Syndactyly Release Released

Sidney and Mommy headed to Iowa City today for a check on the hand. She was released from wearing the splint today! It is so bizarre to see her without anything on her hand. One finger is completely healed, and the other is partially scabbed over. I had a brief conversation with the resident about skin grafting. I asked if new skin is generated underneath the grafting, and the grafting falls off. He advised this is part of the process. As residents seem to do, he gave the precise scientific term. After I gave him a puzzled look, he explained other materials are used in combination with the graft. Dr Lawler confirmed the hand looks great, and the scabbing should fall off in a couple of weeks.

The other portion of the visit was spent going over our plan for the left hand. This surgery will be more complex. As I explained in a previous posting, the growth plate is causing the bone to grow in the opposite direction or causing the base of her middle finger to grow wider versus longer. Dr Lawler explained the growth plate is in the shape of the letter C. She will cut out a notch out of the arch on the C and replace it with a fat graft off Sidney’s upper arm. This will be the size of a mosquito bite. There is a possibility this will require another graft off the upper hip, however the doctor will need to wait until she has opened the finger to see. Surgery is scheduled for Thursday, May 6th. She will likely have it early in the morning again.

This might sound a bit overwhelming to the outside observer; however it really is not a huge deal. Yes, it kind of sucks to take a healthy child in for surgery, but it is one day out of our whole lives. It has absolutely nothing to do with the way we function in our daily life. Sidney is not gravely ill, and it could be so much worse. Sidney and I saw three children in wheel chairs in the short time we were in the waiting room. They all smiled and greeted us, conveying that a smile and a positive attitude can overcome anything.

As I write this, I notice the room has finally gone silent! Eli and Sidney typically have one game, making noise! Eli and Sidney have a normal dynamic as brother and sister. I remember during the three year wait, there were so many times I wondered what it might be like to watch them playing together. Sidney and her small 18.3 lbs frame and Eli and his lumbering 85 lb frame are hilarious. They have learned how to push one another’s buttons. Eli by getting in her face and Sidney by throwing Eli’s Lego’s off the table.

Lately, there is a change in Sidney. She carries herself differently and is somehow lighter. She smiled from the first day, but it was not a smile like one might see on the face of a typical 16 month old. It was like seeing a baby smile for the first time. Mouth wide open and not really sure why she was making the expression other than to please her parents. Now she understands happiness and instead of simply reciprocating our smiles, she initiates her happiness. It was the coolest experience to look over at her and see her face light up. It was the first time she smiled at me without being smiled at first. It was a huge moment and something I will never forget.