Okay, so the news is in, and it's not good, not bad, not really indicative of anything.
Connor's MRI showed some new "changes". We spoke with Dr. Fox first. Dr. Fox is Connor's pediatrician and possibly my favorite person outside my family. He has truly invested himself into Connor's well being. We will never move as long as Dr. Fox is here and willing to be Connor's doctor. He told us the results and gave us, to be honest, a pretty grim view on the long-term possibilities for Connor. His call was immediately followed by one from Dr. McClintock, Connor's pediatric neurologist. His description of the results were identical. His interpretation, the opposite. He believes that the "changes" that took place are not related to nor affect Connor's condition, and said that the Magnetic Spectroscopy was good. So basically, Connor's brain isn't completely normal, but we knew that already. And we are still encouraged by his progress (see previous posting regarding his hands). So - status quo. We've got no closure, but we've also still got reason to believe and hope for the best!
Thursday, September 29, 2005
Comedy of the absurd, anyone?
I've missed the third call now, and I had my cell phone with me. Now his pediatrician is in on this and has the report, but has the wrong phone number for us at home and so spent last night calling and getting ring...ring...ring...So he called my office, while I was out trolling, and I missed the call.
Maybe we just aren't supposed to know the results of this test series?
Maybe we just aren't supposed to know the results of this test series?
Chunkin, a Hands-On little boy
So, I missed the doctor's call yesterday. Connor told me the whole way home how uncool it was of me to miss the call. It's not my fault! My cell phone lost signal in my office. My excuses meant nothing to him. He guh-ed at me the whole way out Constitution and 66.
Connor has started to do something very significant - he tries to eat his fists ALL THE TIME now. It's like his hands are chocolate-flavored, which in all honesty they sometimes are, thanks to pudding. But this hand awareness is a major, major cognitive development for him. It took a little time to get used to it. Let's say it this way - he used to be WAY easier to keep clean! But even when he smears peas up into his eyebrows, I am now delighted because it means he's figuring out how those things at the ends of his arms can work for him. he even uses his arms and hands to push some more when he has tummy time, too. Could crawling come? We're not sure, but we are hopeful. And we leave him on his tummy for way more time than he has any interest in. So to calm him down, we give him pudding...
Connor has started to do something very significant - he tries to eat his fists ALL THE TIME now. It's like his hands are chocolate-flavored, which in all honesty they sometimes are, thanks to pudding. But this hand awareness is a major, major cognitive development for him. It took a little time to get used to it. Let's say it this way - he used to be WAY easier to keep clean! But even when he smears peas up into his eyebrows, I am now delighted because it means he's figuring out how those things at the ends of his arms can work for him. he even uses his arms and hands to push some more when he has tummy time, too. Could crawling come? We're not sure, but we are hopeful. And we leave him on his tummy for way more time than he has any interest in. So to calm him down, we give him pudding...
Wednesday, September 28, 2005
Why waiting is hard
Chunkin has a problem. Most of you already know this, of course. 2 weeks ago my mother and I took him to Children's Hospital for some tests. We still have not heard the results. These tests are an MRI (Magnetic Resonance Image - I think that's the meaning behind the acronym) and a Magnetic Spectroscopy. I have gotten uninforming voicemail messages from his neurologist, but nothing final. The last time he had an MRI, I got the results call in 4 days and was driving down 66 on my way home from a shopping expedition. The news was good - his brain was completely normal in form. I called Lee and started to cry, and he may have, too. Then I called my parents and they may have, also. Luckily, I was able to pull off the highway very soon after the call.
And now with each day that passes, I try to gird myself for the worst news from his doctor. I can wait forever for my own results. Why am I having to wait for Connor's?
And now with each day that passes, I try to gird myself for the worst news from his doctor. I can wait forever for my own results. Why am I having to wait for Connor's?
Monday, September 26, 2005
I love the taste of napalm in the morning...
This morning was interesting. See, I have this problem with my lower intestines, apparently, and I'm having some surgery soon. I haven't really been bothered, but the doctor says I have to, or I could risk doing nasty things to myself, like sending myself into sepsis. Anyway, one of the prep tests I had to do was "an Upper GI" What does that mean? It means I got to get up, NOT eat or drink anything, not even brush my teeth, and then wait until 10:00 am when they gave my 100mL of a thick, white substance known as Barium. Ring a bell? Barium is an element. You can find out *actual* things about barium here: http://www.scescape.net/~woods/elements/barium.html
Here's the thing - I was really, really bad at chemistry, but I'm pretty certain I remember Mrs. Webster telling us about radioactivity in elements like barium. Then I read something like this...
"All barium compounds that are water or acid soluble are poisonous. Naturally occurring barium is a mixture of seven stable isotopes. Twenty two other radioactive isotopes are known to exist."
I am also relatively sure that the berry flavor was never mentioned.
