The Beauty of....Kids

Kaiden during his EEG. He was such a little trooper.

Kaiden in recovery after his sedation for his MRI.

A bonus of Miss Lex marveling at the wonder of the dolphins at Sea World.

MRI and EEG Results

So Thursday September 2, 2010 we had Kaiden's MRI and EEG to see if the stain was located on his brain and to check for any abnormal brain waves.

The MRI was scheduled for 8:00 am and was to be with and without contrast and he had to be sedated for it.  When we first got to University Medical Center in Lubbock, TX they got his vitals and his blood pressure was a little high for an infant, so they monitored him for about 30 minutes until it eventually dropped.

Then it was time for the IV.  I  knew I would have a hard time with this because the sound of either of my kids cries breaks my heart.  The MRI tech who had 18 years experience and 9 with Pediatrics couldn't find a vein that didn't collapse when they pushed the saline in.  So, they brought in another nurse to attempt, still the same thing.  They decided it was best to call the Pediatrics Department and see if they had anyone available to come see if they had any luck.  We got the Assistant Medical Director and the Educator (her assistant) down and they tried 4 different veins.  Each one collapsed.  They then got on the phone with the Head of the Pediatrics Department and he came down in his full suit to see what he could do.  After one attempt at a leg vein and 2 attempts at a scalp vein (the kind of IV they use on NICU babies) he determined Kaiden was unable to get an IV. A total of 11 attempts from the best of the best....and nothing.  We were slowly running out of options. 

We could either admit him to the hospital overnight, hydrate him, get the IV in, and then let him fast again or we could say screw the contrast and just do the MRI without.  The doctors all decided it was best to try without the contrast and after those results determine if we needed to do follow through with option 1.

They got him sedated and hooked up to all his monitors to watch his vitals and then did the MRI.  This all lasted until 11:30...which was a slight problem because our EEG was scheduled for 11:00.  I had made a few calls and tried to get it moved around but was having a hard time getting answers.  Little did I know the MRI tech's had already called and explained everything to the EEG department and they just said whenever we were finished to head on up and they would have a room ready for us!

So after Kaiden came to after the sedation the took us up to Neurology where they were doing his EEG. And as promised, they had a room ready and waiting for us. Kaiden was still a little loopy so it made getting him hooked up to the EEG rather easy.  An hour later we were done!! 

We went and grabbed some lunch and then headed back to see his Pediatric Neurologist who had looked over both tests and was ready to give us whatever news he had. 

The preliminary results showed no stain on the brain and his brain wave function was normal. The best news we could have gotten!

I would love to thank the staff at University Medical Center and Texas Tech University for doing everything you could for us.  It means the world to us to finally have some answers.  Now just to wait for October to roll around and get his Ophthalmology appointments started.

The Nerve.

Oh Wal-Mart how I have a love hate relationship with you. 

In this overly small town you are the only place to shop, I have no other choice.  Your prices fit our tiny little budget, but your people have some nerve I tell you!

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Person 1 (Cashier): "What happened to your kids face?"

Me: "Oh, nothing. It is a birthmark."

Person 1 (Cashier): "Well, you call it what you want, but it looks like you burned the shit out of your kid."

Me: *trying to keep my cool* *cue the crying* *walks out WITHOUT my groceries*

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Person 2 (Customer): "My son had the same thing when he was born!"

Me: "Oh really?! Do you mind me asking what pediatric dermatologist you used?"

Person 2 (Customer): "Oh we didn't have to.  My dad ran into him with a cigar and it cleared right up 2 weeks later.  You should try it!"

Me: *shell shocked* "Um, so, you want me to burn my kid with a cigar? I think I'll pass" *I mean really, who says something like this?!?!*

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Person 3 (Greeter): "What, did you forget to put sunscreen on that part of his face?"

Me: "No ma'am, it is a birthmark."

Person 3 (Greeter): "Looks like he is burnt to me."

Husband: "Why don't you try minding your own business lady."

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

These were all grown women.  People who should know how to have a little tact.  I can only imagine how much it would hurt him if he could hear what some of these people say.  My heart aches every time someone makes a mean comment and I am doing everything I can to not go bat shit on people. I have to be the bigger person.

My Babies

Our Story.

My husband and I met when we were in high school.  Though it was far from love at first sight.  It took us 3 years to realize that maybe we should give it a shot.  We did the whole college thing, got married, and had our daughter Lex on May 23, 2008. 

When Lex was born she was in the NICU for a week underneath an oxygen tank and hooked up to multiple machines to get her breathing correct. 

Finding a job proved to be rather trying so my husband joined the Air Force.

After 5 months of separation due to Air Force training the hubs got orders to our first base in the middle of nowhere New Mexico. 

Three months after arriving to our new home we found out we were expecting another miracle.  We had to again pack everything up and move from our tiny 2 bedroom house to a much larger house to accommodate our growing family.

On April 30th, 2010 our son Kaiden was born.  He was born with a port-wine stain birthmark on the right side of his face.  Ever since we have been in and out of doctor's offices attempting (with little progress) to make sure that it is ONLY a birthmark and not a symptom of a more severe syndrome known as Sturge-Weber Syndrome. 

So far we have seen a Pediatric Neurologist and a Dermatologist.

In a few days we will be headed to have and MRI done and an EEG done to check for a stain on the brain and any seizures.

After we get those results we have to see a Pediatric Ophthalmologist to check for glaucoma.

And then we go see a Pediatric Dermatologist to discuss our options for treatment.

We have a lot ahead of us and we just pray everything comes back normal.

I will be updating this regularly with information we receive, and just about life in general!