Ear Infection

As you well know, "when it rains, it pours", and "if it can go wrong, it will", and yada yada yada (thanks George). Anyway, Noah's hip was just starting to feel better -- we had just tried getting him walking again for the first time in about four weeks... Now Noah has an ear infection. I can't say too much as this is Noah's second ever ear infection, but it is still a bit frustrating. Eli is also sick with a really bad cold -- boogers everywhere! Of course Eli being sick (while I do feel really sorry for him) isn't too big of a deal. Noah's illnesses are, of course, always a big deal because what a lot of people don't understand about children with CP is that any small illness can turn into a really big thing. I'm not saying this to scare anybody (Noah is certainly not in any immediate danger), but it is a reality of dealing with CP.

The good news, however, is that we have a treatment plan for Noah's hip that we feel a lot better about. There is a doctor that we see in Philly that does botox on kids with muscle rigidity. The botox is a much better treatment than oral medication because it is a one-time treatment that doesn't affect the brain (muscle relaxer meds affect certain neurotransmitters that cause muscles to fire -- that is, of course, an extremely simply explanation). Botox is basically a toxin that paralyzes the muscle for a period of time -- usually several months. It is best used in tiny amounts on small muscles. So far children on the Institutes program have had really good success with this treatment because once they relax the overly tight muscles, the other muscles have a better chance of working properly as they are not being over-powered. This allows the hip to be more functional.

A number of people have asked why surgery is not a good option. Surgery is a last resort option because it is very painful, usually does not help hip pain in the long run, and has a good year-long recovery. Of course Noah's not being able to do program for a year is a very poor option for him. So we are going to try this better option to see if we can get him back doing program. The best option, however, is always prayer. Doctors can do a lot these days with the human body -- God can move mountains.