May 31, 2009

Good Afternoon!

We met with Gillette Children's Hospital on Tuesday, May 26. We met Dr. Wood, the plastic surgeon, Dr. Cermin, the orthodontist, and Cheryl Shell, the lactation consultant/nurse practitioner. We will be using Gillette Children's hospital instead of the Children's Hospital. We made this decision based on Dr. Wood and Dr. Cermin's extensive history in cranofacial surgery. The pictures they showed us were unbelievable. They were very thorough with the timeline we will follow and took time to answer all of our questions.

Dr. Cermin designed the OrthoCleft Retainer, which is an oral retainer make of acrylic and wires. They customize the retainer to fit the baby at a week old and modify it weekly until the first surgery, which takes place at 12 weeks (3 months). The appliance brings gum segments together, reducing the gap in the mouth, stretching the lip muscles, and give the nose a more even shape. It will also help improve sucking and eating abilities. The retainer comes out twice a day to clean, but is in the rest of the time. It was amazing to see pictures of children who used the retainer and those that did not.

Dr. Wood is a very confident doctor, with a straight-forward approach to this process. He has studied cranofacial abnormalities through medical school and has specialized in this type of surgery throughout his career. He will be doing the cleft lip surgery and the palate surgery. The cleft lip normally requires only one reconstructive surgery. This surgery will restore the mouth's normal shape and function. The nostrils are also repaired during this surgery. This surgery is typically an hour in length and requires an overnight stay.

Beginning June 8, we will have weekly ultrasound visits. They will be looking to see if growth is continuing and will decide if a natural birth is best. So far so good. Many people have asked us if we really know the gender of the baby and just aren't telling. We REALLY DON'T know. When they go to that region, we close our eyes.

We will be delivering at North Memorial in Robbinsdale and not needing any additional care there, unless feeding becomes difficult. If this changes, we'll let you know.

We cannot say thank you enough for the prayers, cards, and phone calls. We appreciate all of the support. It means the world to all three of us.

Here is the website to Gillette Children's Hospital if you want to read more: http://www.gillettechildrens.org/default.cfm?PID=1.17.1.2

Here is a timeline of surgeries too:
Week 1: Visit with Gillette Children's Hospital to do initial retainer fitting
Week 2-10: ENT Consultation to insert tubes in ears
Week 12: Cleft Lip Surgery
Week 12: Speech and Language Initial Evaluation

Month 9-12: Cleft Palate Repair
Month 9-12: Speech and Language Follow-Up
Month 12: Dental Check-up
Month 12-18: Speech and Language Therapy

Follow-up surgeries are schedules after this time, depending on the need of the child.

We look forward to sharing news with you as we get it!
Thank you.
Wayne, Shannon, Baby Smith