Meet Murphy...

Well, it has been a little while since I've updated this blog, Mabel's hips are still doing well, although the left still needs to deepen, but that's a whole different story. We've been busy - biggest news is we have a beautiful son! He is the sweetest little guy. Born January 22nd. When he was born his hips were checked and through exam considered normal, but my husband and I decided before he was ever born that no matter what we wanted to request an ultrasound to know for sure if this baby's hips were OK or not. After Mabel's situation of hip dysplasia with a dislocated hip that went undiscovered until she was over eight months, we didn't want to take any chances. We wanted the option of early treatment.

The only risk factor Murphy had was our family history. That was it. Being a boy made him less likely to have hip dysplasia, as well as being born head down and being second born. These were pointed out to us several times. We were hopeful that the odds were in our favor! But I insisted on the ultrasound anyway. At two weeks old we headed to the hospital for an ultrasound. I was surprised it was scheduled so early, even the tech said it was early, but during the exam he saw the left socket was shallow with a slipping joint. I was so disappointed. I knew that they would probably require use of the pavlik harness. At Murphy's one month well baby check-up I asked his pediatrician about the ultrasound report and get this, it never got transferred! She had it transfers asap and after review by the end of the day we were referred to the ortho. I guess if you look on the bright side, we have a great ortho that we know and have a relationship with, so it was less scary to me knowing that. I was anxious just the same and so very disappointed that my son even needed any of this.

So, Murphy had his appointment with the orthopedic yesterday morning and he indeed does have a shallow left hip socket as reported. The ortho said it isn't obvious with the physical exam, but clear using the ultrasound. So as I assumed (and feared) he prescribed a pavlik harness to be worn 24 hours less bath. I called the orthodic center and took the first appointment at 2:30. We went to the orthotic center and he was fitted with a pavlik harness. He is a trooper and doesn't seem bothered too by it. I've already figured out my method of dress is onesie under the harness with a large sleeper over it. To me covering the harness is essential, he spits up and I need to keep the harness clean. You can barely tell he's wearing it.

He's still smiling so that makes me happy. I'll be honest, I'm upset and disappointed that he has hip dysplasia and has to wear this, I'm trying to look on the bright side and be positive. Perspective is this, we caught it early - thank god I insisted on the ultrasound even after they didn't feel anything in the exam. Also, this is better than the spica cast and he can still have a bath and we have permission to remove the boots during diaper changes. I have to be thankful for all that!

Well, we go back in a month for another ultrasound and check up - wish us luck that it will be good then and maybe we will be done with the harness or at the very least the doctor will reduce wear time. Funny thing is now we have been at both ends of the hip dysplasia diagnosis, early detection (harness) and late diagnosis (surgery & spica), guess we are just lucky that way. We make cute kids, just not so good at making the hips!

Look at that little guy...breaks my heart, I mean he loves moving and dancing. He just really discovered the dancing and playing in his gym. He will again i know all that stuff. He just kicked his little legs all the time and just loved to stretch them out. I mean even in my belly he had those legs going all the time! Hopefully this corrects soon, I'm trying not to get down about this...I promise I'll stay positive, I mean compared to Mabel's treatment I really shouldn't even say boo! But the reality is that it is always hard seeing your baby in something like this, even when in the big picture it is minor. The things I want to vent about in my wallowing state: I hate how chubby and squat it makes him look, he's tall and lean. I also am bummed knowing he has some clothes I love that he will probably out grow before he is out of this thing. I admit these are petty and stupid, but I'm allowing myself this pity time. So I accept it all and will continue to be thankful (I mean we've been through worst, right?).

Checking in...

