Friday, January 13, 2012

Best doctor ever

Last night Anthony came and got in our bed, so this morning when I woke up to pump the noise woke him up.  Without his eyes even being open he said "mom, I was thinking about something..."  I said "ha, yeah, what was that?"  to which he responded "do you know how to download Angry Birds to your phone?"  So, there we go.  My 5 year, who still wants to come cuddle in bed with us at night is asking to do big boy things... like play a game on my phone.  Just seems strange, and sweet, all at the same time to me.

So, about yesterday.  I was nervous all day because the point of this doctors appointment was to ask the surgeon, who had already said no to this question, if he would re-consider doing Dom's testicle surgery at the same time as his cleft palate surgery next week.  I know I think I'm tough, but deep down inside I have never liked confrontation and it makes me crazy nervous.  Now, i ma getting better about advocating for him, and as I've said before I seem to take the defensive right away when we walk into a doctors office, but this was different.  I wasn't worried about battling with the nurse or dietitian over small stuff like weight and food... I was going to be talking to the doctor.  I still have this thing about being scared to talk to doctors sometimes.  I know it's silly, but there you go.

I was so relieved Mike was coming with me and he agreed to do the talking.  As it turns out, I had no reason to worry.  This surgeon is my new favorite doctor.  I love him.  He talked to us no less than 40 minutes... all about the test he will be doing, going over different scenarios depending on how the test comes out, talking about his experience vs the research vs all the different philosophies about when to take the testicles down.  He also talked to us about his inspiration: his deceased brother who had a traumatic brain injury at 3 years who lived for another 13 years despite what the doctors said.  He talked about how his brother couldn't do much, but how he was "there" and how he would play with him and do things big brothers do, like pester him.  Just hearing how much he loved him, and how his life with his brother was normal, despite the obvious fact that there was nothing "normal" about it, gave me so much hope.  He said he would sometimes get mad when he had to watch his brother, but how this was good, because they were just two boys being brothers... and brothers get mad at each other sometimes.  He said his life with him was normal... they would play, they would fight, they would do all those things boys do, just in a different way.  He also said how his brother is responsible for him becoming a surgeon.  His brother inspired him to do great things.  And because he grew up with a special needs child in the house, he has great empathy.  He listens.  He takes time to explain.  He sits patiently, not like he has anything else in the world to do than to talk about your child... his most important patient.  He said he knows what it's like.  I almost cried several times during his talking about his brother.  I was thinking "this is how I want my boys to talk about Dominic when they grow up."

So, the testicle surgery will be when Doiminic is between 8 and 12 months.  The research supports this and we are at peace with waiting.  And another thing, the doc said I need to seriously consider selling my home-made diaper cream, which Mike and I call "butt frosting" because it's so thick.  It works.  He said he would use it for his patients.  Hmmm, we'll see...

In the mantle of our Mother,
Chasity

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