Sunday, we enjoyed watching the girls gymnastics Olympic trials. What awesome feats those young girls perform under pressure. Also, Carson and Hunter are currently practicing everyday at 7 AM for their summer swim team. It's an EARLY summer start to our day and I LOVE when it rains and practice is canceled. Sleeping in never felt so good-except my body has finally accepted the fact that it will get up at 6:30 AM everyday. Thus, I am writing this blog at 6:30 AM.
Because swimming and gymnastics are on my mind, I thought I'd share a medical diagnosis that we received concerning Jessie several months ago. It appears that she will not be able to compete "competitively" in swimming or gymnastics as she has a birth defect called "proximal radial ulnar synostosis". Although she can learn and perform these 2 sports, the inability to rotate her left elbow completely so that the palm faces up will limit her competitiveness and as she ages, cause pain and discomfort to the area. In doctor lingo, she does not have full supination and is approximately 70 degrees. There is no radial head visible that is consistent with normal anatomy.
In March, Brad discovered that Jessie could not rotate her arm and was concerned. Having not remembered any TRAUMA to the area (possibly inflicted during one of the many wrestling matches with her brothers) Brad said not to be to concerned and that he would research the injury when the BUSIEST season of the hospital came to an end.
In May, we finally got an X-ray from the pediatrician's office and her opinion was that the elbow was dislocated!!!!!!!!!! Feeling like LOSER parents, we immediately got into the pediatric orthopedic surgeon and he put our minds to ease with the above diagnosis. Of course, one would not know that this active 3-year-old couldn't rotate her left arm so the palm faces up because she runs, jumps, wrestles, moves like any toddler and compensates when necessary.
Doctors currently do not perform surgery to correct the rotation as they have discovered that it is ineffective. "At sketletal maturity, their may be recommendations for excision (surgery) of the proximal radius in order to reduce pan and discomfort with bumping this structure." Doctors words!
So now I will be looking for a SOCCER club for Jessie!
Look how CUTE she is anyway!!!!!!
3 comments:
WOW!! I am glad you figured out what it was. I am sure it won't slow her down much.
Very interesting. That definitely isn't something that I've ever heard before. I hope that it all works out for you and her.
Soccer sounds a bit safer to me than gymnastics anyway. I'm glad my girls are too tall for that sport.
Hi! I was diagnosed with radial-ulnar synostosis in my right arm when I was a bit younger than Jessie. I only have about a ten degree rotation of my hand. I am twenty-seven now and soccer was my sport of choice. My arm has never prevented me from doing anything that I wanted to do or got in the way of any daily tasks. Jessie is a beautiful girl and I know she will be able to achieve all of her dreams.
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