Harriet update

We had the letter from Colchester General Hospital today confirming Harriet's condition. It threw me to see it all written out in black and white - it didn't help that they spotted a minor problem with her right hip too ("although the hip is clinically normal, there is a suggestion of mild acetabular dysplasia too", which translates as the hip socket is shallow, although hopefully putting her in real nappies has helped to minimise this problem.

If I'm honest, I was clinging on to the hope that they'd describe her left hip in those terms, but the text of the letter talked about "a subluxed, supple, left hip", adding that "Radiographs confirm the changes consistent with developmental dysplasia of the hip on the left side."

It basically means any lingering hopes we might have had of her avoiding a spell in plaster are gone, and the likelihood is that both hips will now end up in plaster to hopefully correct the condition. I'm just hoping it's been caught early enough to prevent complications further down the line, and that we'll now get a quick appointment at the Royal National Orthopaedic Hospital in London so the whole process can be started before her first birthday.

It's such a shame, because today she was standing while clinging on to the side of the bath. At a time when we should be celebrating her development, we wonder if we shouldn't be putting some kind of brake on it.