So it has been six whole months since we saw the ortho...and it was time for another x-ray. I'd be lying if I said I wasn't secretly freaking out waiting to know how those hip angles are doing. Every time I hear a pop or click from Mabel's hips a part of me can't help but worry. Last June her socket was stable, but the hip angles were not yet normal. We headed to the doctor and now with Mabel being so "with it" I explained that the doctor would take a picture of her hips and make sue they were OK...the hitch was I couldn't stay in the room for her x-ray this time, since I'm pregnant I would have to leave. She understood Zack would stay and I would come right back and as with every x-ray so far she did great. Held perfectly still and was so brave. How hard was it to leave her?! I hated that! Oh, speaking of stuff I hate, if one more person asks, "Aren't you concerned with Mabel needing so many x-rays at such a young age?". You know like I never thought of that? Yes thank you for your concern, in all the worrying I've done to date regarding Mabel's hip journey I have never once even thought about the repeat x-rays and radiation...thank you for opening my eyes on the issue! Of course I'm concerned about x-rays! But tell me another way to look at that joint? To measure the hip angles?

Anyway...The good news the joint is stable still, the bone is forming well and the femoral head is in the socket. Her mobility is good so no brace is needed. Good to hear especially when I never considered she may need a brace again at this point! The not so good news, her hip angles haven't improved much. The right is at 23 degrees, good for her age, but the left is 36 degrees same as last year. The doctor said there is nothing they can do now anyway except hope it improves. Zack asked what would happen if it doesn't (I already knew, I guess I didn't want to worry him so I never really told him) but what they would do if her hip doesn't improve at about four to five years old they would operate, deepen the socket, reset the hip and cast her for three months...not what you want to hear right? Well, we go back in six months, x-ray in a year keep our fingers crossed, live our lives and see what happens. I refuse to think she's doomed for surgery and if we need to do it well, we will face it and get through it.

So that is our hip kid update! More news in December!

A year after the spica...

So it has been over a year since Mabel's been freed from her spica cast. It was a long road, but no one would know she had a problem at all.

Last month she had her orthopedic surgeon check up. I had been pretty worried since I have been hearing her right hip popping. The doctor checked her hips and said they are both in the socket and feel stable. He told me the popping is due to her hip angle still not being right, but popping is different than clunking and he doesn't feel any clunking so that is good. He told us that right now we wait and hope that as she grows her sockets deepen and become normal. In June we'll be going back to get an x-ray and keep our figures crossed all is good!

So, life is good! Hips are in their sockets and I officially have a running toddler! I'm hopeful that in June her x-ray will show improvement - stay put hips!

At this time...

What a huge difference this year to last. This time last year we were heading to the hospital to have Mabel's hip surgery and casting. It was beyond a hard morning for us full of fear and nervousness and the unknown of caring for a spica cast. I remember exactly how I felt so scared and so unsure.

Fast forward a year. Mabel is walking and almost running and is a happy toddler. No one would ever know she spent three months in a body cast. I never could have seen this a year ago, I was just too upset, too scared. I have always been thankful that Mabel's condition of hip dysplasia is fixable, but at the time the news was so shocking and scary and the thought of the treatment seemed impossible. It has been a big year full of all the ups and downs between her surgery, casting and physical therapy, but look at where we are today! So worth it and through it all this past year she never stopped smiling!

All good...

I watch Mabel walk around the house and I can't believe the difference in the past few months. Life is normal now. We don't see a doctor for her hip until after her birthday...her second birthday! I can't believe it. When we went to the play center on Monday and I watched her walking around with other babies her age, you'd never know what she's been through with her hips. I can't even explain how that makes me feel.

So, I had been thinking about if I wanted to continue with Mabel's blog and if so how. I really want to print this out and call it a chapter in our lives so later on Mabel can see this process that she'll never remember. Maybe it will give her some insight into me as a person, not just her mother. So I think I'm ready to move on to another blog that is not hip centered - since now our lives don't revolve around Mabel's hip.

