Orthodontic Update

As I have mentioned in previous posts, people with Marfan Syndrome can have narrow palates and issues with their bites. Kate has already had an expander in for a few months, she then had braces to help straighten a few teeth and they look great. But, there's always a but it seems, a week after she got her braces off last December, her orthodontist decided that he had been through enough of this life and took his own. Shocking and sad to say the least. How did this affect Kate? Well, his office tried to sell and hire new doctors for several months and Kate was seen twice by two random people. Her orthodontic care had a major lapse in care. Completely my fault. I should have been more on top of getting her seen at a new office.

We went to a new guy on Monday, really nice and just happens to deaf in his right ear also. There are more of us out there than you realize, certainly more than I did. The news he gave us was not great. Whether she has grown and changed things or the expander was not left in long enough, we don't know for sure, but we do know she needs an expander in again. 6 months this time and followed by a type of retainer to make sure it sticks this time. Eventually she will need braces as well. Joy, right. Kate still has 6 baby teeth on the bottom and 3 on top.

All I kept thinking was you've got to be kidding me. It's like starting from scratch and I hate, hate, hate to put Kate through all that again. I don't think I have ever thought the word crap over and over again so many times. They put in spacers and next week we get bands on her teeth, and the following week we get the expander in. Here's the kicker. Walking out to the car I noticed Kate was limping. She said her left leg had been hurting off and on the last two weeks. The pain was around the bottom and back side of her knee. I figured we are seeing Dr. Newton, scoliosis doctor, tomorrow and I would just mention the knee and see what he thought. Was not prepared in any way for what he found.