Medical Update

In the past month, Colin has been to three different doctors for check-ups with different things. The first was his 6 month check up at the Trisomy 21 clinic at CHOP which we went to a few weeks ago. I was hoping for some bigger answers when it came to the feeding issues, but they were so happy with his progress that they basically just said that since he is doing better than the last time he was here, just continue with what we are doing. The OT spent a good amount of time with him and she was really happy with his play and skills that he was demonstrating. I was really happy with the visit, but was hoping for a little bit more with the feeding. We don't need to follow up again until Colin is 3, so that was good news...

The second appointment was last week when we went to see Colin's pediatrician Dr. Uma. I had scheduled the appointment so we could check in with her, finish up his vaccinations, and get some scripts for things like feeding therapy assessment, orthodics, and discuss any weight issues. Well, she was a little unhappy because in the past 4 months, Colin has only gained 2 OUNCES. We were shocked because despite all of the weight issues when Colin was a newborn, this is the least amount of weight he has ever gained in that span of time. She did bring up a good point that he is much more active now, but would like to see him gaining more weight. She has us keeping track of his intake so that she can figure out a calorie total which brings me back to the months of keeping track of how many cc's and then ounces he was drinking of his formula. It makes me a bit stressed, but he looks like a healthy boy and so we will continue with what we are doing, even if it IS frustrating.

Finally, we were off to see the urologist today regarding Colin's "retractable" testicle (which seems to be better now) as well as his circumcision. We never felt that it was done correctly the first time because he has always had excess skin and at times, it appears as though it wasn't actually done. The urologist felt that after giving it a year, it wasn't going to be changing so our only option to fix the problem would be a circumcision revision. This procedure is of course optional, since circumcisions are elective from the beginning. We chose a circumcision for a reason which includes hygiene issues as well as appearance issues. It's a scary though to put Colin under anesthesia for something that is elective, but I have to say that I am drawn to fixing it for many reasons. Everyone has their own reasons for why or why not they may not circumcise their children, so I apologize if I offend anyone, but I feel that Colin is going to face so many circumstances because he is different, that I don't want this to be one more. It's ironic because this is something that has nothing to do with Trisomy 21, yet we have to make a decision anyway.

We discussed with the doctor our fears about the anesthesia, and he said that Colin really isn't at any more increased risk that any other child his age because he has always been very healthy. It would be a short procedure and one that if we decide to do, should be done by the time he is 2 because it becomes more painful the older a child gets. So, we have a lot to decide and I'm not sure which direction we will go. The only thing that makes me pause about making this decision is putting Colin under so that will be significantly weighed into our decision.

To leave you on a fun note...here is Colin "chatting with Daddy"...