Thanksgiving Day 20

I am so thankful today for my new van.  It sucks to have a car payment and the gas mileage has been an adjustment, but I don't think I could live without it.  If I still had to drive my little VW with both kids, I might just not go anywhere.

Yesterday we drove to Phoenix Children's Hospital twice for two separate kids' doctor's appointments.  Driving that van is like riding in luxury.  We're up high, it's an automatic (my very first automatic car!), it's easy to put kids in and out of, it holds the wheelchair in the back... and it has a sunroof!!

So, let me tell you about Sadie's appointment.  We saw the endocrinologist.  A few months ago, I mentioned to Dr. Wendy that Sadie was growing pubic hair.  Then when she gained all that weight, it looked like she was starting to grow boobs.  So, she referred us to endocrinology.  Apparently, it's normal for kids with brain damage to experience precocious puberty, but we were both kind of shocked to see signs at 2 years old!

Anyway, the endo told us that there are 5 stages of development.  A 5 is a fully developed adult and a 1 is where a normal 2 year old would be.  Sadie is a 2.  He confirmed that there is some kind of pre puberty happening.  He also said that these hormones that her brain is secreting are triggering a growth spurt.  She's gone from BELOW the 20% in July for weight to the 90%!!  And her height is in the 95%!

They drew some blood to check for sure on her hormone levels, as well as took Xrays of the growth plate in her hand.  The concern, besides starting her period at 3 years old, is that she'll grow too fast too early and her growth plates will fuse together before they should.  So, to treat this, she'll need to take an estrogen suppressant.  The estrogen suppressant will send to her brain the right signals so that she'll stop growing until she catches up, and will keep puberty at bay.  This medicine would be either a shot every 3 months, or an implant that would need to be changed once a year...and she would take this for the next 10 years basically, until it's actually TIME for her to go into puberty.

This was all a little bit shocking to hear and to think of her being on a medicine for 10 years makes me sad.  But I also understand that it's important for her body not to hit puberty in preschool.  Has anybody else had this issue with their child?  Did the medicine help?

By the way, Ezra's one month well check went great.  I felt silly asking some of the questions I asked, I felt like a first time parent.  I kind of am!  He weighs 12lbs 3oz and is 23.5 inches long.  He's healthy and strong and everything looks good!!