Anju's never-ending doctor's appointment

We're home!  Here's the details of Anju's medical appointments in Fargo last Friday:

First of all, the nurse was very shocked to see Anju in the waiting room.  The child described in the medical information we had from the orphanage (MRI results, surgical details, etc) was expected to be much less physically capable than our little one.  She couldn't believe that Anju was the little girl she was there to get.  

Anju saw a pediatrician first, who did a general exam.  He determined that because of excellent muscle control, Anju should have no problems with potty training and regular functions of the "lower" part of her digestive tract.  This is great news, as bowel/bladder issues are so prevalent with spina bifida, and are a deficit we had expected Anju may have.  She still will need to maintain a high-fiber diet to regulate this system which is still at a disadvantage. 

The other tidbit we got from him was that her dimple on her back is an unusual one, not commonly seen.  I hadn't seen any online like that, so it was good to hear that she has a unique dimple and not some other issue.  

In addition, she saw a physical therapist, occupational therapist, nutritionist, medical social worker, opthamologist, urologist, orthopedist, and had an ultrasound of her bladder and kidneys done.  We were in appointments solid (maybe 2 minutes between specialists) from 8:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. with no time off for lunch.  

Final results of everything will be coming in the mail, but this is what we know now of what is to come.  She will need to go back to this clinic every 6 months to yearly as she grows.  The orthopedist is having her get UCBL inserts for bracing now, to correct her gait.  She is walking on the insides of her feet, which causes her feet to turn out.  We are going to Bemidji tomorrow to have molds made of her feet, and will return to have them fitted when they are ready.  She will need to see him in about 4 months to see how that is working.  This is about as minimal a brace a kid with sb could have, and for that we are very thankful.  The insert will be fully contained inside an athletic shoe, so other than the fact that she will need to wear shoes and socks all of the time, other kids won't know she has them on.

She is also having an MRI and CT scan done in mid-May of her entire head and spine.  This will require her to be sedated, have a medical exam done here the day before, and we'll have to be in Fargo early in the morning again.  She will have this done on the pediatric floor of the hospital.  I'm not sure if they are doing the urodynamic testing at the same time or not, but I hope so, as she will also need sedation for that.  Follow the link and you will see why.  It was a long day, and I had 3 cranky, hungry, bored kids on my hands so in the flurry of conversation the details have now escaped me.  

The PT and OT ladies thought that Anju was borderline for needing help, and recommended Early Intervention.  They also suggested speech therapy.  She ranged from testing at a 15-month-old level to a 22-month level on gross and fine motor skills and cognitive development.  This is not taking into account Anju's history of living in an institution, her size relative to other 2-year-olds, her recent acclimation to English, the fact that it has been winter ever since she arrived in America and had parents, and has not had the advantage of developing gross motor skills outside and likely a number of other factors.  She is expected to walk up and down stairs by herself without help.  The stairs at the hospital came up to her thighs.  Of course she's going to crawl---she's the size of some 9-month old babies!  Anyway, they will recommend this therapy officially, but felt that they would give me 6 months at home to work with her on the things she is behind in and see if she has caught up in 6 months.  If she is still too far behind, than they will STRONGLY recommend professional help.  

So, bottom line, she is doing much better in all of these areas than expected.   We are so happy for Anju that at the current time, her sb is not going to affect her much.  Following the MRI/CT scan, the drs will be able to make a more definitive plan for future surgeries, etc.

Thanks to all of you for your prayers and support regarding Anju's medical condition.  We are reminded daily about the providence and grace of God as we see our little one grow and progress in her skills and abilities.  What a blessing she is!

We got home around 8 tonight, bathed and got the kids in bed, and I'm beat---- so you'll have to wait until tomorrow to hear about the rest of our trip.