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+