I'm not sure how much the few people (who I don't know personally) who read my little blog know about Sarah's special need, but she is going to have a surgery on Monday, so I thought I would write a little about it in case anyone out there is considering adopting a little one with cleft lip or palate.
Sarah was born with a cleft lip (no cleft palate). It was a minor cleft, and I cherish these sweet baby pictures that we have, thanks to
New Day Foster Home.
Again, those of you who have read our blog for any length of time know how we feel about New Day. And while I am on the subject of NDFH, please check out this post for an amazing matching funds challenge. I can't think of a worthier cause, so please click on over.
Now, back to the story. Sarah had a surgery in Beijing when she was about six months old to correct her cleft lip, and the surgeon did an excellent job. I should stop here and say that Sarah has
always been a
very beautiful little girl-- both then and now. And her cleft lip has been a complete non-issue with us, from the very beginning.
And yet, we were told that she would most likely need a small lip revision before she started kindergarten. There is a small section on her upper lip that doesn't quite line up with the other side, and a few issues relating to the structure of her lip (specifically the "cupid's bow").
When we brought her home, we took her to a pediatric craniofacial specialist (a plastic surgeon who specializes in craniofacial issues) to see what he thought. The surgeon felt like he could get the lip to line up much better (and improve the structure) with a short surgery, and recommended that we do it when Sarah was four, so she could have lots of time for it to fully heal before she starts school. We thanked him and left, and didn't think much about it. Sarah was 19 months old at the time, and we just weren't thinking that far ahead.
But now, here we are. Time flies.
Sarah turned four this spring, and it was time to start thinking about the surgery.
I am a big worrier. And I wanted to make sure we had all "the facts" before we moved forward.
So I did some research, and asked other families with cleft affected children to tell me their stories and offer advice. We also visited with five different plastic surgeons to see what their recommendations were.
In hindsight, I think five different docs was probably a little overkill, but that's just how I roll. :)
Anyway, all of the surgeons agreed that she needed a revision, but some varied a little bit as to what technique they would use to correct it. You would think that there would be more of a consensus with something that seems so straight forward and minor, but one thing I've learned about clefts is that even with a small cleft, some things can be complicated.
So after much thought and prayer, we decided to have the surgery done with the first doctor we were referred to. He is highly recommended, and I have complete confidence in him and in his abilities. We had another short consult with him this morning to make sure we are all on the same page and to answer a few questions we had.
Hopefully this will be the last surgery Sarah will need for her cleft. Please pray with us that all will go well with the surgery, that she may heal quickly, and that the revision will be successful.
