Posts filed under 'Health'
The Radiology Department at Children’s called this afternoon. They had a recent cancellation and will be able to schedule Anna’s MRI earlier than anticipated. We’re all set to have her MRI on next Thursday, Sept. 28th in the afternoon. As I think I mentioned in my previous posting, this is a sedated MRI. They have to sedate her because there is no way that a 6 month old will be still for 30 seconds, much less 45 minutes! I’m nervous about the entire thing, but I feel better knowing that the test will be done at Children’s. Like anyone going under anethesia, she can’t have solid foods 8 hours before the test and breast milk is allowed up until 4 hours before the test. I imagine she’ll be one hungry chick when she wakes up from the anethesia!
September 20th, 2006
About a month ago we took Anna into her pediatrician because we were concerned with the use (or disuse) of her left hand (affectionately known as Bob). Mom, being the neurotic type, had done some research which stated that infants are basically ambidextrous until at least 12 months of age, and that any hand preference exhibited before that age is a developmental red-flag that points to a neuromuscular issue. Well, Anna is VERY right-handed at 6 months and we thought it would be best to have her checked out. Our pediatrician confirmed our suspicions that Anna’s preference for her right hand (otherwise known as Martha or “bossy right”) was problematic. Furthermore, Anna showed some definite developmental delays in the use of her left hand. She believed that Anna’s core body strength was very good and that she was developing equally on both sides, but that her left side seemed weaker than her right with her arm more affected than her leg. Her initial thoughts were that she’d suffered a stroke (yes, babies have strokes!) or had some malformation of the brain. She referred us to a pediatric neurologist from Children’s Hospital in Denver for more tests and evaluation.
Unfortunately, we had to wait two weeks for our appointment with the neurologist. As you can imagine, Neal and I were pretty much beside ourselves. We were worried and upset: will Anna be able to run and jump, will she be able to type or play the piano? Will she have difficulties with speech or learning? Will she be able to do everything that she wants to do? These types of questions, among others, consumed our thoughts. I basically flipped out and let my obsessive/compulsive tendencies have free reign. I read more and more about Anna’s symptoms and became more and more distraught. I basically had her diagnosed before we’d even seen the specialist: cerebral palsy.
During those 2 weeks of waiting we discovered that we have an amazing support network. The director of our daycare center has a daughter with a mild case of cerebral palsy. I met her daughter and you’d hardly know that she had any impairment at all! After years of therapy and hard work, her daughter graduated from high school and college and works at the daycare center while looking for a full-time job. The director has already been a wonderful resource. She has offered to teach me the therapy games she used to play with her daughter and has purchased a few toys for Anna that promote use of her left hand. She wants to be an active part in Anna’s therapy program and will be working with Anna while she’s at daycare. What a surprise and relief!
Last Tuesday we had our appointment with the specialist from Children’s. I was very stressed and anxious. We went in knowing that there was definitely a problem and that it was probably cerebral palsy, but we didn’t know what level of severity or what other areas of Anna’s body may be affected. She asked us many questions about my pregnancy, Anna’s birth, and her development. She confirmed what we suspected: Anna has cerebral palsy (non-specific left-sided hemiparesis). However, she was able to say that it was a very mild case and that with therapy and early intervention, she should be able to do anything she wants (Neal: Like become President, for example). At this point, the doctor does not believe that Anna’s speech or cognitive abilities are affected. She wants us to have Anna’s vision tested by a pediatric ophthamalogist as soon as possible to rule out any vision problems, although she doesn’t think that there are any major issues. And most importantly, she has ordered both physical and occupational therapy for Anna.
Sometime during the next month, Anna will be going in for a sedated MRI down at Children’s. I have to admit, the sedation part freaks me out a little bit, but if it has to be done I’d prefer it be done at Children’s with anesthesiologists who work only with children. The scans will give the doctor a better idea of the extent of the damage to Anna’s brain and what may have caused it. If it turns out that Anna did have a stroke, the doctor would like Anna to visit the stroke clinic at Children’s to rule out the possibility that she has some underlying clotting disorder that might cause her problems as she grows. We’ll see what happens.
During the days since our appointment I’ve been attempting to navigate the social services maze in an effort to get Anna “in the system.” We’re awaiting an evaluation with the St. Vrain Valley School District’s Child Find program. It’s my understanding that they can help coordinate Anna’s therapy and bring together all the interested parties (i.e. daycare, therapists, etc.). I’m hoping that our pediatrician can help us in this department as well. We have Anna’s 6-month check-up on Friday. She’ll have the information from the neurologist and we can proceed from there.
We’re remarkably calm about the entire thing. We have a plan of attack now. I know I will feel even better once we find physical and occupational therapists and we start our sessions. In the meantime, we’ll continue to do our “common sense” approach when working with Anna. She’s really made a great deal of progress in such a short time. We’re very hopeful. Who knows, she may very well grow out of this. Only time will tell. One thing is for certain, she’s still Anna! And we love her so very much.
