Rheumatolgy Appointment

Today was our quarterly trip to Iowa City.  We packed up and headed out early to beat any potential RAGBRAI riders.  Kenna was with us and clearly didn't realize how long the drive would be.  She eventually stopped asking us how much longer.

We started out with Dr. Hong's PA who we love.  Maci warmed up quickly and made sure to show her how fast she could run and how high she could jump.  They are very thorough, check every joint you can think of and ask us a lot of questions.  Does she keep up with other kids?  Does she wake up achy? Does her tummy ever hurt?  The PA thought she looked great but Dr. Hong is the real judge.  I swear she can spot a swollen joint from across the room.

After a little 'stretching' (that's what we call it when they twist her like a pretzel to check range of motion), Dr. Hong tried to figure out which wrist had the arthritic cyst.  Maci's wrists looked so good that she could not tell!!!  As for her ankles where Maci probably had the most swelling, she could feel just a tiny bit of left over damage.

Ryan and I were so happy with this report because we've had A LOT of trouble getting her to take her medication orally.  I'm certain she was not getting the full dosage the past month or so.  Luckily Dr. Courtney gave us a quick lesson on injections.  After a few weeks of long fights and many tears, we've decided a little poke will be less stressful on all of us.

Despite having full mobility and no sign of active arthritis, the doctor wanted us to continue with the same dosage.  As she grows, she will be weening herself of the methotrexate.  During this period of quick growth it is very important for her little joints to be healthy so we'll be keeping a close eye on her as usual.