Brooklynn had her Neurosurgery appointment on Wednesday. After Dr. H. looked at her MRI, he said that there was no hydrocephalus!! He said her head is well off the charts (51cm or 20.1 inches) which we knew. He also said there was mild ventriculomegaly which could just be a normal variant for her brain size. He said she acts too normal for there to be any hydrocephalus (which is really good). He does want us to come back for a CT scan which we will have done in January just to make sure there is no change. As of right now that is the only plan of things to do. So hopefully we can now relax and not have to worry about any more tests results until that January appointment.
She weighed in at 19 pounds 5 ounces (I couldn't believe it - she is getting to be such a big girl!). I am so happy that we are done with that step! Now we just have to work on that sitting up on her own thing :).
Friday, October 15, 2010
Thursday, October 7, 2010
Brooklynn's MRI
Today was Brooklynn's MRI. After a month of anticipation the date finally came and I am SOO grateful for it to be done. We arrived at 1230 in morning at CMH. First I took my mom to see the unit in which I work which she has not yet had the opportunity to see since she babysits my daughters. People at work were able to see my little B - Sister was at school today (it was her first full day and she seemed to really love it! I am thinking that we might have to rethink her only being there for 1/2 days...)
Anyway, we arrived at 1230 and were pulled back into the sedation room about 1pm. They started her IV which she cried but was really a great champ and calmed really fast. She kept wanting to pull at the IV. Around 1:20pm it was time for them to take Brooklynn back into the MRI...they asked if she would cry if they took her and I said it was a high possibility....especially since she was tired and hungry (she was not able to have formula after 6:30 am and only clears until 10:30am and after that nothing). So they gave her a dose of versed and let me tell you it was the funniest reaction to the medication! She went from crying, to dazed, to a little sleepy, to completely hysterical - and by hysterical I mean laughing the biggest belly laugh I had ever heard!!! She was laughing all the way down the hallway. I wish I would have known that cause I would have had my mom record it! (my mom went with me because Sam could not get off work).
I had to go sit in the waiting room. They told me it would take about 45 minutes for the MRI, and than radiologist would look at it, and if needed they would use contrast. They took her back at 1:30pm and my eyes watched that clock! When it 3pm I was SOO scared! Finally they took me back to see my baby girl and she was sleeping. They had to use contrast...which makes me a little nervous wondering if they saw something or what. Luckily no doctor came in to talk to me so that means if they found something, it could not have been that bad!! We should find out results in a couple of days. So it will be a waiting game yet again.
They ended up giving her 2 doses of versed, 2 of fentanyl and one of some other sedative due to the length of the test. She tolerated it well, and never dropped her oxygen. I guess it is protocol to put nasal cannula on them any way so she had that on during the test (or at least that is what I was told!!) She did wake up and start coughing a little which did not surprise me - she gets congested when she lays down on her back every once in a while. When I was able to see her it took her about 15 minutes to wake up and than she started to drink. Now she is rolling around playing like always! I am glad this test is over and just can't wait to hear from her pediatrician to hear the results. Either way it will be relief to have it done!
Anyway, we arrived at 1230 and were pulled back into the sedation room about 1pm. They started her IV which she cried but was really a great champ and calmed really fast. She kept wanting to pull at the IV. Around 1:20pm it was time for them to take Brooklynn back into the MRI...they asked if she would cry if they took her and I said it was a high possibility....especially since she was tired and hungry (she was not able to have formula after 6:30 am and only clears until 10:30am and after that nothing). So they gave her a dose of versed and let me tell you it was the funniest reaction to the medication! She went from crying, to dazed, to a little sleepy, to completely hysterical - and by hysterical I mean laughing the biggest belly laugh I had ever heard!!! She was laughing all the way down the hallway. I wish I would have known that cause I would have had my mom record it! (my mom went with me because Sam could not get off work).
I had to go sit in the waiting room. They told me it would take about 45 minutes for the MRI, and than radiologist would look at it, and if needed they would use contrast. They took her back at 1:30pm and my eyes watched that clock! When it 3pm I was SOO scared! Finally they took me back to see my baby girl and she was sleeping. They had to use contrast...which makes me a little nervous wondering if they saw something or what. Luckily no doctor came in to talk to me so that means if they found something, it could not have been that bad!! We should find out results in a couple of days. So it will be a waiting game yet again.
They ended up giving her 2 doses of versed, 2 of fentanyl and one of some other sedative due to the length of the test. She tolerated it well, and never dropped her oxygen. I guess it is protocol to put nasal cannula on them any way so she had that on during the test (or at least that is what I was told!!) She did wake up and start coughing a little which did not surprise me - she gets congested when she lays down on her back every once in a while. When I was able to see her it took her about 15 minutes to wake up and than she started to drink. Now she is rolling around playing like always! I am glad this test is over and just can't wait to hear from her pediatrician to hear the results. Either way it will be relief to have it done!
