Reflecting and Other Stuff

I don't know why, but I have been reflecting on Duchenne more lately. Maybe it is because we are coming up on the first anniversary of our diagnosis. Perhaps it is just a time of year where life slows down a little and there is more time to think. Thinking about it too much is rather depressing. Pondering the future and what it may hold for our son and our family is a frightening thing for me.

I have also been reading about other DMD boys and young men on my facebook page. It is just so sad for these boys to have to go through this. Sometimes, if I read too much, it puts me in a melancholy kind of mood.

Benjamin has not started the increased steroids yet. I wonder if this may be why he is walking a little different. Things have settled down into more of a routine this week, so I don't believe that it is due to fatigue. Not that I think about it, he has been sleeping in quite a bit. He stays up late (midnight) and gets up about 9:30am.

I forgot to mention that in mid-October, he showed me a large, black bump on his gums, right above one of his baby teeth. I thought it looked like an asbcess and called the dentist. They got us in later that afternoon. Sure enough, it was an abscess. On the drive to the dentist, it had popped (ewww!). They took an x-ray and thought they saw something odd, so they took another. Sure enough, the strange thing they were seeing on the x-ray was part missing root to his baby tooth. They called it "internal resorption". Apparently, the root reabsorbed into his gum and caused the infection. The scary thing is: Ben said it didn't hurt!! It looked horrible!

The dentist decided to pull the tooth, but then was unable to get the remaining part of the root. She tried and tried and then Ben lost it. He was crying so loud. Even though he was numb, he could still feel the pressure of them digging in the gum for it. She finally stopped and said that now that the tooth was out, the infection could drain naturally and the root would eventually work its way down. We go back to check on it next week.

I wonder if the steroids (which cause bone loss) may have caused it. They said no, but I am not sure. He now has another baby tooth that is loose and has the grown-up tooth growing in behind it. I am going to wait until our appointment and have them pull it while we are there.

I am so thankful that I know the Lord Jesus Christ. I truly find my comfort in Him. I know that He holds our future in His hands and I am so grateful for His grace.