September 17th, 2006
The teething fairy has been to visit us! We don’t like her. We wish she would do her thing without causing Anna pain. Yes, Anna is teething and it is not fun for anyone involved. She has one tooth that has broken through the skin and another that is close. She’s pretty fussy and generally not her happy-go-lucky self lately. And the nights have been especially fun. She is either in pain or is testing us because she will not go down for bed without a serious fight. This often involves anywhere from 1/2 to 2 hours of screaming (I gave up after 2 hours and took her downstairs with me - it might have lasted longer if I hadn’t. ). Anna is ahead in the on-going Anna vs. Parents match-up.
In other news, Anna has moved up to eating cereal twice a day now: rice and oatmeal. Very exciting. She loves to eat. She reminds me of a baby bird when we are feeding her: mouth wide open and making noise! Next week she will be 6 months old and we plan to start her on some vegetables. Cereal is pretty easy to clean up…I can’t imagine peas and other veggies will be! We’ll make sure to document the event with pictures.
Yesterday Anna, Henry, Jo and I went to the zoo. It was Anna’s first trip to the zoo and she could have cared less. Both the kids were more interested in all the people and other babies than they were in the animals. Anna found a strap on her stroller the most exciting thing of all! Jo and I enjoyed getting out for the day. It was kind of a proof of concept: we can take the two kidlets out for the day without much trouble.
So Anna would really like to type something here, so I’d better close. Here are her parting words: hn .u mn h v tbn jhiy;l\]’
?>}”>?, pnoj,[kn uj 6 r333333333333333e
September 8th, 2006
It took two horrible nights for Mom to come to the realization that maybe Anna should be sleeping in her own room. Sunday night was perhaps the worst night since she was an itty-bitty baby. She was up every hour and was in no mood to sleep from 2-4 am! I was so incredibly exhausted on Monday and so was she, which meant she was kind of crabby. Crabby baby and sleepy mom…not a good combination.
So yesterday I made the gut-wrenching decision to move Anna to her room (yes, I know, it sounds silly and melodramatic, but it was very difficult). All day yesterday I put her in her crib for naps and we continued when it was time for bed. She only screamed for 30 minutes (broken into 5, 10, and 15 minute intervals) before she nodded off. She woke up once at 11-ish and then slept solidly until 5:30 this morning! Here’s hoping we’re starting a positive trend and that this wasn’t a fluke.
My sleep was rather fitful, but mostly uninterrupted. I’m kind of paranoid about the SIDS thing. When she was sleeping beside our bed in the bassinet, I could hear her breathing or peek in to make sure her chest was moving up and down. Not so when she’s in the other room! You can’t hear her breathing on the baby monitor and checking on her involves opening her bedroom door, which always runs the risk of waking her. I imagine it will get better with time.
On an unrelated note, Anna had her 4-month vaccinations on Friday. Whereas we didn’t have the 3-hours of crying, we still had the elevated temperature. She ran a fever for about 24 hours (up to 101.5 degrees), but seemed to be okay otherwise. The doctor did not give her the DTaP (the one with whooping cough), suspecting it caused her reaction last time, but maybe one of the others is causing the problem? We’ll have to see what happens at 6 months. Needless to say, I’m going to schedule her appointment for early in the day on Thursday. Be prepared!
This weekend Anna had her first day of full health in a little more than a month! Sunday was a great day (until the night, of course). I’m so happy to see her feeling better. What a drag to be sick for more than one quarter of your life.
August 1st, 2006
You there! Shhh! Heck, I’m probably typing too loudly as it is. And I’m honestly concerned that the crickets chirping away outside might wake the baby.
This realization hit me recently: It seems like we spend a lot of time tiptoeing around our own house these days.
I guess that’s just part of life with a new baby around. Especially when she’s been sick for so long. We try to do everything we can to make sure that when she’s sleepy she can actually go to sleep, and stay asleep for as long as she can. So we throw each other dirty looks as we’re putting away the dishes (that clink might wake Anna!) or get a drink (the ice maker is too loud!), and hope that the kid stays asleep.
Fortunately, the whole family had a good night last night. Tara slept. I slept. Max didn’t wake us up with his usual antics at three o’clock in the morning. And most importantly, Anna slept from about 9:00pm through to 4:30am — without coughing! I don’t think she’s entirely over her cold, but the antibiotics do appear to have helped a bit, and she’s seem to be on the upswing at this point.
I’m going to go and try to sneak off to the gym now. Very, very quietly…
July 26th, 2006
Anna and I made another trip to the doctor due to this never-ending cold. The doctor gave her some nice pink antibiotics. We haven’t tried them yet, but I’m looking forward to it (not). I guess it is standard practice for them to give you a bit extra due to the fact that it frequently comes right back out of baby’s mouth! At least it is only administered once a day.
Just to be on the safe side, the doctor recommended a chest x-ray. Now that is an interesting process. How does one give a squirmy 4-month old an x-ray? Well, having experienced it today - I can tell you firsthand. They sit her in a little seat (kind of like what you’d have in a walker), which is attached to a verticle plastic tube that can be adjusted to the size of her mid-section. Her arms are kept over her head (also contained within the tube) and her head is strapped in place. Boy, she did NOT like it. The imaging techs said that this was a good thing because the screaming opened up her lungs allowing them to get a good picture. Easy for them to say…they didn’t have to deal with the aftermath!
