Owens Ribs

A couple of weeks ago we had a chest x-ray for Owen. The orthopedist ordered this because Owen is not gaining weight fast enough and sometimes in Escobar babies, this happens because they have very small chest cavities and/or the scoliosis makes it difficult for them to breathe. In such a small baby, that effort to breathe causes them to expend a significant amount of calories thereby making his ability to gain weight a problem. We really were hoping that this would not be the case with Owen, but the doc called us yesterday and it is. Owens left lung does not have enough room and it needs to be fixed. We have to meet with the pulmonoligist on Thursday of next week. Today I have to make our appointments to go to CHOP (Children's Hospital of Philly) to meet with Dr. Campbell to have a real time MRI and sleep tests done to see what Owen's breathing capacity is. Depending on the results, we will be figuring out when we will schedule (or hopefully how long we can put off) surgery. The surgery is called VEPTR or the titanium rib project. We are fortunate enough to be able to meet with Dr. Campbell himself as he is the inventor of the titanium rib. Our ortho and our pulmonologist trained with him so one or both will assist in the surgery, whenever it may be. I feel a little defeated by all of this. Its huge surgery and once its done, every 6 months they will go in (surgically) and adjust it. I cannot tell you how badly I wish this wasn't the case. The doctor said, in terms of a lethal diagnosis, if anything were going to go wrong, it would be related to the lung and the difficulty breathing and therefore it must be fixed. I don't really have any positive thoughts or words on this. I am just upset. I don't know why this particular issue has me crying and so down, but I guess I felt like I was at my limit before this call came and now, I am certainly there. What my baby is going to have to face in these next few years is breaking my heart and I know I can't let him know that and I have to put on a brave face and be strong for Owen. I just have to find some strength because today I feel as though I have run out.