January Seattle Children's Visit

Hello Friends and Family!

I wanted to update all of you on Kate’s appt. at Seattle Children’s Hospital yesterday.

We go back every six months to see if there is anything new going on and to make sure we are on top of any new symptoms that would point to an auto-immune disease.  Remember, her blood-work shows that she has a good chance of contracting an auto-immune disease at some point in her lifetime.

For right now, she only has Raynaud’s (here is a link explaining what it is).  This causes her fingers, toes and (this year) her face to turn red purple and white in response to temperature changes.  Over the last few months, her color changes have become more frequent and recently she has had an “itchy toe” we didn’t think was anything big.  When Kate’s Dr. looked her over, she said the toe had an ulcer (sore), a result of her Raynaud’s.  If the ulcers continue, the next step is medication, specifically Vasodilators to help regulate her temperature changes and prevent further ulcers. If they do persist, there could be further complications resembling gangrene.  

Becky talked to Kate and let her know what we might need to do regarding medication, Kate took it just fine. Dr. Nanda told Becky and Kate what to look for regarding ulcers and she might have found a second last night after her shower.  In this sense, Kate is handling things well.  We have made the decision to not tell Kate about future possibilities, just what presents.  We do not think Kate needs to worry about what might happen, just to be aware of what is happening.

For us, we are worried parents who don’t want anything bad or difficult to happen to our little girl.  We need to watch out for further joint pain or shortness of breath as well as other symptoms that would point to an auto-immune disease.

We ask for continued prayer for:

-Kate’s health, that this is not the beginning of more ulcers, joint pain, etc.

-Kate’s keeping herself warm when her fingers and toes freak out.

-Becky’s and my peace of mind as we worry this is just the beginning of a long journey.