AAaaaHHhhhhh!

The last few weeks I have been so happy that things are going so well for Ava. Such an amazing feeling knowing so far her two hip surgeries have been successful. Everyday her walking, running, jumping and overall movement improves. I am so so proud of her and find it hard to believe that it was a year ago that I received the call saying Ava has hip dysplasia and we needed to find an orthopedic doctor immediately. Just thinking about it brings back so many emotions. So here we are a year later and  8 months since her first surgery and almost on the other side of it. Now that Ava is doing so well it is time to revisit her growth issues and do a follow up with her GI doctor and Endocrinologist. Ironically if it wasn't for the growth issue who knows how long her dislocation would have went undiagnosed.

This past Monday Ava had her follow up visit with both doctors. We went to the appointment with high hopes and feeling really good about her recent growth. Well my bubble was burst and it has taken me two days to write about it because I'm not really sure how I feel. We saw Dr. T (GI) first and was happy to hear Ava had no weight loss while she was in her cast but not thrilled she has not gained any since. (She is the same weight as before surgery.) She put her back on the appetite stimulant and now we wait and see. We have another check up in 3 months. I find it so frustrating! Ava is definitely eating better and more then she did in the past. (Don't get me wrong she has off days but her intake is more.) On to Dr. B (Endo). He was happy to see she had grown but unfortunately it was not enough. She is barely on the chart for height and zero percentile for weight. Really?!?! Thankfully we do not have to take her for more blood work but we will return in 6 months to check her progress. If Ava's growth pattern does not change over the next year he wants to discuss the possibly of giving her growth hormones to help her grow. Not the news I was hoping for!

I am so sad. I had high hopes that Ava's numerous doctors visits were going to come to an end but I guess that is not going to happen anytime soon. Yes Ava is tiny and slim and I have no doubt she will be petite her whole life but it is my understanding (from past visits) it's not Ava's size that's really the concern (lets face it she's not exactly from a family of giants,) it's the inconsistency of her growth pattern. At a young age Ava dropped off the charts and her progress does not have a smooth consistent curve like other children. I'm not really sure how I feel about growth hormone therapy or if we'll even do it. I guess we'll cross that bridge when it comes.

In the mean time (besides worrying about her growth) Ava's next surgery is scheduled for April 2 to remove her plates and pins. I so dread putting her under anesthesia once again but thankfully this is only an hour procedure, piece of cake compared to what she has already undergone. After her healing of both incisions Ava will continue with physical therapy to regain her flexibility. (I can't wait to see her sit 'criss cross applesauce' again!)  I can hardly believe tomorrow I will register her for Kindergarten! It's a bittersweet feeling, my baby is growing up and my constant companion will be at school full time, how time flies! Please continue praying for our little butterfly!! (May her hips continue to heal perfectly and there be a major growth spurt before September!)

Healthy Hips!!

Meet my daughter Ava. She is a beautiful, fun loving, happy, strong and brave 5 year old. She is strong willed, sassy and full of life. She has this amazing laugh and incredible smile that will just make your heart melt and she has shown undeniable courage and strength over the last 8 months. Ava was born with bi lateral hip dislocation and a year ago we had no idea. At the time she was the size of a two year old and had not grown much in a year. She threw fits and complained of pain daily. A year ago Ava's life was changed forever when her endocrinologist found her hip dysplasia. Next month will be one year since Ava got her official diagnosis and things were set in motion to heal our beautiful butterfly. I will never forget that day and the heart break I felt for my daughter. How would she endure this? How am I going to let her be put under anesthesia...twice! How will she bare the pain and spend 3 months in a cast? I remember thinking how unfair this was and why my daughter??? My eyes still well up every time I think about it but now I have happy tears and can never express enough how incredibly proud I am of my daughter. Fast forward 8 months...since her surgeries Ava has relearned to walk, run, gallop, jump, climb and is finally growing. She is undeniably happy and has a smile on her face  more often then not. She is still stubborn, strong willed and difficult at times but I would not change these traits in her for the world. These are the things that helped her endure all that she has gone through and helped her heal and regain strength.

On Friday, February 8 Ava had a follow up visit with Dr. A. Right before every follow up I get incredibly anxious. The unfortunate thing about hip surgery is there is no guarantee, each patient is different and sadly many kids have to undergo multiple surgeries to fix their dysplasia. My worst fear is the ball slipping out of socket because the socket is not developing properly but after Ava's appointment I feel confident that Ava is beating the odds and will fully recover (even with a late diagnosis.) Ava was in a great mood at the doctor's office and took her x-ray like a pro. After reviewing the x-ray Dr. A gave us the news we were hoping to hear...Ava's hips look great! (Yeah!!!) The balls are in the socket and her socket growth looks great (even with Ava's rapid growth...3 3/4 inches since surgery,) my fears were set at ease. Ironically, Ava's lack of growth may have helped keep her sockets from growing improperly. With the help of the Pelvic Osteotomy her sockets appear deep enough and are allowing the ball to move properly. Thankfully Dr. A agreed Ava's plates and pins should come out sooner then later. Being Ava is so thin you can feel then through her skin and may be cause of some discomfort (most children have a layer of fat between the hard wear and skin) and maybe keeping her from regaining her flexibility back 100%. Hopefully the first week of April Ava will undergo the last of her surgeries for her plate and pin removal.

January 2013...

June 2012...

 I have to admit most of the ride home after Ava's appointment tears ran down down my face. I am so incredibly grateful that my girl is on her way to a full recovery and I am beyond thankful for all our support and continues healing prayers for Ava's recovery. I am finally breathing a sigh of relief and have complete faith that Ava's journey will one day be a blip in her life. Come June we will be celebrating one year of healthy hips and I will forever be grateful to Dr. A for healing my girl. True to her personality, Ava has met every challenge head on and continues to amaze me with her strength everyday. I just love this girl!! We're almost there! xoxox