So Many Issues for Such a Little Guy September 25, 2007
I wish so much that Adam didn’t have to deal with as much as he does. I know it’s exhausting for me. I can’t imagine what it’s like for him.
It looks like we get to add another specialist to the ever growing list. Last week we noticed that Adam’s eye was involuntarily moving side to side at a rapid pace off and on for a few seconds at a time. We consulted Dr. Google (oh, what would we do without our Google medical licenses?) who suggested that this was a condition called nystagmus.
I brought Adam to the pediatrician on Friday, and he confirmed Dr. Google’s diagnosis and referred him to a pediatric ophthalmologist. Their first available appointment is on October 1st, so that’s when we’ll be going.
There’s no way to know what is causing this or the severity of the situation right now. Hopefully seeing the specialist will shed some light on that. For now we’re just hoping so much that it isn’t serious. I’m doing my best not to dwell on worst case scenarios here. The worrier in me can’t help but shudder at words like “brain tumor,” though. There’s a chance it could be no big deal at all, so we’re holding out hope for that.
Adam’s been reacting again, and as a result we’ve added strawberries to the forbidden/reaction list. The list of things I can eat is growing shorter and shorter, but I don’t hesitate for a second to keep up this diet.
If that wasn’t enough, it looks like Adam is getting a new helmet. I brought him in yesterday to have it adjusted yet again since it had been leaving indention marks on his forehead. When I got back home and got to see how it was fitting on him it was obvious that it had been way over adjusted. It was shifting all over the place, and I was pissed.
So, I called the orthotist to let him know how frustrated I was with the current fit as well as my displeasure in the fit from the beginning, and he offered to have a new helmet made for Adam at no cost to us. (Which is a good thing because the last thing I want to do is shell out another $3200 at this point.) We have to go back tomorrow to have another head scan done, so they can have the latest measurements to make the helmet from.
It’s frustrating, because I feel like we could have gotten more progress already if his helmet had fit right from the beginning. Plus now he’s going to end up being in it longer than anticipated. Oh, how I hate that piece of plastic.
He’s also being attacked by the teething monster at the moment. Tooth #2 just broke through, so I hope that means he’ll get a little bit of relief soon before tooth #3 starts getting him.
I just feel so badly that he’s having to deal with all of this stuff. Sometimes it just feels like too much for one little guy to have to handle. Despite it all he’s such an amazing little man who manages to melt my heart on a daily basis. I hope one day in the near future all of this will be behind us and he’ll just be able to be a kid. He deserves that.
My Guys September 15, 2007
Oops. I guess I’m a bad blogger for not posting a pic with Adam’s 8 month update. So, here ya go. Here’s a recent shot of Dan and Adam during Adam’s helmet break. I love seeing that head!
8 Months September 13, 2007
Another month has gone by, and our little man reached the 8 month mark on Monday. He’s still keeping me on my toes, my sleep deprived toes.
His first tooth broke through the gum on Tuesday which could help explain the sleep deprivation situation. He’s been waking every 1-3 hours at night lately, and it’s starting to feel like the newborn days all over again. He’s napping better now, though, so at least we’re making progress somewhere.
He’s making more strides in the quest for greater mobility, just recently learning how to get up on all fours for a few seconds at a time. He’s now a pro at rolling around and scooting in circles on his belly. He can make it from one side of the room to the other in no time at all.
The food sensitivity stuff is an ongoing battle. He’s still not on solid foods yet, but I’m really hoping that we’ll be able to try again sometime in the next couple of weeks. I’m amazed and thankful that my boobs are still keeping up with him. I’ve been on my elimination diet (no dairy, soy, wheat, eggs, nuts, seafood, beef, or turkey) for over three months now after having been dairy free for four months prior to that. It’s not exactly the easiest thing in the world, but it’s doable. The most important thing is that it’s helping, and it’s what he needs right now.
We had a couple of appointments yesterday dealing with his plagiocephaly and torticollis issues. He had another head scan which showed that his asymmetry measurement went from 15.9mm four weeks ago to 13.5mm today. I was hoping for more improvement, but I’m glad that it did improve some. That takes him down from severe plagio to moderate.
The orthodist mentioned the possibility of needing a second helmet if Adam doesn’t make enough progress before he outgrows the current one, and the words “there will be no second helmet” flew out of my mouth immediately. We’re having a tough time with the helmet, and two more months seems like more than enough to me.
Then we saw the specialist who was much more positive about the situation. She said that we shouldn’t even worry about a second helmet, that she thinks he’s making good improvement. She was pleased with his progress with the torticollis stuff including his range of motion to the left. She said that we can stop doing his stretches and just check once a day to make sure things aren’t tightening back up. I know Adam will be happy to not be tortured by those darn stretches multiple times a day, but now we have to work on strengthening exercises to get the right side of his neck stronger to help improve his tilt.
So, I guess we still have a lot going on. I’ve never been so happy to be so exhausted, though. He makes my heart smile on a daily basis, and I feel so darn lucky to be his mom.
Oh, What to Blog About? September 2, 2007
I actually have a free minute to blog, but I’m just sitting here staring at the computer. Nothing’s coming out. I don’t know if it’s because I have nothing to say or because I’m too tired to think well enough to write.
It’s not like I don’t have things that I’ve been wanting to blog about. I still would like to get around to devoting a post to breastfeeding. That’s not a topic for a quicky post written in the midst of sleep deprivation, though.
I’ve thought about blogging about the fact that we recently received our annual cryopreservation statement in the mail for the lone vial of sperm we have left in the deep freeze. That little piece of paper can bring up all kinds of thoughts about our past and our future. The bottom line, however, is that neither Dan or I are ready to discuss or even give considerable thought to whether or not we’ll ever try again for another child. Right now we are just so thankful to have Adam, and we’re just going to enjoy him as much as we possibly can. We sent in our $300 not because we’re sure we’ll ever use that sperm but simply as a way to postpone any decisions on the subject.
I could blog about a book on IVF that I was sent to review, but I haven’t had time to read it yet. I’m looking forward to getting to it, but I just haven’t been able to yet.
I could blog some more about sleep issues, but there’s not a ton to say. Some days are better, some days aren’t. I’m tired. Really tired. It will get better, though, eventually. At least I hope it will.
I could rant about how much I hate Adam’s helmet. He’s got 9.5 weeks left in it (for a total of 3.5 months) and I’m counting down the days. I hate how it makes him uncomfortable. I hate how it affects his sleep. I hate how I keep having to take him in to have it adjusted because it never seems to fit exactly right. I sure am thankful that he’s completely unaware of how people laugh and stare at him and whisper “aw, poor little baby” at him out in public. I’m so, so glad that I’m the one that gets to deal with that and not him.
I’ve been fantasizing about ways to destroy the darn thing when he’s done with it. It gets me through the day, what can I say. The good news, though, is that we can already see a difference in his wonky head, so it’s nice to know that we aren’t putting him through this for nothing.
I could blog some more about Adam’s food sensitivities. That’s a never ending topic, for sure. The latest on that front? He’s been reacting to my vitamins. Yep, you read that correctly, my freaking vitamins. It took me a while to figure that one out, but sure enough, that was the culprit. He’s still not on solid food, and I’m not sure when he’ll be able to tolerate it. It’s a good thing he’s a big fan of the boob.
Or I could simply post a picture of our little man. Yep, I think that’s what I’ll do. I’ll figure out what to blog about some other day.
