Medical Update

Sorry, just now getting to sit down and give a brief update on Ivee's medical visits.
1. GI: Will do an endoscopy on Ivee in a few weeks to look at her esophagus and fundoplication (stomach rap) to see if it is too tight or okay. (hopefully we'll get to the heaving issue by process of elimination.
2. Endocrinologist: He said, yes she is small, but she was small when we brought her to St. Jude in 2007. She is in the 2 percentile. No surprise there. He said that over the last 4 years her bloodwork and test have looked good. In some cases where radiation has affected the petuatary gland, you can't necessarily tell until they are older, which is why she hasn't needed to see anyone until now. Even now, though, at this point she is looking okay, that is the thyroid, blood levels, and adrenals. As for her ovaries, thanks to chemo as well, we won't really know if they are affected until she reaches puberty (about 12).
3. Surgery consult went well. First, he needs visible proof of the paraesophageal hernia, so the GI doctor will have to run some test to confirm this. Second, in examining her stomach, he noticed the bulge above her mickey button/naval and said that she may also have an abdominal hernia. So, we are perhaps looking at two hernias. The ideal situation would be to do a laparoscopic view and see if he can repair them that way. If there is two much scar tissue from the previous surgeries in her abdomen, he would have to cut her 6 inch incision open and again to repair it that way. Of course, laparoscopic is much less evasive and faster recovery time. Third, I made a comment about her mickey button being a bit tight (in my eyes). He confirmed to me that she needed a bigger one. The one she has is usually used on 1 year olds. Ivee is the size of a big three year old, so, once again, I'm not surprised that this was somehow missed here back at home with the old doctors. I will continue to keep an eye on it from now on an make note if I ever need a surgeon at St. Jude to look at it.
4. On the way home from Memphis, we kept her appointment with her orthopedic in B'Ham. This was the only part of the trip where I felt the most positive news. She said Ivee's xray looks great, her gate is great and she heals unbelievably well! That part I already knew. She heals so well, that she had to have 4 hickman line surgeries just because her body refused them and would push them out, healing! If nothing else, I can say my baby girl has a little Wolverine in her. Now, if only it would fight off this cancer and keep that out of her body!
We'll be returning to Memphis the week of August 26th for the procedures in GI. I wanted her to get in school for at least a little while. Her next MRI is scheduled for September 27th and I believe that we will probably end that visit with a surgery to repair her stomach. Prayers and more prayers.