My youngest son had his re-check at Phoenix Children's Hospital yesterday. For those of you who don't know the story, my son has a limb length discrepancy and other related knee/leg issues. We were told that prior to his coming to the adoption agency in Ethiopia, he most likely crawled into a cooking fire. His left knee and left elbow have significant scarring. In fact, it was this scarring that kept him on the adoption wait list for longer than usual. Prospective adoptive families feared he had been abused in some way (we did not fear that; we just saw his beautiful smile!). Lately, he has been in more pain and exercise is difficult. His weight has climbed, and his limp is worse.
The news wasn't great, although I am so thankful we have access to quality medical care. The physician (Dr. Mohan Belthur) believed S. most likely had a severe fracture in Ethiopia that may have been treated with fire to prevent infection. Of course, this is only conjecture. He certainly may have "simply" fallen into a fire. Anyway, S.'s growth plate was severely damaged; he will need an MRI to evaluate the extent of the injury. He completed lacks a knee cap, something I did not understand. He is looking at at least 3 surgeries--- 2 limb lengthening procedures (the first one in about 1.5 years and the second one around the age of 16) and perhaps some ligament repair. Knee replacement has also not been ruled out, but that will most likely be at a older age.
My son also needs to consistently wear an orthopedic shoe, get some physical therapy for a weak quadriceps and tight achilles tendon, and lose weight. The weight loss issue will be difficult; for anyone who has dealt with adoption-related food issues, I'm sure you can empathize! S. always eats like he is starved; food fills a physical and emotional void.
We sure would appreciate prayers for our Superman. This seems to be our season of medical issues.
The news wasn't great, although I am so thankful we have access to quality medical care. The physician (Dr. Mohan Belthur) believed S. most likely had a severe fracture in Ethiopia that may have been treated with fire to prevent infection. Of course, this is only conjecture. He certainly may have "simply" fallen into a fire. Anyway, S.'s growth plate was severely damaged; he will need an MRI to evaluate the extent of the injury. He completed lacks a knee cap, something I did not understand. He is looking at at least 3 surgeries--- 2 limb lengthening procedures (the first one in about 1.5 years and the second one around the age of 16) and perhaps some ligament repair. Knee replacement has also not been ruled out, but that will most likely be at a older age.
My son also needs to consistently wear an orthopedic shoe, get some physical therapy for a weak quadriceps and tight achilles tendon, and lose weight. The weight loss issue will be difficult; for anyone who has dealt with adoption-related food issues, I'm sure you can empathize! S. always eats like he is starved; food fills a physical and emotional void.
We sure would appreciate prayers for our Superman. This seems to be our season of medical issues.
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