Thursday, April 16, 2009

I Nose I'm cute.

Hemangioma update.
Emily is now two years old, which is past the average age for the hemangioma to stop growing. Because she has been through enough steroid injection and laser treatments, the doctor has informed us of a new treatment serendipitously discovered in France. After much thought, weighing the alternative of having it still grow, and the side effects, we opted to try the new treatment. Beta-Blockers used in hypertension are now being used in hemangioma treatment. It is still a very new concept, only been used for about 9 months. Emily has been on them for a week and I can't believe what I am witnessing, the hemangioma not only has gotten smaller, the coloring is hardly visible. I truly support the new treatment in which doctors and researchers are trying to make the new first course of action for hemangiomas instead of oral steroids. Because this new medication does effect the heart, Emily is required to visit a cardiologist for an initial visit and to see her pediatrician once a week for a heart rate and blood pressure monitoring. These are just as precautions, none of the other patients have had any dangerous side effects. We will keep you posted on her progress. Until then, no more people asking us if she fell on her nose.

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