Another Day, Another Specialist

I think we are up to 8 now...

That is 8 different specialists we have been to for The Boy.

Sigh...

This one isn't particularly scary, although it has the potential to equal surgery, which is SUPER scary but still... I should mention that I am left handed. Not that any of you care, but I am. And the reason that I am left handed is because when I was about three years old I had to have surgery on my right hand. My right thumb to be exact. I had what is called "trigger finger," which for me meant that I could not completely straighten out my thumb. It stayed bent at the knuckle. Forever. My parents found this out when I went to do a "Fonzie" and stuck out my thumb with the accompanying "Hey..." and they realized that my thumb was all crooked. It wouldn't straighten out. So I had to have surgery and I think that was around when I was learning how to write so I ended up using my left hand...and you see how it all ended.

About a week ago The Boy called me when he was supposed to be sleeping and told me his thumb hurt. I looked at it and it seemed fine so I assumed he was trying to avoid sleeping and I told him to go to sleep. Great mother, right? Well a couple of days later he said it again. And this time it wasn't during nap time so I gave it more validity.

When he tried to bend it, it sort of clicked into place. It almost looked like someone who is double jointed. It would "click" straight," and then "click" again when he bent it. I asked him if it hurt and he said yes, but wasn't crying or anything so I figured I would keep an eye on it. Since then I have checked in with him and his thumb randomly and sometimes he can bend it (and if he can, it always does the "clicking") and sometimes it is "stuck" (his word). For the last couple of days it is stuck just like my thumb was when I was little. He can't straighten it.

So today was The Girl's 4 month well baby check. I decided to bring The Boy along and have their pediatrician take a look at it during the appointment. Of course as soon as he walked in the room The Boy shoved his thumb at the doctor and told him it was "stuck." He looked it over and told me we needed to see an orthopedist (is that right?). Then he smiled at me and said, "I know you are foreign to the concept of my referring you out to specialists so let me explain how this works..." He does amuse himself... I told him about my thumb when I was little and asked if this could be something that was hereditary and he said absolutely.

So now we get to go see a pediatric orthopedist...

Sigh...