Time to see the Doctor

Diego has been home 2 days now and we have enjoyed learning to be parents. His first night home we got very little sleep thanks to the hospital's rigid eating schedule. We made it thru the night but by morning we were pretty worn out. The second night went much better. He slept from 11:30 pm to 5:30 am. When he woke up he was very hungry and ate all his breakfast. During the day he was either sleeping or eating and did not fuss at all.

Today was Diego's first outing with mom and dad. It was to meet his Pediatrician at 10 am and his Orthopedic Surgeon at 2 pm. The meeting with his Pediatrician, Dr. Karen Haslund, went well but at times we found it emotionally difficult to discuss the reality of his condition. She was very patient and assured us he would get the best possible care.

The meeting with his Orthopedic Surgeon, Dr. Michelle Prince, gave us hope that Diego's condition could be greatly improved. Though she offered no guarantees, her optimism really made our day. She also removed Diego's cast and replaced it with a new one. A process she will repeat every week. Each time bending his leg at the knee a little more to help stretch the muscles and joints. She plans to focus on his right knee, his feet then his hips in that order. She also told us that x-rays revealed he has a dislocated left hip. Treatment to correct the hip will begin after initially addressing his feet. Most likely after serial casting is done since it will take 3 years to correct this feet. To correct his hands she provided a referral to "the best hand surgeon in the world" who is located at Scottish Rite hospital in Dallas. The hospital is one of the leading pediatric centers for the treatment of orthopedic conditions and certain related neurological disorders. She also recommended we have their neurological team perform Diego's muscle biopsy and wanted us to consider having them lead all aspects of his treatment. Essentially moving his treatment to Dallas which will require a lot of driving for mom and dad. Of course we want the best for our little boy so we will do whatever it takes to see that he gets it.

Overall Diego's first day out with mom and dad was a huge success! It involved long waits, several diaper changes and a feeding all of which were executed flawlessly. He really his a good little boy and we thank god for bringing him into our lives.