Short Stuff

Yesterday I took Vada in to see her Pediatric doctor, Dr. H. It was just a routine follow up from her being in the hospital a couple of weeks ago. No biggie.

Like any other visit she was weighed and measured. She weighed 18lbs-12oz's and she was approximately 25" long. It varies between the nurse who is measuring her. I get her at 25", but that's just me.

This is a typical growth chart. Most medical professionals use one that is comparable to this. I've marked with stars where Vada's weight and lengths fit in on this chart, at birth and as of yesterday.

If your child has Down syndrome then a chart specifically for people who have Down syndrome should be used. (I bring one with me to appointments because not all offices carry them.) There are noted differences between the growth of children with and without Down syndrome. Here is a chart for the weight of a child who has Ds.

I have made three marks. One for Vada's birth, one from September of 2010 when she was approximately 6-1/2 months old, and one from yesterday. Keep in mind that during her heaviest moment she was on a very toxic steroid for her seizures and is just now loosing that weight. Vada is currently in the 90% for her weight.

This is the length chart for a child who has Down syndrome. I marked the same dates on this one as I did on the weight chart. Currently, Vada is below the 10% for her length/height.

Dr. H. brought it to my attention that Vada had stopped growing. It wasn't until I pulled up her past measurements and compared them with yesterdays that I noticed that her height had not changed in months. I knew she was smaller but with everything else going on I hadn't paid much attention. I had always noticed how her pant legs and shirt sleeves had to be rolled up because the were too long, but I had always assumed it was because she had to be in clothes too large for her body length due to her gaining while being on the steroids. Her not growing had never occurred to me.

I had brought in a slip that was given to me from the last hospital stay in Peoria. It was a script to have lab work done for testing her CBC. I asked Dr. H if they could do it there in his office or if I should take her to the hospital. He said to go to the lab at the hospital because he wanted some extra labs done. He wanted to test her thyroid.

When Dr. H brought up her possibly having issues with her thyroid I didn't believe him. Dr. H is a nice enough man, but he has rubbed me the wrong way on a couple of occasions and I have been debating on finding another Pediatric doctor for V. Plus, I thought with all of the labs and full CBC's that have been done that surly a Thyroid issue would have already come up, if it were in fact an issue to begin with. I know on one occasion that her thyroid was tested and it came back normal and even with the doubt I had in Dr. H, I figured it wouldn't hurt to just see.

Maybe I should have just let go of the past and had a little faith in the him, because he was right. Vada has Hypothyroidism and will need to be put on hormone replacements. Dr. H is calling Peoria on Monday to okay the medications with the cardiologist and the neurologist and then he will be calling me with the new prescription.

It does not surprise me that V has hypothyroidism. I do too. It is something that she will end up being on medication for the rest of her life. I personally have been on medication to regulate my thyroid for almost 8 years now. For me its means routine blood work and some minor adjustments to my medications.

When my thyroid is "off" I can tell. I am more tired than usual, my weight goes up and it does so very quickly. I also loose my hair, my skin get very dry and I have head aches quite a bit. I'm wondering if this may be some of why Vada sleeps so oddly. Symptoms are different with infants than they are with adults and so are the side effects. Its so hard to tell when there's so many medical issues and prescriptions. Either way, I am hopeful that once she is on a hormone therapy her sleeping will balance out.

A lot of people tend to ask me when Vada has a new issue arise if it is because of her having Down syndrome. The truth is, in most cases, I don't think anyone knows for sure. Heart issues, stomach issues (like Duodenal Atresia), seizures and thyroid issue are common trait's in people who have Ds, so this too may be linked to her having it as well. It could also be because I have it, it's hereditary; or both combined.