So I drank a lovely 100mL cocktail of radioactivity this morning. Then I chased it with 350mL, then I waited about 45 minutes and then got to watch them take "fluoros" of my small intestine. And it was...so...freaking...cool! Do you think about your body? Do you think about it as a solid thing? Let me tell you, I was watching my intestines, showing up black in the fluoro thanks to the Barium-mopolitan, swish gently back and forth as they pushed around on my stomach with a very cool lead-lined glove with a paddle attached. My body moves on the inside. All the time! Not just the blood. Basically everything that isn't a bone is moving, shifting, finding it's best home for a moment before I change position and gravity grapples with the confines of my skin.
It's amazing what you can learn about yourself when your body decides that if you won't give it a break, it will just mutinously decide to cut you off at the knees. I kind of wish that I could have seen more of me work under that camera, but that would require, among other things, a whole lot more barium. And while I like the berry flavor all right, I'll admit that I left the doctor's office and stopped at McDonald's for lunch. I figured that I desereved a break today. Plus I wanted to give them my new idea for their milkshakes...
Here's the thing - I was really, really bad at chemistry, but I'm pretty certain I remember Mrs. Webster telling us about radioactivity in elements like barium. Then I read something like this...
"All barium compounds that are water or acid soluble are poisonous. Naturally occurring barium is a mixture of seven stable isotopes. Twenty two other radioactive isotopes are known to exist."
I am also relatively sure that the berry flavor was never mentioned.
So I drank a lovely 100mL cocktail of radioactivity this morning. Then I chased it with 350mL, then I waited about 45 minutes and then got to watch them take "fluoros" of my small intestine. And it was...so...freaking...cool! Do you think about your body? Do you think about it as a solid thing? Let me tell you, I was watching my intestines, showing up black in the fluoro thanks to the Barium-mopolitan, swish gently back and forth as they pushed around on my stomach with a very cool lead-lined glove with a paddle attached. My body moves on the inside. All the time! Not just the blood. Basically everything that isn't a bone is moving, shifting, finding it's best home for a moment before I change position and gravity grapples with the confines of my skin.
It's amazing what you can learn about yourself when your body decides that if you won't give it a break, it will just mutinously decide to cut you off at the knees. I kind of wish that I could have seen more of me work under that camera, but that would require, among other things, a whole lot more barium. And while I like the berry flavor all right, I'll admit that I left the doctor's office and stopped at McDonald's for lunch. I figured that I desereved a break today. Plus I wanted to give them my new idea for their milkshakes...
Friday, September 23, 2005
Meet Chunkin
This is Chunkin. He was first called the Baby Fantastic, Curtis and Squash (all pre-birth names) and then became Punkin Chunkin, then just Chunkin. What a great smile he has! We love when he smiles and giggles with us.
Urgh...
So I've had my first spammer already. Less than 24 hours. I've set up the word verification system so I can avoid more spamming comments in the future. Sorry, all. You have to flash your ID to get any words in on this blog...
Not so good with the posting yet...
Okay, so I really didn't post a long report last night. As I told Erin, Lee left me with no wireless in the house this week, and I didn't feel like spelunking in the basement to come up with something to post. So here I am today, doing it when I should be working. Again.
Lee comes home from school tomorrow - just in time for him to get caught in a 100,000+ person anti-war and anti-IMF protest on the National Mall. One of the best parts of living in this area is that you get slammed with protests at the drop of a hat. If it isn't traffic slowing you down, it's road closures due to "marching". I drove him in on Sunday last week to school and we were felled by...a march going up Calvert Street, NW. Not just any march - a disabled persons march. So it wasn't much of a march so much as a parade. Either way, we'll be getting it at the drop off and the pick up this time. I am glad that after this week, Lee has to drive himself to and from school!
Connor's teachers at school yesterday gave him some of a sundae from McDonald's. I hope I won't get in trouble with their corporate office by using the name. I'm not sure how I feel about him starting down the fast-food route. At least it wasn't fries, though. He'd probably stop eating anything else if it were fries. Silly, yummy, addictive fries... Mmmmmmmm...I can't wait for lunch!
Lee comes home from school tomorrow - just in time for him to get caught in a 100,000+ person anti-war and anti-IMF protest on the National Mall. One of the best parts of living in this area is that you get slammed with protests at the drop of a hat. If it isn't traffic slowing you down, it's road closures due to "marching". I drove him in on Sunday last week to school and we were felled by...a march going up Calvert Street, NW. Not just any march - a disabled persons march. So it wasn't much of a march so much as a parade. Either way, we'll be getting it at the drop off and the pick up this time. I am glad that after this week, Lee has to drive himself to and from school!
Connor's teachers at school yesterday gave him some of a sundae from McDonald's. I hope I won't get in trouble with their corporate office by using the name. I'm not sure how I feel about him starting down the fast-food route. At least it wasn't fries, though. He'd probably stop eating anything else if it were fries. Silly, yummy, addictive fries... Mmmmmmmm...I can't wait for lunch!
Thursday, September 22, 2005
Welcome to our blog! My husband and I have a website, but he's the webmaster, and unfortunately also now an MBA student. As such, I've decided (unilaterally) to start blogging to get news out on Connor's progress, because even I can blog. :) I hope I can... If this works, I will blog more soon, I very much promise.
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