Some info on fibular hemimelia.

I thought I'd make a blog post about fibular hemimelia for anyone who's curious about Violet's condition.  Like I said before, googling the condition and looking at the images is very scary and I would against advise it.  Basically, it's a very rare condition where the fibular bone is missing or underdeveloped.  Bilateral cases are even more rare, and our Violet happens to have it in both legs.  The absence of the fibulas also causes a whole range of other problems.  This is the part that we're unsure about.  It seems like there are endless possibilities of problems that could arise.  Treatment depends on the severity of the case.  It could range from just a couple of reconstructive surgeries and stabilization of the feet, to amputation.  We hope for the best possible outcome for her, but we will accept whatever happens and we will praise God for giving us our precious angel.

Here is a good resource about fibular hemimelia:
http://www.limblengtheningdoc.org/files/fibular_hemimelia_FAQs.pdf

And here is a blog from another mother of a baby girl with fibular hemimelia.  I wanted to include this because not only does she describe the condition in a way that's easy to understand, but her blog posts also describe the pros and cons of both treatment options, as well as the feelings and emotions of a mom that also has a child with this condition.  It is also very encouraging to me to see another little girl with this condition who is happy and healthy (and also absolutely beautiful).
http://lisaelaine4.blogspot.com/p/fibular-hemimelia.html

I'm going to continue to post updates as we find out more.  We'll go in three weeks for a fetal echocardiogram to check on Violet's heart, and also another sonogram to see how she's growing.  For now, praying that everything looks good and that it all turns out for the best.