Hi, Mark!  Awhile ago you wrote in a message to Ardith Hinton:

AH>  One of the endearing things about Nora as a baby was
AH>  that she'd quite happily adjust to the shape of the
AH>  person holding her.  And it didn't occur to me until
AH>  we lent one of her classmates a pair of boots that
AH>  I'd forgotten how to put boots on "normal" kids who
AH>  don't know how to help me.  :-)

MH>  Our son is also very flexible.  He can bend in ways
MH>  that would make something in my body snap.


          Likewise WRT how Nora often bends her ankles, especially the one she
broke as the result of a fall when she was in her early teens.  The orthopedic
surgeon told us it was actually rather fortunate that her ankle bent until the
knob collided with other bones on the same side because a broken ankle is much
easier to fix & heals much more quickly than soft tissue damage... [wry grin].



MH>  After doing more thinking about the situation, we have
MH>  since decided to go back to our original surgeon (whom
MH>  performed the operation on our son when he was 1 day old).

MH>  About 3 weeks ago we had another contrast study and we
MH>  will be discussing the surgery with him this Tuesday.


          IOW, you & your wife have agreed on taking this course of action.  I
think it's important that parents work together in such situations.  While she
may be chief breadwinner at present, her input is highly significant too.  :-)



MH>  The good news is the area has gone down in size, but not
MH>  enough.  He is going to need a temporary "redirection" for
MH>  around 6-8 months and then the final corrective surgery can
MH>  be done and all will be well.

MH>  We are all looking forward to that..  :)


          Yes.  You've done your homework & you have confidence in the doctor.
If I understand the situation correctly you have time to be there for your son
as well because (by some people's standards) you are underemployed at present.
By my standards, the contribution you've been making as the father of this kid
is a pearl beyond price.  AFAIC there's no more important work even though you
don't get paid in coin of the realm for doing it.  If you truly believe you've
made the right decision, that goes a long way.  And as a nurse commented about
another four-year-old in a book I read when Nora was about the same age... she
didn't understand why she was in hospital, but accepted it because her Mom was
with her.  IMHO Bernie Siegel would approve.  At any rate I certainly do.  :-)

          For those who tuned in years after Nora was diagnosed with leukemia,
and I hastily packed a hospital suitcase, and I grabbed the library book which
was on top of the pile on our window sill, and I finally got around to reading
it after memorizing everything you never wanted to know about leukemia because
oncology parents must pass a test on this stuff before their kid is discharged
... Bernie Siegel is an oncologist who wondered why some people survive cancer
while others don't.  When I read his book I realized I'd been doing exactly as
he said (athough others thought I was crazy) & decided to do more of it.  That
was how this echo was born.  Her Nibs is still alive & well, thankyou....  ;-)




--- timEd/386 1.10.y2k+
 * Origin: Wits' End, Vancouver CANADA (1:153/716)