Sick Kids Trip #1

    Today was our first trip to Toronto's Sick Kids Hospital for Lucille's appointments with the Cleft Lip and Palate Team. We left for Toronto at 5:30 in the morning as our first appointment was at 8:15, and driving to Toronto ya just never know. We made it in two hours...not bad. Our first appointment was with the dental team to have the mold for her palate plate made. The orthodontic plate is a small plastic plate to cover the cleft (to the palate).The purpose of the plate is to bring the parts of the upper jaw, lips and nose closer together and in a better position for when Lucille will have her surgery. A bonus of the plate (but not it's purpose) is that it can make feeding easier because it provides a hard surface for her to press the nipple of the bottle against. 
    It was a bit tough to sit there and listen to our child scream as a mold was held in her mouth by a Dr. for 45 seconds (but really felt like 5 minutes). She got through it (and so did we) and was in great spirits within a few minutes. We met a couple on our way out of the office who have a 9 month old who had left lip and was treated at sick kids. The father was pretty taken by Lucille and called her a "Freshy" (because she was so young) in such a thick Russian accent. He also informed us that his daughter had a cleft lip "Then Dr. Fisher see her, he chop chop, you can't notice!" We laughed about it throughout the day. We spent the rest of our morning travelling throughout the hospital. Sicks Kids Hospital really is amazing. The second you walk through the doors you get the sense that it is a special place. It was quite a busy. There was a Craft Bazaar put on by a whole slew of elderly ladies and we bought a freaking adorable sweater/dress and a Christmas hat for a photo shoot that may occur shortly! We spent our lunch hour with our friends Adam and Lise Anne. Adam lives in Toronto and was able to come and meet Lucille while Lise Anne works in downtown Toronto and came over on her lunch. It was a nice break in our day to see these two people whom we love so much. 
    At 1:45 we met our Surgeon (David Fisher) and he met Lucille and had a look at her palate to make sure there were no additional concerns. He gave her the all clear. This was the first time that I had met Dr. Fisher as Esther was the one to meet him at the consultation. My first impression of him was pretty wonderful. He had fantastic bedside manner and I got really good vibes from him and the care that he would provide for our daughter. We also met our Occupational Therapist, Social Worker, and Student Social Worker at this meeting.
    Our final appointment of the day was at 3:00 where Lucille would have her plate put in. It took a few adjustments but eventually Dr. B was able to get the fit just right for her. While she was off doing adjustments on the plate, the nurses showed us how to make the elastic/tape pieces that would hold her plate in place. Before we left for the day, the team wanted to see her have a feeding with the plate in. Lucille was too tired and out of sorts from a long day so she was unable to have a successful feeding. Our OT said that it would take roughly 1-2 days for her to adjust to the plate and feed "normally". They let us get on our way as they knew that we had what was certain to be a long drive ahead of us. On our way out of town we stopped for gas and another attempt at a feeding. So, in the parking lot at a Pioneer gas station, Lucille slowly downed her first feeding with her plate! It was a relief for both of us...you may be able to see the tears of joy on Esther's face in the pictures that accompany this post. We then made our way home on a very windy evening and arrived back in Waterloo at 8:00 pm. 
    It was an exhausting day both physically and mentally for us. What made the day easier was how every single person that we met from the Dr's to the nurses to the receptionists to the support staff were absolutely phenomenal. Each and every one of them made what was a tough day seem far less challenging. We are so grateful for the treatment we received today at Sick Kids and are very comfortable knowing that our daughter is in the care of such an amazing team of professionals. Our next appointment is in two weeks where her plate will be adjusted and her lips will be taped to begin the process of bringing them closer together for her surgery. Until then we will continue to grow and learn together. 

~Brandon