After my brother posted a picture on Facebook of Lucy being prepped for an MRI, I've gotten many texts and messages concerned about her. It's been a long and frustrating process.
About three months ago, I noticed Lucy wouldn't put weight on her right leg when I got her out of her crib in the morning. This only lasted for about an hour, and it happened three mornings in a row. It went away as suddenly as it appeared. I could not, and still cannot, remember her falling or injuring it in any way. About a month later my mom was keeping Lucy and was concerned when she began limping again. She would act like it was really hurting her. I kept an eye on it, and again, it seemed to go away. A few days later we left for vacation. It really began to become prominent while we were there. So much so that I was ready to hop on a plane early to get it checked out. This was what she would do each morning.
Throughout our week long vacation at the beginning of June, it progressed to walking stiff-legged. I made an appointment with a pediatrician, thinking he would know the best direction to take. I came prepared to show him the video, because the strange thing is that sometimes she limps all day, and sometimes she doesn't do it much at all. It comes and goes throughout the day. Of course at the time we went to the pediatrician on June 14, she wasn't limping. He checked her movements, looked for swelling and signs of infection then ordered x-rays. Basically I felt a little blown off. He was not interested in watching the videos I took documenting her limping. The x-rays came back clear. The pediatrician on call the next day just told me to watch it. That didn't sit so well with me. I had no desire to just sit back and watch my baby limp with no explanation. Three days later and nearly in tears, I called our orthopaedic surgeon friend in Sikeston. He gave the suggestion to call our family practice doctor and possibly get some labs drawn and possibly an MRI. The first thing in the morning on June 18, I took her to our beloved family practice doctor. She sensed my anxiety and concern. Of course Lucy wasn't limping at that moment, but she watched the videos and immediately recognized my cause of alarm. She said she wanted to refer us to a pediatric orthopod. An appointment was made for June 22. We liked the doctor. Again, Lucy wasn't limping at this point so we showed her the videos. She mentioned a few things and a few avenues to take, the first starting with blood tests. I didn't dwell on everything and allow myself to worry, as we had a major family event that was weighing heavily on us at the time. We headed over to have blood work taken at St. Anthony's. After a very frustrating week of not getting anyone to return my calls about the blood work and having to show my Mommy Bear Claws on the phone, we learned the labs came back clear. An MRI was ordered... two-and-a-half weeks later. I have felt helpless, mad, frustrated, and worried sick throughout all of this. She had the MRI at Cardinal Glennon two days ago, and we sit and wait for the results. We pray they reveal something and give us a direction to take. I feel that Lucy is limping for longer periods each day, usually between four and ten hours a day. Only two days in the last seven weeks has she not limped at all.
It certainly doesn't slow her down! She has learned to maneuver that little leg to do what she wants to do. She climbs and plays with it straight out. When we hold her or she sits in a carseat or stroller it is straight out. If she falls, it stays straight. I've tried tickling her, and she continues to keep it straight. Obviously something is going on because an eighteen month old does not know how to fake something like this.
It sometimes causes her pain and sometime doesn't. Some days if we feel around her knee she winces and cries and pushes our hands away, but most of the time she doesn't. What seems to hurt her the most is when it's straight and it gets bumped.
We are baffled by what is causing this. It's so sad to see her like this, although it doesn't really stop her from doing much. It does trip her often and make her fall. We've affectionately termed her Peg Leg. We hope we can get some kind of answer from the MRI.
7-18-12
