We had settled that Dr. B was our doctor and we trusted her opinion greatly, but there’s always questions and lots of what if’s and our biggest was did we make the right choice in waiting five days to do surgery. Would the outcome have been different. It’s not that it was our choice, but the choice was made for us by all the other doctors before we got to Dr. B. We will always be left with unanswered questions- the biggest of how her hand could look the same as the other and be so different now at 10 months. So, we did what I trust many people would do- we got a second opinion when she was four and a half months old.
I got on the phone to Cleveland clinic. I called so many doctors, but it seemed getting in there was harder than I thought especially for a case that I thought would be intriguing for them. I got vehement no’s over and over. I finally got a scheduler that either took pity on my frustration or loved her job but she didn’t quit until we found the perfect one. We were in within the week. It was a drive. Russ drove us up. We waited in the waiting room and I felt nervous. When we got in the room the nurse collected our records and we waited. And waited. When the doctor came in he was immediately at ease with us and us with him. He looked her over good.
I remember vividly a few of the things he said- he wouldn’t get X-rays- he thought she’d probably have been baked enough already. It was definitely stunted, but her rotation was awesome. Oh, and we would amputate. Before she was five. He wasn’t mistaken. Said her skin grafting looked awesome and asked us if Doc helper hand was our Doc. We said no and that we didn’t like him. He understood. He finished with that he could take the lead or be the back seat role. We elected to stay the course with Dr B, but would check in with him from time to time.
I can’t say hearing his thoughts made it any easier to accept. And as time has passed and I watch her now I can’t say that amputation is in her future or not. This is for her to decide along with us. When she can tell us if it hurts... or if it is what she wants. It’s permanent and not to be taken lightly. I will go back to Cleveland to make sure we all have checks and balances, but in the end, Dr B is still our super hero.
I got on the phone to Cleveland clinic. I called so many doctors, but it seemed getting in there was harder than I thought especially for a case that I thought would be intriguing for them. I got vehement no’s over and over. I finally got a scheduler that either took pity on my frustration or loved her job but she didn’t quit until we found the perfect one. We were in within the week. It was a drive. Russ drove us up. We waited in the waiting room and I felt nervous. When we got in the room the nurse collected our records and we waited. And waited. When the doctor came in he was immediately at ease with us and us with him. He looked her over good.
I remember vividly a few of the things he said- he wouldn’t get X-rays- he thought she’d probably have been baked enough already. It was definitely stunted, but her rotation was awesome. Oh, and we would amputate. Before she was five. He wasn’t mistaken. Said her skin grafting looked awesome and asked us if Doc helper hand was our Doc. We said no and that we didn’t like him. He understood. He finished with that he could take the lead or be the back seat role. We elected to stay the course with Dr B, but would check in with him from time to time.
I can’t say hearing his thoughts made it any easier to accept. And as time has passed and I watch her now I can’t say that amputation is in her future or not. This is for her to decide along with us. When she can tell us if it hurts... or if it is what she wants. It’s permanent and not to be taken lightly. I will go back to Cleveland to make sure we all have checks and balances, but in the end, Dr B is still our super hero.
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