To make sure that Anna’s skin isn’t developing cancers from the little sun exposure she’s had, we try to monitor her skin all the time. If we ever see anything unusual we would need to make a call to the dermatologist – but thankfully we haven’t needed to make that call yet. We also need to watch her eyes, which are extremely sensitive to UV rays from the sun.
We aren’t experts though, so each year Anna pays a visit to the dermatologist and to the ophthalmologist. Not long ago we took a trip up to Primary Children’s Medical Center for her two appointments. Anna enjoys visiting new places, even doctors offices, until the good doctors need to hold her still or make her do something she doesn’t want to do.
I was a little nervous about the dermatology exam for Anna. We’ve tried to keep her safe, but before we suspected XP she did have a few sunburns and plenty of sun exposure. I fear for a day when that UV damage reveals itself as cancerous. We met our new dermatologist. She’s a wonderful doctor who was positive, hopeful, and grateful to be able to help.
We were so happy to find that Anna’s skin looks good. No lesions or anything to be concerned about. It feels good to know that what we are doing to keep her safe is working. The ophthalmologist likewise found no damage to Anna’s eyes. We were so excited, we decided to take a little trip to the LDS Church History Museum, which has an interactive section for kids. Indoor fun for Anna!
Anna loved the boat and especially the fish. She’s not quite ready for the fishing pole – she just gathered them up in her arms.
Anna also enjoyed playing with the giant soft blocks. Her dad liked them , too. Here’s a video of Anna and her Dad playing:
By far, the kitchen is Anna’s favorite playroom. She can play with a kitchen set for hours. We gave her about 45 minutes. 🙂
Driving is also very high on the things Anna loves to do!
Anna Liberty 
Great news – so happy and wonderful to see the pictures of Anna 🙂
yea!! Glad to hear Anna looks good!! You guys are great about finding awesome opportunities for your little one. I think I wanna go check that place out.
Wonderful news – just showed the pictures to Dr. Kraemer! Who is the new dermatologist? Certainly feel free to give her our contact information.
Thanks Debby. Our new dermatologist is Dr. Sheryll Vanderhooft. I’ll check and make sure we’ve given her your contact info. We found out she’s been treating two kids with XP (both from Africa) in our area for the last year or so. She was excited to hear about the XP Family Support Group, and happy that we have been able to have Anna part of your study.