False Alarm.

This week has been stressful. It feels like Monday was a month ago, not 2 days ago.

It all started out normal, I took Elea to her 6 month Doc appt. She has gotten back up to the 50th percentile for height and 45th percentile for weight (up from 25% since we started her on formula). Her head circumference is getting bigger on the percentile scale every time, last time it was 70th and this time it was in the 80th percentile. Big heads run in the family, what can I say.

Then the doctor starts telling me how because her face is narrow and the bridge of her nose is flat and wide it gives her the appearance of having crossed eyes. In my head I'm thinking, yes, I know, we've covered this. . . Then he does the light test and the reflection is on the pupil in both eyes. So she really doesn't have crossed eyes, it just looks like she does sometimes. It's called pseudo_____________ (whatever the medical term for crossed eyes is). But she's adorable so who cares.

Anyway, so that was great and then the doctor does the hip check thing. And he says he feels a "clunk." Not a click, a clunk. Then he says that he has to go check with the head doc in the practice to find out if they can do the ultrasound in Cedar or not. He thinks she has congenital hip dysplasia. So then he comes back and says that they can do the ultrasound in the hospital in town, and not to worry too much, yada yada. He also gave us a referral to an orthopedic surgeon. Then Elea gets her immunizations and handles them like a champ, I am very glad though that this is the last round of shots for awhile. On the way home I called Jeff and he instantly got really stressed out. So then I get home and call my mom and ask her what she knows about it. She says that she doesn't think it's a big deal, and looks it up online.

Congenital hip dysplasia/dislocation is when the baby's hip socket in utero is pushed out of joint and the head of the femur bone never gets back into place once the baby is born. So it's fixed by a brace, and if that doesn't work, then they put the baby under anesthesia and ram it back into place (delicately, I'm sure) and if that doesn't work then they have to do surgery. Then my mom starts describing the brace and it's a shoulder to toe contraption that has to fit just right or it can be ineffective or problematic. Fantastic. If the problem isn't corrected the child limps and/or walks like a duck the rest of their lives.

We went down to St. George to pick up Jeff's computer and met his parents for dinner. His dad has a way of just saying over and over whatever Jeff needs to hear. This time it was, "Everything is going to be okay. Everything is going to be fine. She is healthy. Be thankful she is as healthy as she is." (and repeat). When we got home later that night Jeff and Jace gave Elea a blessing.

Then Tuesday I took her to the hospital to get the ultrasound. 2 1/2 hours, 1 bottle and 1 poopie diaper later, they finally called us back to get the ultrasound. Supposedly there is only 1 radiologist in the whole hospital that can oversee that kind of ultrasound and he doesn't do appts until 2 hours after they scheduled my appt. Anyway, he was a nice guy and him and the ultrasound tech were good with elea. He looked and looked and moved her leg all around and pushed on it and tugged on it and didn't see or feel a thing. So then I asked if it was worth seeing the orthopedic surgeon and he said that it never hurts to get a second opinion. And he also ordered an x-ray just to be thorough.

So I left the hospital feeling a little better about things.

Then today Jeff and I drove down to the orthopedic guy in St. George (we weren't huge fans of trusting one in Cedar). His dad was able to get us an appt. w/the surgeon who did his knee replacement. He checked her legs and looked at her x-ray and didn't see or feel anything either. She's totally fine. If she walks like a duck or with a limp it will be because she has her mother's coordination, not because of congenital hip dysplasia that was left untreated. The orthopedic guy seemed almost apologetic that he didn't find anything wrong. . . which was weird because it was the best news we could have heard, obviously.

So yay for it being a false alarm. Not cool that there was an alarm in the first place because between that and her trip to the ER for her RSV a couple weeks ago I think we're going to be meeting the health insurance $1000 deductible for the year 2 weeks into 2009. Fabulous.

I'm just grateful we were able to get it checked out so quick. And maybe next time I'm gonna try and see the specialist before the tests are done. Because honestly, I think that he wouldn't have even bothered with the ultrasound or x ray to begin with. So who knows if there was a clunk on Monday and the blessing healed it. Or if there wasn't anything to begin with. I'm very grateful that giving her a blessing was an option and that it's all good now.

And sorry Derek, you don't get to call her Elea Gump anymore.