Wednesday, October 6, 2010
Parents As Teachers - Izzy's check up
Izzy had Parents as Teachers come by last week and we had a great time! She started off reading Very Hungry Caterpillar which Izzy really liked. I don't think I had ever read her that story (I can't believe it but I don't own that book). The teacher pulled out a stir stick with colors on it and matching clothes line clips and asked Izzy to clip the matching clips onto it. The teacher was impressed that she was able to say the colors and match them. (We have been working on her colors!). She just needs to work a little on the fine motor skills of pinching the clips to put them on the stick.
They also made a "map" that included our house, Target (her favorite store), and the park. She played "pretend" with cars and little people. The teacher said it was good that she is creative and she plays pretend! She took the little people and pretended they were swinging. I guess it is good that she can take a 2D object and turn it into something she can "play" with in "3D". She had a good time with that. I was super excited that the teacher said she could understand a majority of what Izzy says. I was a little worried about it. I knew I understood her but was not sure how people who did not know her could understand. She stated the obvious though "Izzy talks a lot!" Yep she is nonstop chatter!!
We have her coming back to assess Brooklynn in 8 weeks. They said that even with budget cuts, if it comes back that Brooklynn has developmental delays because of her head size or if anything comes back with her head that they will be able to visit her more frequently to help keep on top of her developmentally which is nice! I am kind of excited to see how she fits in developmentally with other kids. I know she is a little behind on the gross motor (still not sitting up on her own...but I am giving her until 8 months before I get worried).
They also made a "map" that included our house, Target (her favorite store), and the park. She played "pretend" with cars and little people. The teacher said it was good that she is creative and she plays pretend! She took the little people and pretended they were swinging. I guess it is good that she can take a 2D object and turn it into something she can "play" with in "3D". She had a good time with that. I was super excited that the teacher said she could understand a majority of what Izzy says. I was a little worried about it. I knew I understood her but was not sure how people who did not know her could understand. She stated the obvious though "Izzy talks a lot!" Yep she is nonstop chatter!!
We have her coming back to assess Brooklynn in 8 weeks. They said that even with budget cuts, if it comes back that Brooklynn has developmental delays because of her head size or if anything comes back with her head that they will be able to visit her more frequently to help keep on top of her developmentally which is nice! I am kind of excited to see how she fits in developmentally with other kids. I know she is a little behind on the gross motor (still not sitting up on her own...but I am giving her until 8 months before I get worried).
Monday, October 4, 2010
Anticipation week!
I finally did it - I turned my blog to private! Thanks to all who sent me their e-mails...I guess I did not realize there were so many people who read our blog!
So this week is the big week! We have our brain MRI on Thursday for Brooklynn!! I am so anxious it is crazy! I am having such conflict with this! I know that I will be relieved when it is done but I am nervous because they have to sedate her. I know that a majority of sedations go beautifully but sometimes there are bad reactions to the drugs! And what if she has a reaction to the drug and everything comes back perfectly normal and I put her through that for nothing? But than what if I did not have it done and something is wrong and we find out down the road because she starts having issues? I feel in such limbo right now!
I trust my pediatrician's recommendations, but I am just so scared either way! Everyone tells me she is so normal and there is no way anything can be wrong and in my head I think the same thing. But working where I work I have the issue of babies look normal all the time and there is something that ends up being wrong with them, so in the back of my mind I have been wondering! There are so many people who have kids who say "their head size was off the charts". What exactly do they mean by that? Do they mean one or two boxes above the 97th%ile or do they mean 23 (little) boxes above the 97th%ile like my child?
This mother thing is really exhausting! The constant worry and than the conflict of am I worrying over nothing and am just a freak?? Don't get me wrong - I would not change it for the world! I love my little girls no matter what and they have made my life SOOO much better! I just understand now when my mom used to always say that being a mother means being worried nonstop!
So this week is the big week! We have our brain MRI on Thursday for Brooklynn!! I am so anxious it is crazy! I am having such conflict with this! I know that I will be relieved when it is done but I am nervous because they have to sedate her. I know that a majority of sedations go beautifully but sometimes there are bad reactions to the drugs! And what if she has a reaction to the drug and everything comes back perfectly normal and I put her through that for nothing? But than what if I did not have it done and something is wrong and we find out down the road because she starts having issues? I feel in such limbo right now!
I trust my pediatrician's recommendations, but I am just so scared either way! Everyone tells me she is so normal and there is no way anything can be wrong and in my head I think the same thing. But working where I work I have the issue of babies look normal all the time and there is something that ends up being wrong with them, so in the back of my mind I have been wondering! There are so many people who have kids who say "their head size was off the charts". What exactly do they mean by that? Do they mean one or two boxes above the 97th%ile or do they mean 23 (little) boxes above the 97th%ile like my child?
This mother thing is really exhausting! The constant worry and than the conflict of am I worrying over nothing and am just a freak?? Don't get me wrong - I would not change it for the world! I love my little girls no matter what and they have made my life SOOO much better! I just understand now when my mom used to always say that being a mother means being worried nonstop!
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