Second MRI

Yesterday was Luka's second MRI.  I can't even say how nerve-wracking it is to take him to Pediatric Sedation.  It's the anticipation that is the worst.  And one would think since we had already gone through this once before it would have been easier for this time- but it wasn't.  Luka screamed much more, which was hard on us.  Mainly because the nurse had trouble finding a vein and after about 20 minutes of this they finally got him off to sleep.  I almost wanted to complain about a nurse who was obviously peeved that we chose not to give Luka a sedative.  I rather him carry on and fuss than be dopey.  That must have been wearing on her nerves.  This MRI went much quicker and he was awake by the time we reunited with him.  It took only an hour or two and he was back to his same little self: crawling, climbing, standing, being busy... Dr. Selden will be looking at the pictures and and in a week we will meet with him to hear what he plans to do in the operating room.

New Pictures

Here is the most recent album on our picasa website: Oma & Opa visit Sept '08 And whoops... mom missed her flight.  She was actually supposed to fly out this morning and not tomorrow.  So instead she will be leaving this Sunday and meeting dad at Chicago's O'Hare. They had planned a visit with Dale and a day trip to Chicago anyway, so in a way it works out.  It will be nice to have her here a little longer, but Dad was not thrilled.  He's stuck in Columbus for the next few days freezing loads of tomatoes.

Appointments

So, here is what he have: 

• Thurs. Sept. 25th MRI of spine 
• Thurs. Oct. 9th Pre-op visit
  
• Mon. Oct. 13th Surgery
  
• Tues. Oct. 14th or Wed. Oct 15th discharge from hospital
  
• Fri. Oct. 29th Post-op visit 
  

Oma & Opa

We are having a great time with Oma & Opa in town.  They arrived last Tuesday and have been enjoying every moment with they boy.  Since they have been here Luka has learned how to crawl and has also become much more vocal.  He really loves their attention and I'm afraid he will miss it when they return home.  Our adventures have included: Washington Park and The International Rose Test Garden, driving to Timberline Lodge on Mt. Hood, visiting Rocky Butte, the Saturday Farmers Market, Sauvie Island and various parks and neighborhoods.  Oma also accompanied us at 'Book Babies' last Friday. Dad leaves tomorrow and Mom this Thursday- but Patty and Scott (in case you don't know they are Luka's other grandparents) will be arriving the 11th of October!  So Luka will only have to endure his normal routine for a short while.  He truly loves all the commotion and action of family.  I wish we all didn't live so far apart. 

Dr. Selden

We met with Dr. Selden, a well known nuero surgeon, this morning and had Luka's MRI explained to us.  Unfortunately, he does have a birth defect that requires surgery.  Basically how he explained it was that the fatty mass of tissue on the very bottom of his spine extends out and connects to his skin.  A normal spine is able to move freely, so in order for his to do so the doctor must separate the tissue with an incision.  Otherwise his spine will continue to be pulled and tethered which may impair his ability to walk and bladder control.  It is somewhere in the family of spina bifida but is completely operable and the chances of it re-occurring are 1%.  So the next step is for Luka to receive another MRI of his entire spine and to have surgery early October.  The risks associated with this procedure are very low.  Dr. Selden performs this operation weekly and I am very impressed of his bio. Of course, we are completely sick to our stomach over this, but I have high expectations that everything will turn out fine and that the odds will no longer be against us.  

Super-cute Spoon time

A cousin for Luka

This is Easton... Luka's little 2nd cousin that was born last month by Eric's cousin Amanda who lives in Nashville with her hub Darrel.  He is pretty cute!  They'll get to see each other over Thanksgiving. 

MRI results

I just got a call from Luka's doctor and what the MRI shows is that he has a spinal lipoma, which is an accumulation of fatty tissue (basically a non-cancerous tumor).  We're meeting with a neurologist this Thursday so we can get his expert opinion and decide if we should have it removed.  Dr. Lin reassured me that it is not urgent and to not be alarmed by this,  but it does require attention.  I guess more will come on this topic... And here is something I'd like to add if you want to read a bit about it: Spinal lipomas in children Which basically says that it is a good idea to have it surgically removed even if the child is asymptomatic.  

This morning's MRI

We were at OHSU hospital at 7am this morning for Luka's scheduled MRI.  He was in such a great mood, especially for being on an empty stomach.  Once checked in a nurse put a numbing cream on his hands and feet so that the IV needle would not hurt.  We played for 45 minutes and then were called back to Pediatric Sedation.  Eric and I were nervous as hell.  Luka still remained in a great mood- the nurses all loved him.  It's amazing to witness his magnetic personality at such a young age.  Only one thing went wrong. The valium.  Which I'm not sure why it was given to him.  The IV catheter was already in, but the anesthesiologist thought it would help calm him for sleep.  He had a 1 in a 100 reaction where he  became red in the face, scared, and crying out in abrupt bursts.  The nurse said it probably affected his vision.  It was disturbing to see... they quickly put him to sleep at that point. I couldn't help but cry a little.  From there Eric and I tried to eat in the cafeteria and wait around.  It took about two hours.  We sat in the lobby where we saw the nurses wheeling him back.   The MRI went great, he didn't move at all.  It took Luka about 10 minutes to wake up... so cute!  He was trying to smile and make his normal sounds but it was very weakened.  I nursed him, but it took awhile for him to get a good latch.  Finally, we got him dressed and strolled him on out.  POOR BABY! So brave... of course he'll never remember any of this.  We'll get the results either tomorrow or Monday, so I'll let everyone know. Currently, he lays sleeping at my side.  I have a feeling there will be lots of snoozing today.  Which is fine by me, I plan just to be relaxing with him!

Camping

Here are the pictures from our Labor Day camping trip in the Willamette National Forest.  We camped out about 40 miles east of Salem near Detroit Lake.  It was a lot of fun, and very picturesque... but was a spur of the moment trip.  So, next time we will have to be better prepared.  It ended up becoming very cold and I (nor Luka) did not sleep very well in the tent.  So due to sleep deprivation and feeling grimy we headed home the following morning instead of hiking around Detroit Lake with Cory, Scott, and Mae. Next time will be a longer adventure.