Real life has caught up with me once again. We had two weeks of really wintry weather. I took lots of pictures, including the Bumper sledding, making snow angles and just generally having fun, but we also had two weeks off of school. I love the Bumper, and she loves me, however two solid weeks with nobody but myself and Nana for company (Nana was gone last week dog sitting for my sister); we were starting to get on each others nerves. So by the time last Saturday rolled around we were more than ready for the diversion created by her cousin's birthday.
I stuffed the Bumper in the car, after giving her some medicine for motion sickness, and we drove the two hours to Baltimore. When we arrived the Bumper proudly announced that she made the whole trip without throwing up. I think I was more relived than she, because I have no idea how I would have managed that scenario. The Bumper had a rollicking good time, at her cousin's robot themed party. There were about twenty kids ages 6 to 2years there and the Bumper ran, climbed, jumped and plastic sword fought with the best of the. The little boys, her cousin included, thought the was great; the little girls couldn't understand why she did not want to play princess with them. I can explain that easily: after a two hour car ride the last thing the Bumper was interested in was sitting still and drinking pretend tea. The hardest part of the day came when it was time to leave, the Bumper and her cousin had grown quite attached to one another and did not want to part company. The struggle ended with her uncle carrying her to the front porch. In spite of all her vigorous protesting she fell asleep a mere fifteen minutes into the drive home.
We traveled back up in Baltimore this past Monday for the Bumper's second appointment at Johns Hopkins hospital. The first time we went was back in January to see a pediatric hepatologist. I wanted to know if the Bumper had inherited or would develop the disease from which her Dad suffered. The first doctor told us he couldn't really tell us anything, he did ,however; order a urinalysis and referred us to the genetics department. It was disappointing to be sure, but not totally unexpected. On Monday we had our appointment with the genetics counselors and with the geneticist. After discussing our family medical history, meeting and examining the Bumper, and reviewing the lab results they gave us their conclusion: While they can not rule it out completely, the Bumper is at very low risk ( a 99.5% chances that she will NOT) for developing Wilson's disease. I did not entirely belive it until I watched the doctor's face as she was reading the lab results-- her face relaxed and she smiled.
My body relaxed with a release of tension I did not even realize until that moment I had been holding. The specter of Wilson's disease had haunted me from the moment of the Bumper's conception. Her dad and I even sought out a pediatrician in Northern VA who knew something of the disease. It was on that pediatrician's recommendation that I had been taking the Bumper to get her blood drawn and her copper levels tested yearly, but even he recommended the genetics counseling ha I was unable to follow through on until this year. My prayers Monday night consisted of only three words: Thank you Lord.
The relief I feel is so profound, and all I can do is be very grateful.
Kim
p.s. I know the Bumper's dad would be grateful too.
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