Good News... Bad news.....

Well, yesterday Dakoda and I flew out of Phoenix about 10:30am and arrived in Salt Lake City, UT for a doctor's appointment. He is a patient of Shriner's and that is where the nearest hospital is. I think we travel there about three times a year! They are absolutely awesome and have the best doctors around! We were basically going up there for a checkup, as they had not seen Dakoda since January of last year... We were given some good news, but some bad news too! I guess I will start with the good.....

He had hip surgery about 3 1/2 years ago. At that time, they actually had to cut his leg to put his hip back into socket. The doctor did an x-ray yesterday, and it actually looks better now, than it did a year ago. That is good, because they told us as he grows, they will have to repeat the surgery. It is VERY painful! Dakoda has grown a lot in the last year and a half, so that was extremly good news!

Now for the bad news..... We were told last January that Dakoda was starting to develop a curve in his back (scoliosis). Last year his degree of the curve was 23 degrees. At that point in time, they fitted him for a back brace that he has been wearing consistently for the last year. It is very uncomfortable and very hot.... especially here in Arizona. The doctor thought that this would delay the scoliosis from becoming worse, if he was really good about wearing it! He has been wearing it, but the degree of the curve went up to 30 degrees. I guess, if he had not worn the brace - it could be worse, but I wasn't expecting it to go up that much. The doctor said they will check it again in September - and at that time, make a decision to do surgery or to wait..... Please be praying that the brace will work, and it does not progress enough to require surgery! The poor guy has been through sooooo much already!

As soon as the appointment was done yesterday, we turned around and went back to the airport to fly back to Phoenix... We arrived at 7:15pm last night, and by the time we got home, we were exhausted!!! That's it for now.... updates to come :)