Two for One Special

So, some of you loyal Ava followers may have noticed that we got a little extra surprise when she was born. After they delivered Ava and got her breathing(!), they asked Patrick if extra digits ran in our family!!!! (I was totally out of it and didn't hear any of this conversation at all). Of course, he said, "No, WHY?!?!" Well, turns out Ava had an extra toe on her left foot! An extra big toe to be exact! So, when they were counting away.....10 little fingers and 10 little t....wait a minute! 11 toes?!?! Yep, we got the two for one special! :) It's usually hereditary, but as far as we know, it isn't anywhere in our family. In case you haven't noticed, here are a few pics of that cute little toe that we've become so fond of! So, we've seen a pediatric orthopedist a few times, and the last time was this past Thursday. They usually do the surgery to remove extra toes like this somewhere around the age of one. Not because it would affect her walking or balance (obviously!!), but more for the sake of being able to wear regular shoes. Ava hasn't had the need to wear shoes yet since she hasn't been walking for long. But, now she does need them since she wants to get down and stand in places other than our living room! When she was smaller, the extra toe was smaller and didn't really stick out enough to interfere with shoes, but now it is a problem. Her foot is bigger and so is that toe! Sooooo, back to the doctor visit. We went on Thursday, they took another xray and said, "Ok, it's time to do this." It does have it's own little bone in there. You can see it on the xray.So, that sweet little extra toe will be no more. (I've gotten used to it...I think I'll miss it). :) She will have to have general anesthesia for somewhere between 30-60 minutes. So, that's a little scary. BUT, while I was on my anesthesia rotation, I spent a lot of time watching all the anesthesiologists and I picked the one I thought was the best and most gentle with the babies. I asked her if she would take care of Ava, and she agreed!

So, the next step was to schedule the surgery. (When my patients sign up to be seen in the OR for dental treatment, the wait list is about 3-4 months long). But when we went to schedule a date, June 11th and 25th were the options!!! I was thinking, you mean in 6 days?!?! So, I freaked out a little, made a whole bunch of calls (checked when my anesthesiologist was available-only on the 11th, told Dr. Silva so they can make other arrangements for my patients, called my parents, etc). So, everything worked out, and Ava is scheduled for surgery for this Wednesday, June 11th. SO fast!

Ava will have to wear a cast for 7-10 days post-op :( basically to provide protection from a 10 month old's curiosity! If an adult were to have this surgery, they would just bandage it up, but a baby will take the bandage off SO fast, so they have to put a cast on it to allow the site to heal. Maybe we'll get to pick the color!

So, anyway, keep Ava in your prayers for an uneventful and safe surgery! I'll keep you posted of her status as soon as I can!