Follow up visit . . .

     Jarrad went to see Dr. Dahners yesterday.  This was a 6 week (?) follow up visit to see how successful the surgery was.
    Ever since THE EVENT, I feel like we have been blessed with surgeries - they all seem to be successful and we have had great doctors until this one.  I feel like I should just prep myself for bad news every time we see this doctor.
    So yesterday - school was canceled so we ALL went to UNC.  At least I know how to get to all the hospitals now.  We dropped Jarrad off because the 4 - well, 5 when you count Wheels- in an exam room is about 3 too many.  He got x-rays and found out that there has been some bone regrowth.  We don't know if it has stopped or if it is slowing or if it is growing like a run away train.  To say we are disappointed would be an understatement.  And scared.  Very scared that it will keep growing again which means - perhaps - another surgery.  We know we have to do the left hip in November but we were kind of hoping that would be it.  Only one surgery this year.  And now, maybe another in 2015.  I really hate waiting. We are going back in October to get ready for his other hip. 
    Hey - we get to plan our lives around surgical procedures!  YEAH!
    Ok, good news.
    He still has all of his range of motion - inner and outer, up and down.  The pin in the top of his femur - you remember where the bone shattered - has not moved.  Whoo.  That is good and it is highly unlikely that it will move now.
     The wound vac is off.  Jarrad says he feels better with it off - no more pins and needles feeling.  The site looks great. The wound vac is truly amazing.  With it off, he was able to take care of himself without any help this morning.
     Now to evaluate Dr. Dahners.  He is very knowledgeable and takes each patient case by case.  We know this because we know someone else who has had this procedure done and what we were told is different from what that person was told.  He does research on newest techniques and information.  His is people awkward.  Not cold or unfeeling but awkward.  He doesn't explain why you should do something (ie lift the leg to move the blood around so it doesn't stagnate and get infected).  I think that he would benefit from better support staff as we have had to repeatedly ask for records to be transferred to Jarrad's GP (who is awesome) and she didn't get them even when she called.  However, when you talk to Dr. Dahners directly, he does it.  That isn't his job! That is his office staff's job. And that is where I feel the problem lies.  If he weren't the best doctor in this area for this procedure . . .
    So the lesson that we have learned here is this:  You have to like your doctor.  If you don't - go see another doctor.  Otherwise, you don't want to go!  And we need to have doctors - not all the time - but we need to have doctors we trust and like.  I love my kid's doctor, Dr. Fletcher, and Jarrad really likes his GP - Dr. Beck.  He also likes his urologist but we have found another urologist that may be more current with trends for SCI patients. 
   Whoo, I will get off THIS soapbox but we had 3 doctor appointments this week and well, you just need to have doctors you like and trust.  
     Just sayin'.