Cincinnati Trip!

We got home late last night after a long but busy few days! We spent yesterday in Cincinnati enjoying the city some and then meeting with the brachial plexus team at Cincinnati Children's Hospital. After reviewing Addie's EMG from last week and watching her arm movement they were able to make some decisions. Dr. Little heads up the team there and he said that he thinks she has arthrogryposis and a brachial plexus injury. Arthrogryposis has to do with having stiff joints so just by having clubbed feet you could say she has arthrogryposis. In her case though it also affects her arms, shoulders, and probably her jaw hence our trouble with her feeding patterns. He said it is unique to have a brachial plexus injury and arthrogryposis, but they have just seen another child with it. Given all of this and because of the EMG they ruled out the need for exploratory surgery, which is what would have needed to be done immediately. Dr. Little explained that the EMG shows that there is recovery and healing still being done on its own on the tear in the nerve. He wants to give it 3 months and see what has come back on its own. So in 3 months we will head back to Cincinnati and do an EMG again that morning and then meet with Dr. Little and the team that afternoon. If surgery is necessary it will be that same week. He is hopefully that she will have at least 90% of her function back in that arm, but anticipates it to always be weaker than the right arm. He also agreed with us getting a splint for her wrist to wear at night and see how that may help improvements. So we left feeling pretty positive about the whole experience and knowing that as of now we have 3 more months to pray for complete healing without surgery but even if we do have surgery God will still heal! Yesterday, the brachial plexus team from Chicago that Addie was suppose to see Sept. 3rd called and was able to get Addie in next Tuesday Aug. 12th. We are going to go ahead and do that to get a second opinion based off the EMG results. This Friday is her swallow test to see if she is aspirating when she eats. It has just been a crazy couple of weeks, but we are getting some answers and able to make some plans about what is next and that is good. Though there is peace in the answers and having direction I never want to get my peace from knowledge but from God. I know that even in the midst God is here and that is my hope and my strength. Psalms 25:5 "Guide me in your truth and teach me, for you are God my Savior, and my hope is in you all day long." God is our guide and our hope in the middle of the known and the unknown because He is capable of changing it all!