4/27/2010

Hi everyone, sorry I have not posted in a while. we have had quite the week with Cason. For the most part things are sailing smoothly along. He has been progressing wonderfully. He is now about 4lbs 4oz. He was able to start taking a bottle twice a day. He has done awesome with his suck/swallow/breathe coordination. His first shot at the bottle he drank 21mls out of 35 mls in about 30 minutes. His nurse had to take the bottle away from him a few times because he was forgetting to breathe but for the most part he caught on. His second bottle he was champ. He drank the entire bottle [35 mls] in 10 minutes, pacing himself very nicely and he remembered to breathe the whole time.

We have had one fairly large setback in the past week. Cason's head circumference was growing rapidly due to his hydrocephalus. Last Monday [4/19] the neurologists decided to do a series of lumbar punctures [spinal taps] to try to alleviate the pressure and build up of the excess spinal fluid. Cason responded very well to them but they were not able to get as much out as the had hoped for. A total 10mls was all they were able to extract. His head circumference also kept expanding despite the lumbar punctures. Eventually at the end of last week his head circumference stabilized, however the neurologists decided to perform an operational procedure to take care of the problem. On Monday [4/26] They performed a procedure [with a REALLY big name I can't quite remember] where they basically poked a whole in the bottom Cason's 2 bilateral ventricles in his head to that spinal fluid could more easily flow down to his third ventricle and then into his spine. They also inserted a reservoir in his head. The best visual I got for the reservoir is that it looks like a tiny breast implant with a tube on the bottom. They insert the reservoir on top of his ventricle [where his skull hasn't fused yet]. When there is an excess of spinal fluid in the ventricle it should flow into the tube and then into the reservoir and the doctors will then extract the excess fluid from the reservoir. We are praying and hope that this will solve Cason's hydrocephalus and it will eventually normalize. He did have to have to go under, but did great. He is intubated [not breathing by himself] and cannot eat right now as he comes out of the anesthesia but should be back to the nasal cannula and eating very soon. Monday was a very stressful day for me [being there by myself] and Calvin [being in Colorado]. But we managed and everything went beautifully.

Calvin, Austin and my mom are headed out here to San Diego this afternoon [4/27] to spend the rest of the week and weekend with me and Cason. I am definitely looking forward to seeing them and pray they have a safe drive out here.

Thanks again for everyone's positive thoughts and prayers. Cason is definately a fighter and we are looking forward to introducing him to you all!