Friday, November 7, 2008

updates from the doctor

Madeleine had a orthopedic clinic appointment this week, here are the highlights:
  • She is doing awesome
  • Her heal pad is centered well over her tibia; there is no chance of slipping
  • Her Achilles tendon has remained the same
  • The valgus in her knee is not that bad right now and no surgery is needed for a long time
  • There is no possibility of bony overgrowth

Dr. Mosca videotaped Madeleine running up and down the hall. He told me that her gate looked great and she was developing wonderfully. He also wrote a prescription for a new leg! We will begin molding for it next week.

Max was so excited to see Dr. Mosca that as soon as he came into the room Max shouted, "It's Dr. Moca, yeah". Then, last night when Auntie Greta was here Michael asked Maxy who our new president was and Max shouted, "Dr. Mosca!"

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This morning is our follow up with the sleep doctor.......

6 comments:

Martha said...

Awesome news!! She's a champ.

Lizzie said...

Niki, how exciting about Madeleine's leg. Are you going to go for a skin coloured one or a colourful one? It is great she is doing so well with her walking and the heel pad is looking good! I love Max's comment on the new president, that was so funny!

Jenna said...

Can you even imagine if Dr. Mosca became president, that would be a funny one!

Kate said...

OH YAY for good news!!! Can't wait to see that sweet new leggie! :D My Chloe is actually going for surgery on the 17th of this month. She is experiencing bone spiking unfortunately but carries on like the champ she is! :D

twin power mommy ♥ said...

achilles tendon on her other foot? Please explain more about that. Does she have some tightening?

I don't know if you read my blog, but my Caitlyn just had surgery on her achilles tendon a little over a month ago. Hers was too short and tight.

The cast just came off a couple weeks ago. She's having a hard time walking now. I feel like she walks worse since her surgery than she did before it.

We have another followup with the doc and i am going to have to bring that up.

Sometimes i think about Madeleine and how she has her leggie...in a way, she is fortunate, because Caitlyn will ALWAYS have problems with her leg. She will ALWAYS have surgeries to better the structure of it.
Her leg looks odd enough that kids will ALWAYS comment on the appearance. I sometimes wonder if an amputation would have been the better option for us...

Niki said...

HI Lizzie, I'm searching fabrics now but feeling super overwhelmed by it! I was going to do something very printed and colorful- let's see if I can find the perfect fabric! What kinds of comments do you get on Paddy's leg?

Hi twin mommy,
Good questions... Madeleine's right leg is unnaffected but I was talking about the achilles on her left leg. It is very tight, which is typical of FH cases. Dr. M cut it when he did the amputation but the achilles is weird in that it is like the only thing that can actually 'grow' back. If it gets too tight or if she is able to move her heel pad he will cut it again. I did read that Caitlyn had to have surgery again but I wasn't sure why. I think the recovery is really hard, she may just need some time. It is very interesting to hear your perspective on amputation. Many of us mothers (and fathers) had to agonize over the decision to amputate or reconstruct. If we had reconstructed we would still have the foot but the leg would never be 'normal'. We went with what would cause the least amount of pain and allow us to get on with life. Caitlyn, of course, was a different story but you are right in that it is the same that both girls will always live with being different. We are lucky that God made them very strong. I know Madeleine will do very great things, foot or no foot.