Sunday, May 31, 2009

Cade

Cade right before they took him back for his MRI. He didn't really know what was going on.
You can tell he was a little nervous but he did so good.

Most of you know Cade has been having some tests run. He fell three weeks ago (Mothers Day Weekend) and we ended up in the ER with a concussion. We had a CT scan done and the ER doctor said there was no bleed and he just had a mild concussion. This past week I had gone to Birmingham, AL to stay with Aaron's mom in the hospital while she was monitored for her seizures. I stayed with her 4 nights and then went to Mobile, AL to spend some time with my friend from elementary school. Cade had ridden with me to Birmingham and my mom met me there and took him to her house. The plan was for Cade to stay with my parents for 2 weeks. So I was in Mobile enjoying some time alone with my friend. It was Tuesday and we were at the outlet mall in Foley, AL. Aaron called me and said we had gotten a certified letter in the mail from the Pediatricians office saying they had been trying to get in touch with us regarding Cade's CT scan and our telephone numbers were not correct. (they had the right numbers but were using the Mississippi area code). They said it was very important we contacted them. So Aaron told me this after he had called and left a message for the doctor to call him regarding the results. I was a nervous but didn't think too much about it, thinking that it just had to be officially discussed with us by the Pediatrician. Aaron called me back within 10 minutes. The doctor said that Cade's CT scan showed a vascular space and could be a cyst and they needed to do a MRI to determine what it was. I sat at the outlet mall on the phone with Aaron crying and making plans for me getting from Mobile to Mississippi to Kentucky. I called my mom and we decided we would leave that day and she would meet me in Birmingham and ride to Kentucky with me. I left Mobile at 4:30 in the afternoon and my mom, Cade and I got to my house at 3:30 the next morning. I didn't know when we would be able to get in to do the MRI and didn't want to be out of town when we got the call. The doctors office called the next day and had us scheduled for his MRI on Thursday at 2:30. They had to sedate Cade so he couldn't eat for 8 hours before and couldn't drink 2 hours before the scan. For a 4 year old who likes to eat, I was concerned about him not getting to eat for so long. He really did very well and didn't complain much at all about being hungry. I was also concerned about the iv they would be putting in his arm. I think God really calmed him and he didn't cry or get upset the whole time we were there except when they took the tape off his arm from the iv.




We left the hospital with one sleepy little boy who was sleepily talking about going to Chuck-E-Cheese. I had told Cade he could eat anywhere he wanted after the test since he couldn't eat all morning. I didn't realize he would be so sleepy and groggy from the medicine but he sure didn't forget I said he could go. So we headed to Chuck-E-Cheese. On the way the Doctor called with Cade's test results. She explained that Cade's brain was low on his neck and he also had a bubble in his spinal cord. I pretty much got off the phone having no idea what she was talking about except we were being referred to a neurosurgeon and he needed another MRI of his whole spine. My friend Christina told me her friends dad was a neurosurgeon and if I had any questions to let her know. She called her friend and the neurosurgeon called me to help explain what the Radiologist told me earlier. Cade has something called Arnold-Chiari Malformaion which is the brain being low on his neck and also has a syringohydromyelia which is the bubble on the spinal cord. It really helped having a doctor explain things and let me ask all the questions I had.




So we are going tomorrow at 12 for Cade to be sedated again and have the MRI on his full spine. This MRI will take 45 minutes. I am not sure how long it will take to get the results. I do know the MRI results will be sent to the neurosurgeon. Depending on how severe things are will determine how quick we get in with the neurosurgeon.




We are so thankful for all the prayers and words of encouragement from all of our friends. We also feel like Cade having the concussion 3 weeks ago was a blessing. Most of the time this is not usually found until people are in their 20's and the side effects are numbness in arms and legs. Right now Cade does has the headaches which cause him to get sick but they aren't everyday headaches. Lots of things we are thankful for!




Sunday, May 10, 2009

Scary Night

We spent last night in the er at Kosair Children's Hospital. Cade and Isaac went with their friends to Puzzles Fun Dome. Aaron and I didn't go and were getting to enjoy a night out eating sushi, just the two of us. When we got done eating, my friend who had taken the boys called me and said Cade had fallen. He was going to get in one of the blow up bouncy things and when he jumped on the edge someone else bounced him back out. He only fell about 2 or 3 feet but the extra bounce and landing on a hard concrete floor didn't help. He didn't get down and play anymore and wouldn't eat and all he wanted to do was sleep. By the time Aaron and I had gotten to him, he had thrown up twice and was half asleep. I think this is the scarest I have been for one of my children since I had Isaac early at 23 weeks. Aaron and I went to the hospital where he threw up 3 more times and kept trying to fall asleep. After his CT scan, he was allowed to finally fall asleep. The doctor came in and said he had a mild concussion but was concerned about him getting dehydrated. They gave him some medicine to calm his stomach and then gave him something to drink to see if he could keep it down. So at about 12:30 after Cade had kept some fluids down, they let us go home.

Cade slept right in between Aaron and I and I woke up every couple of hours to check on him and make sure he was still breathing. He woke up this morning saying he was very thirsty. He has been laying around and fell back asleep but overall seems to be doing a lot better. He still says he has a headache but nothing a little tylenol hasn't seem to help. As a matter of fact, he was a little upset he couldn't go to church this morning!

We are so thankful that our little boy is ok. We will go back either today or tomorrow and have his Peditrician check him out just to make sure he is responding normally. Thanks to all of our friends and family who prayed for us!