Spring Has Sprung April 7, 2008

Spring is here, and we are thankful for many opportunities to venture outdoors. I think all of us were reaching the point of becoming stir-crazy… and, at least for myself, I think it went beyond that point! (Mommy only has so much hair to pull out, after all! lol)

This past week has been very busy. Josiah had clinic appointments with the staff from Children’s Memorial Hospital in Chicago on Tuesday. As we drove in to Lincoln Park on Lakeshore Drive, the view over the lake was stunning. It took my breath away.

Anyhow – every Tuesday, the specialists who work with spina bifida patients gather at one location to offer outpatient services for children with spina bifida. It is a wonderful idea, as the number of appointments scheduled can be overwhelming. This past week, Josiah was scheduled to meet with the neurosurgeon and the urologist, and to have a head ultrasound, bladder ultrasound, and another bladder test (which, alone, took 1- 1/2 hours to complete.) In the middle of this chaotic day (of course, nothing happens as scheduled because nobody shows up on time…) we were whisked in to see the orthopedic surgeon, and then off to another specialist in orthotics to have new braces made. Once the day was through, and I had successfully exhibited my newfound “city driver” abilities by pushing my way through rush hour crowds and traffic, I was able to catch my breath and consider the results of the tests and meetings. All things considered, I think that everything went quite well.

The hydrocephalus has been labeled “stable” at this point. We are so thankful for that! We pray that it will continue that way, although we do realize that things could change at any point over the next couple of years.

The urologist is continuing to monitor his bladder and kidney condition. She has been watching it closely, and said that it appears to have improved somewhat, probably because of the medication that he has been on. Because he requires regular catheterizing, he is at high risk for urinary tract infection (UTI). On Saturday, I noticed a few things that could be signs of a UTI, and then, yesterday, at church, I realized that he had developed an infection. Because of his situation, it is important to get immediate medical attention for this sort of thing. So I spent 6 hours in the emergency room with him – fending off anyone who dared to come near us with a pair of latex gloves (another spina bifida issue is latex allergy.)

But, even with the medical struggles, I cannot believe how normal our supposed-to-be-handicapped son is. Unless you were told that he has spina bifida, you would never know! He is very active, has already doubled his weight (now 12.4) and is starting to interact by smiling and “talking.” The neurosurgeon has called him a little show-off, and a nurse at the ER yesterday said that “he certainly doesn’t act like the typical hydrocephalus baby.” I was very encouraged.

He is sleeping well. Much like Hannah, he seems to prefer a regular bedtime, and sleeps for 6 to 8 hours at night. (woo-hoo!)

And we all love him to death. Especially his sister.