update on Isaac

Here's Ella and Isaac just before breakfast one morning this week - she wanted me to take this picture. It is a more and more common site....Ella hugging Isaac and saying "I love you, Isaac". However, it's all just a ruse as she has been heard a few minutes after such outpouring of affection to utter such comments as, "It's all because of Isaac", "If only baby brother weren't here", "Oh, you're just a toddler, Isaac" (He graduated from 'baby' to 'toddler'. Still said with much distain.)

We just survived two days of poking and prodding at Sick Kids. I don't know how Donna and Mike survived all their visits over the years, but I certainly have a better appreciation for it all. I also realized after our two days and five clinics later, what a minor thing the cleft lip and palate really is. The hospital is so very busy and there are so many kids with varying degrees of facial disorders, vision problems, etc. We only really saw kids in the ENT, plastic surgery, dental and vision care and that was enough to know that we are all very fortunate if we have good health.

As it turns out, our Mr. Isaac will be needing glasses. He should get them in a week or two. He is very very near sighted. We suspected this already as he had to hold things very close to see them. It hasn't been as noticeable since we returned from China, but we noticed it right away there. He is also a little deaf and will require tubes in his ears. The plastic surgeon thought his palate and lip were quite good and do not require further surgery. This was great news. It was a surprise to us to see that his palate was repaired in China and great news that the surgeon here thinks it doesn't need further work. The dentist also thought his teeth were great. I may have said before that he definitely knew what a tooth brush was and opened his mouth to have his teeth brushed that first night with us. Of course, they are quite messed up around the cleft area, but nothing is done until he gets his adult teeth anyway. In fact, it's usually much later, and we'll have lots of check-ups in the meantime.

We spent a lot of time with the ophthamologist who suggested Isaac may have Stickler syndrome. We have been referred to the genetics department to have this checked out. We don't know a lot about this syndrom and are just learning about it ourselves, but we have been told that we need to monitor his vision and specifically his retina. People with Stickler syndrome may experience retinal detachment. The doctor did say his retina looks good right now, but he wasn't able to get a good view of the vitreous (you'll have to look this up yourself) and we'll have to go back again. It was just too much for little Isaac and he had had enough.

The second day at Sick Kids was good and bad. It was good as we received news that he didn't require more lip or palate surgery and it was bad in that he had had enough of that hospital and being poked and prodded. He was very fussy and half way through lunch he pushed the food away and just got mad. "What's this broccoli doing on my plate and I hate mushrooms!!!!" Now, it was all in Chinese but this is my interpretation, and that's what it sounded like. He slapped the table and screamed. I tried to calm him down. We were in the cafeteria. Lots of people...people who five minutes earlier had spoken to us. It was not a pretty sight. He was in a high-chair and refused to get out of it. When I tried to take him out, he screamed and wrapped his legs and arms around the chair and wouldn't let me take him out. Now, you've seen pictures of Isaac (of if lucky enough - met him in person) and he is not small! He is really at the far end of even fitting into a high-chair, but the previous day it was great...plus, it is much more convenient for him to be at the table level (it was a high-chair with no tray). Anyway, it took at least four attempts before I finally got him out. I was starting to think I'd have to take the high-chair with me....him in it! I had to wrap my own legs around the high-chair to hold it in place and pry his little fingers off the chair and unwrap his legs - all the while wishing I myself had six arms. People tried their best not to look. Many thoughts ran through my head....this IS Sick Kids...lots of s i c k kids, people have seen this before (I saw it myself in the various clinics we had been in, but now it was ME), you wouldn't be here if you didn't have problems....hey, lady, are you trying to steal this little Chinese boy?!?!?! Yikes! Actually, my main thought was ...Thank Goodness Neil is not here OR it's not Neil on his own....I can handle this. Anyone who knows Neil will need no further explanation. He would have melted through the floor. OR he would have had to leave him there or leave the stroller and wheel Isaac out the front door in the high-chair. Well, these thoughts kept a smile on my face and I did finally get him out of that hospital. I managed to get him (kicking and screaming) back into his stroller. He refused to put on his mittens or hat and it was a cold day. As you can all guess, five minutes down the road he was fast asleep. I met Donna and my brother Dave for coffee. We strolled along Queen Street, visited a gallery showing Darren's photography, and stopped in to see where Hilary is working (Fashion Crimes on Queen Street). The Isaac we know and love woke up two hours later and was the joy he usually is....all of that other nonsence quickly forgotten.

We have another appointment (with our family doctor) on November 12th. Will keep you posted.