Grandpa's Heart Surgery

Grandpa Dan had been experiencing some chest pain recently and went in for a stress test. The results of that test were normal but his doctor felt that he should have a heart cath done to make sure everything was okay. That was a good thing because the heart cath showed the need for triple bypass. The surgery was today and it went well, taking less time than expected. We were comforted to see him in good spirits and his sense of humor present just six hours into his recovery. As for Lauren, she's looking forward to the day her Grandpa is able to pick her up and hold her again.

A Snowstorm, Springfield, & a Surprise Party

We left Baltimore on Friday morning as their impending 30 inches of snow began to fall. Our 7 hour-turned-12 hour trip from Baltimore to Springfield was never ending. The stop at this restaurant was our only break from the snowy mountain roads. As you can see, Lauren was more than pleased to be out of the van.

Making calls and catching z's to pass the time...we couldn't have asked for Lauren to handle the trip any better than she did.

A look outside Great Grandma's the morning after we arrived.

We had a wonderful time at Great Grandma's. Lauren's favorite part? My guess is the doll that giggles, her birthday present from Great Grandma.

Then, when we were least expecting it, a surprise 1st birthday party for Lauren at Aunt Rita's complete with balloons, cake, family, and presents galore! Lauren is one loved little girl.

Baltimore Bound

An early start and good weather made our 10 hour trip to Baltimore an easy ride.

Our visit to Sinai Hospital last Thursday exceeded our expectations. We were so impressed by Dr. Standard and everyone there. We had a bit of a wait (about 4 hours), which is apparently to be expected, but worth every minute of it. The time also went fast because we were in good company. Indigo, a two year old girl with FH, and Amy, her mom, were there for Indigo's check-up. I've had internet correspondence with Amy and recognized them from their pictures. It was wonderful to get to meet them in person. Indigo had a fixator on so we got a first hand look, and Amy was very informative. When we met with Dr. Standard, he was very thorough in explaining his plan for Lauren. He recommends that we have her ankle surgery and tibia straightening done when she's two years old. That would involve us going to Baltimore for the surgery and recovery, then returning home about a week later. He also recommends that we wait until she's three to do her first lengthening. This will give her ankle a chance to recover and maintain as much range of motion as possible. We were relieved to hear that her hip looks okay and she won't need hip surgery. Her leg is not aligned under her knee, which will need correction, but it's a fairly simple outpatient procedure that would be done when Lauren is a little older. As for the second lengthening when she's a teenager, she may or may not need it. There's a chance, depending on Lauren's growth, that we would be able to slow the growth (a much easier procedure) on the other leg instead. Last but not least, Dr. Standard said Lauren has a beautiful foot. He says he doesn't get into counting toes when he's evaluating a foot for function, and that he's surprised at the number of smart people that do. Did I mention that we love this doctor? We've found the hospital and doctor that are just right for Lauren. We go back for a progress check in 6 months and in the meantime? We'll just be working on that walking thing.

We toured this house, called Hackerman Patz, where patients and families can stay during treatment. It's right across the street from the Intl Center for Limb Lengthening.

We spent our evenings there at the hotel pool. Lauren cracked up laughing for ten minutes straight when we first got in. She still loves swimming and was even dipping her face in the water.