The latest around here...

Our internet has been down for the last five days…so while I intended to update sooner, it just was not possible. The latest things we have learned are: Mia’s EEG was normal. Praise God. Mia has been completely off of her meds for 4 days and she has had no problems. Praise God. We were told to watch her for several months as it can take that long for the effects of her medication to leave her brain. The only change that I have seen in her is that she may be a little less sleepy. Yesterday was the first day since we met her that she did not take a 2 hour nap (although she slept for about 40 minutes during church). It is difficult to tell so we’ll see.

Mia had her dentist appointment (thank you Jess for all of your help!) The appointment basically went as I expected. She needs surgery. Her surgery is scheduled at the hospital on September 17. Mia’s decay is so widespread that they decided not to do the x-rays and cleaning at her appointment since she would require more of the same during surgery. They decided to wait and do all of it while she is under anesthesia. So, instead we did a knee-to-knee lap exam where the hygienist and dentist both examined her from my lap (with her head in theirs).

Our dentist explained that she has extensive decay and used a lot of words like pulpotomies, root canals, osteo something or other, extractions, and crowns. He really is unable to give me the specifics until he gets in there during surgery. Right now we need to get her mouth healthy. Believe it or not, Mia’s mouth is not the worst he has seen and is not at all uncommon for kids coming to the US through international adoption. He went on to say that a young boy he treated from Poland had gone blind in one eye due to the untreated decay. Devastating. I am looking forward to getting Mia’s mouth healthy.

During her exam, the dentist quickly noticed something sticking up where one of her molars once had been. I had seen this as well since we are brushing her teeth 4-5 times every day. I just assumed that it was a remaining piece of her tooth and that all the rest had broken away. It looked like a sharp sliver of tooth sticking up out of her gums. Before I knew what was happening, the dentist was asking for 2x2s, some kind of instrument and telling me to hold Mia’s hands. He quickly pulled it out and her mouth began filling with blood. Shocked, I asked what it was and he told me (as best as I can remember) that it was the root of her tooth that had been left exposed and unsecured because the bone had decayed away.

I was a little bit stunned. I asked if that hurt her. [Her eyes had gotten really big and she squeezed my hands for about 15 seconds, but she did not make a sound.] He explained that with kids like her, that they have such a constant level of pain in their mouths that while it did hurt, it was not the same as if it were in a healthy mouth. I felt a little nauseous. Generally, I have no problem with blood or any kind of medical issue, but the thought of her having a root yanked from her mouth without even making a sound was pretty upsetting to me. My heart breaks for the pain that she must be in all of the time. September 17 cannot come quickly enough.

At this point I am trusting that he is a good dentist. And I am told that he is. I am trusting his recommendations. He is incredibly experienced and does 1000 surgeries a year. He has worked on many, many international kiddos. Honestly, I feel far less adequate to assess her dental needs than I do her neurological and developmental ones. I am trusting the Lord for His direction. It is pretty clear that she needs major intervention, but as far as the details, we really won’t know until she is out of surgery.

We are still doing well though I am pretty tired much of the time. I am trying to figure out how to get out of the kitchen. By the time I am finished feeding #4, #1 is hungry again. =) Mia is getting along well with Chloe and the boys, other than the typical sharing disagreements. Chloe has never had to give up the girly toys around here, so these are good heart issues and life lessons for her to work on too. Mia’s receptive language is improving everyday, but I am certain that much of her hearing world is still very confusing. Please continue to pray for those needs. Better go, I’ve got a million loads of laundry calling me and someone is hungry again. =)

His grace is sufficient.
His power is made perfect in my weakness.
His grace is sufficient.


Below are pics from before we headed into the dentist and Mia in her favorite dress up.




P.S. We’ve also added to Mia’s list of the all-American kid experiences with a wagon ride to the school playground, running through the sprinkler, underducks on the swingset, playing on a slip and slide (thanks Tammy, Baylee and Kinsey), and many games of Zingo (a new favorite of hers).