Thursday 13 July 2017

Cleft lip and palate diagnosis

I wrote this in May of 2008 after the scan showed Jake (unnamed at the time) would be born with a cleft lip and possibly a cleft palate. I'm reposting it so it's the first post on the blog after all these years. Most people turn up here after receiving the same news and they probably want to read about what their baby is going to be like and not my happy and confident 8 year old.

So if you have arrived following a recent diagnosis, take my word for it that it's going to be okay OR, read the first post and then follow the archive and read through our journey from diagnosis to surgery and beyond.

James


Friday 30 June 2017

Post op photo update

The op was generally a success. Piet was a little disappointed with the lip revision when we went for the check up but the gum repair went perfectly. Perhaps Jake will want more surgery in his teens if it's not to his liking but that'll be his choice; unless there are any medical reasons for more surgery, it's all up to him from now on. Apart from a couple of comments (that we know about) his lip/ nose hasn't caused him any bother. Throw into that mix his hearing aids and braces, I'd say it's a case of 'so far, so good'. I'm not naive to think kids won't say nasty things once he gets into the dreaded social media years (and they are really just around the corner) BUT the school is good around bullying and inclusivity that it ought to be spotted and dealt with. He's a happy, confident and popular boy and I hope that will stand him in good stead when kids start getting shittier to one another. I suffered the odd bit of bullying at school and although I'm not the most confident person, I can't say there's any long term damage.

Anyway, here are a few recent photos.