We've had LOTS of appointments this week! They started on Tuesday morning, with the Orthopedist for Isaac. To be honest, we thought we were going to get a game plan on how to proceed with Isaac's club foot. And that is exactly what we did... and then started our plan! Dr. S told us that the way we are going to correct Isaac's foot is by serial casting, and then a brace. To break that down, Isaac got a cast on his leg on Tuesday, and for the next 4 or 5 Tuesdays, we'll trek back to CMH, where Dr. S will take off Isaac's cast, and then reposition his foot and recast it. When we are done with the casting in 5 weeks, little man will get a brace that he will wear 24/7 for 3 months. After his 3 months are up with it, then he will wear it at night until he is 3 years old. I'll post a picture later. He's pretty darn cute with the cast too!
We were supposed to have an appointment with Physical Therapy for Isaac after the Orthopedist, but there wasn't much they could do with his foot while its in a cast, so we were on our way from there.
The other task we wanted to complete while at CMH was to get Eli fitted for his actual carseat. He came home in a car bed because he is so tiny, but he was over 4 and half pounds, and getting to tall for the carbed. We wanted someone to look at him in his carseat and make sure that it fit him properly so we could be sure that the positioning wasn't affecting his airway, and that he is safe in it. Sounds easy, eh? We had tried calling the carseat nurses since Friday of the previous week, with no return calls. So we headed up to the NICU to see if our friendly front desk ladies could try to page them. Again, no answer. So we went over to find their office, which was like a mile walk itself, and posted on the door is that their office hours are from 10am - 4pm by appointment only. Explain to me how I can get an appointment, if no one answers the phone or returns calls!?! So we took Eli back home in his carbed.
In the afternoon, we had a surgery consult with a different Dr. S for Isaac's right inguinal hernia. If you remember, they had told us while the boys were inpatients there that they'd like to wait until he's 6 months old, as the anesthesia risk goes down at that point. So that was all the basis we had to go on for that, until the appointment. Dr. S seems to think that with some of the complications that Isaac is having and the size of the defect, that we need to do surgery sooner rather than later. He suggested next week. Of course, nothing is that easy, as when the scheduling nurse called, she said his next available time to do the surgery isn't until August 4th. Ummm, we're under the impression that it is a bit more urgent than that, so we conveyed that to her. Of course, Dr. S is out of town until Monday, so we're still waiting to hear a confirmed date for Isaac's hernia surgery.
And, if those appointments weren't enough, we had Pediatrician appointments for both of the boys on Friday. Yet with a different Dr. S! Isaac weighed in at 6lbs 7oz (with his cast) and Elias at.... drumroll please...... 5lbs 1oz! I think that Eli is really proving that there was just a problem with how his placenta and umbilical cord formed and provided him with nutrition, rather than there being a problem with him and how he grows. He continues to amaze us with every weigh in. We'll continue to watch Isaac, as he isn't gaining as fast as we'd like, but also with his Spondylocostal Dysostosis (SD), he won't grow longer as quickly as a 'normal' baby would, thus his weight gain may be less.
To celebrate the week, and part of Fathers Day, Daddy got a new grill, and we had lots of family over on Friday night to grill out. Great-Grandma and Great-Grandpa Krehbiel brought over some ribeyes, and Great-Grandma fried up some squash. Mmmmm. We also had some homemade ice cream, pie, cake, salad, and the list goes on! Grandma Laine, Great Aunts Lisa & Lynne, and Carrie and Erica were also here with us. We're looking forward to Pops/Grandpa Tim to make his way up here tomorrow for Fathers Day!
We hope everyone has a great weekend, and Fathers Day.
Hugs-
