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Naomi
08-08-2007, 11:15 AM
Hi there. I know I've been absent from posting but I have been checking on your babies often.

We went to see the hand surgeon again yesterday. I don't know if I've told you the story, but she did his tendon transfer and thumb pinning in 05 and we had talked some about doing a bicep release or lengthening at some point. Well, my husband and I discussed it and decided that it would be a good thing to do for him. Well, when I called to make an appointment (about a year ago) the office told me that she was out on INDEFINITE medical leave and they had no idea when or if she would be back! :eek: She is considered one of the best hand surgeons in the state!!! I dreaded having to start over with someone else and I knew that Eli just loved and trusted her. You know that feeling when you lose a great doc... well, I literally prayed for her over the last year. Her office is right down the street from my husband's office and every day I would look up to her windows and just say a prayer that she would be okay - not just for Eli, but for her.

Then, in June Eli slipped on a tennis ball and fell right on his million dollar wrist. So after a trip to the ER to make sure it wasn't broken, the doctors there wanted him back to his surgeon so I called around and got some names of new ones. But on a whim, I decided to call her office and they said she was seeing patients only FOUR hours a WEEK!!! and that they would give his info and request to her and she would decide if she would see him or not! Well, way back in June, we got an appointment for yesterday. What a miracle. She looks so different, rail thin and years older -you can tell she really went through something horrific.

Well, she when she saw how much more spasticity Eli had developed (those pesky growth spurts) she decided it would be a good time, both growth-wise and to stem the tide of contraction, to do a three step surgery in October. She is going to do a "proximal row carpectomy", a biceps lengthening/release, and a flexor carpi ulnaris to ECRB transfer (another tendon transfer to help the one she did two years ago).

The carpectomy is removal of one row of the wrist bones to shorten the arm a bit and give the shortened muscles a little more room to function. When she introduced the surgery to me, she said some people think "What??" but I told her after a hemispherectomy, nothing is very shocking...

So, we will be scheduling around his fall break in October. I feel good about it and so glad that she is back and doing well.

I'll let you know when the date is set.

Love to all your babies!

Naomi

Little JT
08-08-2007, 11:38 AM
Wow! What a long road to finally get the appointment, but good news that she's back and has a plan for Eli. I can't imagine what must have been going on to have resulted in such a long absence and dramatic physical transformation.

I'm glad you feel good about the procedure; that makes a big difference.

Take care,
Amy

AzMomOf8
08-08-2007, 01:01 PM
Naomi,

Sounds like it's going to be a very busy Fall!! Best wishes are with you and Eli and his recovering Doctor!!

Lorri

P.S. Thank you for coming to visit us at PCH last month! It was good to put a face to the name after all these years and I have to tell you that when you walked in the door I almost FAINTED because you are a carbon copy (literally) of a friend of mine who recently moved to Washington! My first thought was, oh WOW Tammy, you drove all the way down from Washington to see us?? You don't have any close relatives named Tammy do you?

Naomi
08-08-2007, 02:48 PM
Lorri, no I don't have any relatives named Tammy, but I was glad to see you, too!

Oh, and please give Tammy my condolences! :D haha (for looking just like me!!)

When is Maddy's testing?

just laurie
08-08-2007, 06:04 PM
Naomi, I'm glad you were able to get Eli in to that surgeon. Hope all goes well.

AzMomOf8
08-08-2007, 10:44 PM
When is Maddy's testing?


Naomi,

She (we) goes in on Monday morning. I have a list of questions to ask the new Dr. B and this time I won't forget because I wrote them down!! :)

Lorri

Naomi
08-09-2007, 02:46 AM
She (we) goes in on Monday morning.

Are you going to Egypt, um, I mean Mayo? My DH had an interview out there once and I told him that with only one car, that commute would kill us!!! It is so far!

Please let me know how it goes. Is the new Dr. B. a good listener?

Paul from Australia
08-09-2007, 03:03 AM
That really is a miracle that Eli can see the specialist again.

WE hope and pray that the operation is a resounding success.

Best wishes as always.

Paul, Alison and Grant the champ.