing--but we are so blessed to have her as our daughter and in our lives.
Abigail's surgery went very well. The doctor was able to place the femur into place so that the hip can now grow properly. She is in a big, nasty pink spica body cast and will be in this cast until April 14,2010 at 10:00am. When the doctor takes her cast off he will take some X-rays to see how the hip is growing and determine whether she will just need a brace at night or if she needs to go back to the O.R. for an open reduction surgery followed by another 3 months of wearing the spica cast again. We are praying that her hip is healed with this spica cast so that Abigail does not have to go through this again and can start meeting the gross motor developmental milestones and be pain free for once!!
Here are some pictures of little Miss Abigail before she got her cast and then there are some pictures of her with her cast.
Abigail being silly with her Grandpa Don.
She is already a grandpa's girl!
The night before her surgery we let Abigail play in her bath tub for about 20-30 minutes because this would be her last "bath" for 3 months.
My sweetie girl in recovery following surgery. She was very fussy, tired, and not happy at all with her mommy and daddy. Abigail would not even look at me, but she was all smiles for the doctors and nurses (who actually did this to her) It was as if she was just so mad at us for putting her through this.
I felt like such a bad mother. Here was my little girl who was all smiles going into the O.R. and then now she is so upset and in pain--I felt like we made a mistake but we had to do this for her future. Her doctor reassured us by saying that this would probably go undiagnosed and Abigail would reach all of the major gross motor developmental milestones; however, when she would reach her 20's she may start having pain, walk with a limp and soon after needing a total hip replacement. So we are not curing anything short term, but thinking of her long term future.
As soon as we got our little stinker pot home she did so much better. It was like she knew she was home with all of her toys and she began to smile at her mommy and daddy again, which filled our hearts full.
On top of all this mess I celebrated my 28th birthday!!! I cannot believe I am almost 30--I have had such a blessed and wonderful 28 years and hope to have many, many, many more with my wonderful family.
Abigail about to have her sponge bath in the kitchen. We have learned to develop a new routine for our family.
Here is Abigail's "poop hole". We have learned a new technique on how to change her diapers and have actually gotten good at it. I cannot wait to go back to changing regular diapers without this bulky cast.
Well, there you have it thus far. I promise to be more on top of my posts from now on as things are settling down again. We appreciate all of your thoughts and prayers for baby Abigail and we love all of you.
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