I wanted to keep this blog really centered on our hip dysplasia journey for anyone out there that needs some encouragement, so I promise to update on any hip and or mobility news on this blog, but for day to day non-hip news I started our new family blog: http://www.freetimeatfiveam.blogspot.com/

Both a sigh of relief and in some ways a little melancholy - even when moving on to better things I tend to get sentimental. As hard as the last year was, I wouldn't change one second of it - yes, even the spica cast parts! It was our story and it was perfect.

Check out our new blog!

Interview with a Mabel...

Here are a couple of videos of Mabel to share. One counting and the other her ABC's. She's a smart cookie!

Bye-Bye Roll...

The first physical evidence of Mabel's dislocated hip that we noticed last year was the asymmetrical rolls on her thigh...now finally almost exactly a year later that roll is gone! I've been waiting and waiting with baited breath for that roll to disappear, worrying that if it didn't that it meant the possibility of more treatments - but now it is gone and I can sigh a breath of relief.
Mabel is doing really great and we had a wonderful week again. I have to put up more video of her talking, her words are getting so good! We didn't do anything too exciting for the holiday weekend, just mostly stuff around the house. Saturday the first thing we did was head out and buy Zack...oh, I mean Mabel a new harmonica. Zack's...I mean Mabel's, old one kept coming apart so we needed to get a new one since Miss Mabel loves to play it. After that we checked out a kid's consignment shop - I got two brand name, brand new dresses for $12.00 total! Later on Zack's parents treated us to lunch. They got to see Mabel in full glory, including getting fussy before nap time. I have to say though we are lucky with her, she does very well in restaurants and actually likes the high chairs! It is such a treat that she can sit in the high chairs, back during the days of spica we sat her on our lap much like when she was too young for the high chair, now she gets excited when she sees "baby seat-seat" as she calls it. After Mabel's nap we headed out to spoil our dinner with ice-cream. We met up with Zack youngest sister and her boyfriend and they got to see Mabel play her harmonica. Zack's sister also treated Mabel to a stuffed cat that Mabel is now fondly calling "New Mineau" and sometimes "Little Mineau".

For our Sunday poor Zack had to work so Mabel and I visited my mother. She lives close to the beach so we decided to head down there - probably not the best idea on Labor Day weekend, but it worked out well after I freaked about my inability to parallel park (hey, Zack usually drives!). It was in the low 70's, my type of weather, but not beach going weather. Mabel didn't care as you can see from the picture. She played with her new pail and shovel that we got the day before - cute isn't it? I've been looking for something non-plastic! After the beach we found a great little play ground that Mabel loved. It was nice for my mother to really see Mabel in her playground glory. Mabel climbed the stairs, played with the steering wheels, refused to go down the slide and even would stand next to it pointing saying "No Mabel!" just in case she thought I'd ask again if she wanted to go down the slide. She also went across the "bridge" by herself. It was a little log bridge thing with a low handle. She would hold on to the handle and walk sideways across! She kept doing it over and over again. I couldn't be more proud. There was a little boy there that kept following Mabel, I guess he wanted to play with her. She didn't know what to do about that! Social interaction between one and two year-olds is pretty funny! Later on as Mabel napped I did yard work - I know fun, but it really is looking much better out there! Then Mabel surprised me by going to bed at 7:30! Yeah Mabel!

Labor day didn't exists in our home. At least for me. I decided to paint the garage doors and try to make our little garage look cuter. Mabel and Zack played and Mabel kept calling for me. I did the bulk of my work while she slept - it is hard doing stuff with a toddler standing next to you yelling "Mama done! All done!" She even pulled the nursing card! Zack was in the house with her making dinner when Mabel looked at me through the kitchen window telling me she needed to nurse. I said "Really? she said "Yeah." I went inside and sure enough she just wanted to play! Honestly it makes me happy she loves me that much. Again she fell asleep at 7:30! Nothing like having some free time after she goes to sleep...to do more stuff! Zack and I have been doing our landscaping in the cover of darkness after Mabel goes to bed at night - what the neighbors must think!