Still Trying to Catch My Breath on This One....

I'd guess most everyone who reads this blog knows about Ella's "birth defect." She was born with hip dysplasia, and it wasn't supposed to be that big of a deal--just six weeks in a harness (which, honestly, is kind of a big deal to an overwhelmed new parent). But it ended up being a pretty big deal to us because the harness didn't correct her hips like they'd hoped it would. I still remember (like it was yesterday) the day the ortho decided her hips were, in fact, getting worse and they'd need to fit my tiny baby girl with a spica splint. The harness was nice in that no one knew it was there. It was a huge, huge pain in the ass because we couldn't really take it off and couldn't even bathe her properly for her first three weeks. But the splint--which held her legs in the air and had a hard plastic shell that covered her butt--was a nightmare. We couldn't really *hold* her like a baby in that thing. She no longer fit well in her swing or car seat. And that first night, we couldn't get her to go to sleep (which is a huge problem when you've got a baby that small). To make matters worse, it always felt as if people were staring at her when we were out in public. The whole process, which was about six months+ in total, was frustrating and upsetting. And increasingly worrisome as treatment was taking longer and longer than expected and we knew that the final option (should the splinting not work) was surgery and a BODY cast for months. Yes, we were lucky to have a healthy child, etc., etc. But the whole experience was nevertheless so upsetting that when I look back at Ella's medical records (which I finally just had copied) I remember those feelings like it was yesterday.

Once Ella's hips were finally (thankfully) normal, we were supposed to follow up yearly. But I dropped the ball, and suddenly she hadn't been seen since she was 2.5 years old. At her six-year well-check, the pediatrician said her hips looked a little off and that one of Ella's legs seemed shorter than the other. If you're a parent, you can guess what I did next: panic. Then hop on Google to see how they even treat developmental dysplasia of the hips (DDH) in a six-year-old. Answer? Traction (sometimes), followed by surgery, followed by a body cast. And really, if that seemed like a raw deal for a six-month-old, I can't even imagine going through it with a six-year-old.

In the back of my head, I figured she was probably fine. She walks fine. Runs fine. Doesn't have any pain. But when I realized Dean was worried, I panicked just a tiny bit. He's my measuring stick. If he is worried, then I am REALLY worried.

Long story short, Ella was seen by a pediatric orthopedist today. She's completely and totally fine. Her hips look great. And she doesn't need to be seen again until she's 10! She's fine. I figured as much. But honestly, I'm still trying to catch my breath because I was a smidge worried. My heart really goes out to families where the children have serious illnesses. I don't know how they do it. I really don't.