Friday, February 21, 2014

And again another large amount of time has passed since I updated.  This is mainly because she is in a holding pattern now - not really better or worse as time goes on.

Last check-up was around July 2013 and we spent a considerable amount of time with the registrar discussing the most recent xrays in comparison to earlier ones. She has good joint spacing, which means the cartilage is still there, although we already know from previous appointments, that its not in the best shape due to the pounding from the mis-shapen femoral heads and the femoral heads are still both contained (Shenton's Line is intact), although they are both coxa magna (over large) and ovoid in shape ('cows hips' apparently - you can just imagine how impressed she is with that term!).  Femoral necks are shortened and widened, which is typical perthes.

One thing that came out of the appointment was an answer to why, when she lies on her side on a hard surface, her hips hurt a lot.  This is because the greater trochanter has advanced and is now sitting where it comes into contact with the hard surfaces, as there isn't really a layer of muscle and/or fat between that and her skin, as she is slim build.

The specialist came and joined us in the examination room near the end of the appointment and is happy that she is doing as well as she is, although she will always have problems.  Its now a case of her keeping fit and healthy and keeping her weight down, to lessen the impact through her hips.

She takes panadeine regularly for the pain (Tylenol with codeine), which only really takes the edge off the pain, but at least it gets her functioning.  The specialist will see her again around July 2014 and again, it will just be checking that she is still within the holding pattern, as there is not a lot more they can do, as there are no other surgeries that can offer a guarantee of success and so the specialist is reluctant to risk making things worse for her, as in spite of the pain and restrictions that are still in place, she is embracing life with a vengeance!

She is in her final year at school this year and is planning to go to university next year to study bio-med, with a view to going to med school to eventually be a pathologist, however this is subject to change, although will still be science based, as that is her passion.

Last year she passed her NCEA Level 2 exams with a merit endorsement overall, and also merit endorsements on both biology and statistics.  Her English paper has gone back to be moderated, as her class teacher feels there was an error in the marking, but we will just have to wait and see how that goes.

She isn't doing waka ama at the moment, although the girls in her team have asked her to come back as their steerer, as she was so good at it.  She is taking her time in deciding this, as she has some very important exams to focus on too, however the increase in fitness that this sport offers is well worth the time put into it.  She also does Pilates to help with her core muscle strength, on the recommendation of her specialist.