Monday, February 1, 2010

Brody's thoughts on another surgery

My advice to anyone who is a parent of a child with radial hypoplasia (aka radial club hands) or anything that requires surgery: do it early, get it done before age 2. Why? Because now, at 3 1/2 years, Brody has opinions. Before you read the following exchange, you should know that Brody uses his left hand, on which he can bend all his fingers, to shoot webs at us, well, and everyone he sees, when we are playing, a la Spiderman.

Me: Brody, what do you think of having a surgery on this hand? (holding right hand). To make it a little straighter?

B: Yeah! I would like that!

Me (slightly horrified): Well, remember the Shriners hospital, when we fly and then we go to the hospital and Mike & Sully are there? We would go back there and the doctors could make your hand straighter in a surgery. What do you think?

B (holding his right hand up): So I could shoot webs?

Me: So you could shoot webs?

B: Yeah, because I can't shoot webs wis dis hand (indicating right) because its not vewee straight and I can't bend dis finger (touching his middle finger which does not bend) very well.

Jeremy was there. I asked him later if he told Brody that. He did not. I did not.

Neither of us had ever talked to Brody about his right hand before.

And Mr. David, Brody's preschool teacher, said none of the kids in the class had ever even asked Brody about his hand.

I do not believe he knows what a surgery is, but he knows that hospital, and he knows what happens there. Does this mean Brody wants the surgery?

Further discussions will be had.

3 comments:

C said...

There know so much more than we think they do!

Unknown said...

He sounds like a very self-aware child. I wouldn't underestimate him!

Our Beautiful Life said...

♥ Brody! He is amazing!