During Bella's evaluation with the PT, leg braces were mentioned. Stacey thought that they would give Bella more stability so it would be easier for her to walk. They would also keep her feet in the correct possition since Bella rolls her feet inward. However, in order for Bella to get the braces, Stacey would need a doctor's order. She originally called Dr Horning, Bella's pediatrician. She didn't feel comfortable ordering the braces because Dr Leber was the last to see her and he was a specialist. So, The Children't Office called Dr Leber's office and told them Bella needed an appointment. We received a call from his office and the appointment was scheduled for the end of January.
We saw Dr Leber, still thinking we would be leaving his office with an order for leg braces. He did a full assessment, again, on Bella and concluded that she had a significant decline in her muscle tone. He said he couldn't find reflexes on her. He told us that he still didn't think it was a neurological issue, but a muscular one. There was nothing more he could do for Bella, so he wanted to pass the case off to Dr Dowling, a neuromuscular specialist and a collegue of his at Ann Arbor. He told us that he would talk to Dr Dowling that same day and make sure they saw her as soon as they could. We were told that more blood work would probably be done along with a muscle biopsy but those were things that he wanted Dr Dowling to order, not himself.
Not a good day for the Perge family. We left with a lot more questions than answers. We felt very defeated. Obviously, no one wants something to be wrong with their child. It is just so hard not knowing what could possibly be wrong. On top of that, when would this new doctor be able to fit Bella in to his schedule? How long would we have to wait and wonder? Fortunately, we didn't have to wait too long. Between the appointment with Dr Leber and the appointment with Dr Dowling, a month didn't even pass.
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