Complicated
In the world where we live, it just isn't simple...it's complicated! I had no idea what was in store for us today, no idea!
Took Sam back to the Ortho surgeon who called to say he wanted to see us again. I love our ortho doc! He is so smart and spends a ton of time with us, answers all sorts of questions and does his research. He had a feeling that he should have a musculoskeletal specialist look at the MRI and x rays. They spent an afternoon looking at each little slice of the MRI. What they had originally thought was an ACL shredded down to almost nothing is actually Sam's normal ACL size! Abnormally small! There are no apparent tears or remnants of shredding to be seen. They did however diagnose a piece of bone on his patella that had been sheared off that was missed the first time around and a large tear in the ligaments that run up the side of his knee. After being in a brace and crutches for a month, it seems that those two issues are healing okay on their own but there is still a chance he will need surgery to repair this damage.
So, it's really confusing but here is where the problem comes in. With a super tiny ACL, is it going to be able to support his growing body and knee? Was he born with this defect, is mitochondrial disease killing the ligament and it is dying and shrinking or, are they missing something and it really is shredded to nothing?
They are going to try to get the insurance company to approve more imaging so they can look closely at his 'healthy' knee and compare the ACL sizes. It really is serious, while his muscles are growing bigger and bigger, especially as he does his sports, his ligaments and tendons should be growing at the same rate, Sam's is not! What does this mean for his future activity level? Possibly no sports! There are so many concerns I have and the doctor too. At this point, they really have no idea how to approach this. He and the other specialist have never seen anything like this before so they are kind of feeling their way along and trying to come up with a plan. He wondered if maybe he needs to have the surgery anyways to increase the size of the ligament and make it a normal ACL.
At this point, Sam is not in pain so he is out of the brace, off the crutches and trying to strengthen his leg. It is so scrawny after a month of not using it and his other leg is so muscular. The doctor wants him exercising it several times a day in hopes of getting the same tone as his other leg in a week or two. By then, we will also know if his patella and other tear is going to heal on it's own or if they will need to do surgery for that part.
I feel very strongly that Sam's fall happened so that they could find this problem. I'm not sure exactly what it all means yet or what will still be discovered but I know it is no coincidence that he fell and that our path has crossed with two of the best doctors in the State. Without a doubt, this is a necessary trial but at the same time, I am tired of this! Tired of this disease. I am weary when I think of all the ways these stupid diseases are stealing away little bits of my kids. So discouraging at times.
It's just been such a bizarre week to begin with and now this. It's so weird how I'm feeling, anxious and frustrated but at the same time, this underlying feeling that it is all in preparation for something big coming. I have no idea what that could be but I am going to be interested to see how this story develops. Stay tuned....
Took Sam back to the Ortho surgeon who called to say he wanted to see us again. I love our ortho doc! He is so smart and spends a ton of time with us, answers all sorts of questions and does his research. He had a feeling that he should have a musculoskeletal specialist look at the MRI and x rays. They spent an afternoon looking at each little slice of the MRI. What they had originally thought was an ACL shredded down to almost nothing is actually Sam's normal ACL size! Abnormally small! There are no apparent tears or remnants of shredding to be seen. They did however diagnose a piece of bone on his patella that had been sheared off that was missed the first time around and a large tear in the ligaments that run up the side of his knee. After being in a brace and crutches for a month, it seems that those two issues are healing okay on their own but there is still a chance he will need surgery to repair this damage.
So, it's really confusing but here is where the problem comes in. With a super tiny ACL, is it going to be able to support his growing body and knee? Was he born with this defect, is mitochondrial disease killing the ligament and it is dying and shrinking or, are they missing something and it really is shredded to nothing?
They are going to try to get the insurance company to approve more imaging so they can look closely at his 'healthy' knee and compare the ACL sizes. It really is serious, while his muscles are growing bigger and bigger, especially as he does his sports, his ligaments and tendons should be growing at the same rate, Sam's is not! What does this mean for his future activity level? Possibly no sports! There are so many concerns I have and the doctor too. At this point, they really have no idea how to approach this. He and the other specialist have never seen anything like this before so they are kind of feeling their way along and trying to come up with a plan. He wondered if maybe he needs to have the surgery anyways to increase the size of the ligament and make it a normal ACL.
At this point, Sam is not in pain so he is out of the brace, off the crutches and trying to strengthen his leg. It is so scrawny after a month of not using it and his other leg is so muscular. The doctor wants him exercising it several times a day in hopes of getting the same tone as his other leg in a week or two. By then, we will also know if his patella and other tear is going to heal on it's own or if they will need to do surgery for that part.
I feel very strongly that Sam's fall happened so that they could find this problem. I'm not sure exactly what it all means yet or what will still be discovered but I know it is no coincidence that he fell and that our path has crossed with two of the best doctors in the State. Without a doubt, this is a necessary trial but at the same time, I am tired of this! Tired of this disease. I am weary when I think of all the ways these stupid diseases are stealing away little bits of my kids. So discouraging at times.
It's just been such a bizarre week to begin with and now this. It's so weird how I'm feeling, anxious and frustrated but at the same time, this underlying feeling that it is all in preparation for something big coming. I have no idea what that could be but I am going to be interested to see how this story develops. Stay tuned....
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