We don’t know anything yet about the x-rays. I’m assuming the doctor will get back to us ASAP if there is a problem. In the meantime, we’re thankful that babies of 4-months of age do not have good memories. ‘Cause like the shots, she looked at me like I was a horrible mother - “How can you let them do this to me?”
July 21st, 2006
Last Friday we took Anna in for her four-month check-up. We went through all the questions about sleep patterns, feeding schedules and developmental milestones. The doctor thinks she’s doing great! We are supposed to keep an eye on her “Bob Dole” hand, but the doctor doesn’t think it is really a big deal. In fact, Anna’s started to use her left hand more and more lately, so it is probably just a matter of time. She’s accidentally rolled over a couple of times unaided, but never more than once during a tummy-time session. Soon those accidents will turn into intentional movement, I’m sure.
Anna is still big for her age; she’s in the 90th percentile for both height and weight this time. She now weighs in at 15 lbs. 5 1/2 ounces and is 25 inches long! She’s wearing larger 3-month clothing and is starting to wear her 6-month stuff (and even some 6-9 month clothing). Neal swears that she’s finally growing into her cheeks, but I think they are just as chunky as ever!
Anna STILL has a cold, so the doctor thought it best to delay giving her her vaccinations until she is feeling better. She had a somewhat nasty reaction to her first round of shots and we would like to avoid a repeat of that horrible night! The doctor is considering whether or not to hold off on the pertussis (whooping cough) immunization until Anna’s a bit older because she believes it to be the cause of her reaction. I’m torn…there’s an increase in cases of whooping cough in the general population and whooping cough is most dangerous to infants under the age of one. It seems like a no-win situation.
Of course, if she doesn’t get over this damned cold this may all be moot! We’re currently going into the 4th week of sick-Anna. Help! The doctor checked her out last Friday and said that there was no fluid in her lungs. She said it would just take time for the cold to run its course. Last night, between bouts of coughing, she sounded like she had a rattle in her chest when she breathed. I’ve got another call into the doctor today. Let’s hope they can do something for her. I think she’s growing tired of coughing and of me sticking the bulb syringe up her nose; I know I am.
We have some new pictures to post - we just need to find time to do it! We’ll try to make time this week.
July 19th, 2006
They say that children that attend day care are sick more often than those who don’t. Well, we’ve started down that road. Anna has her first cold. She’s started snoring louder than her Grandpa Rex (and that is saying something!). She’s been up for the last two nights coughing and snuffling. Needless to say, I’m very tired. When Anna doesn’t sleep, neither do the parents. I took her to the doctor yesterday because her pediatrician recommended she come in - seeing as this is her first cold and she’s still rather young. They confirmed that she has a good ol’ fashioned cold. They did give us some medication for the symptoms if the cold seems to get worse, and gave us the guidelines for when to bring Anna back if things get too much worse.
I realized that I haven’t posted anything about Anna’s new day care. Things seem to be going well there. She’s in a really good mood when Neal picks her up in the evening; wasted, but in a good mood. They have proclaimed that she is a “talker,” which from personal experience I’d say is true. Neal jokes that we should have named her Brook what with all the babbling she does. Ha ha. She’s becoming familiar with her surroundings and caregivers, and has started to enjoy herself! It has been a lot easier for Mom and Dad, too.
And on a very unrelated note: the sleeping through the night thing…a total fluke. She’s yet to do it again. We still get up at 3:30 or so every night. I guess you could say that I’m used to it now. I’ve learned to deal with fewer hours of sleep and interrupted sleep at that. I won’t cry again until she’s been sleeping through the night for a whole week! 
June 30th, 2006
Anna was one month old yesterday evening. It is incredibly hard for me to believe that so much time has past. I suppose it is probably normal, but I’m having a difficult time remembering life PA (pre-Anna). Currently almost everything I do during the day revolves around taking care of this cute little being! What did I do before? (work, laundry, dishes, to name a few of the things that I used to do but do not do now!)
Anna is growing like a weed! She’s pretty much able to hold her head up on her own, but we still have bouts of the floppy-newborn head. At her 2-week check-up she was 22 inches in length. We were shocked to find out that her cousin Henry is only 24 inches and he’s over 4 months old! As Neal likes to joke, we’re in contact with WNBA recruiters already. I’m anxious to see how much she’s grown by the time we go in for her next doctor’s appointment. One month old brings us to the point where most of her newborn clothing no longer fits! Her 0-3 month clothing just fits and in some cases is getting a little snug. Time for me to go shopping. And for those of you who know me, this is a daunting task.
I’m finally feeling better - not 100%, but decidedly better than before. I have a doctor’s visit coming in the next couple of weeks and hopefully my iron levels will have returned to normal. It is tough being tired and weak all the time - especially with a newborn that doesn’t yet sleep through the night! I think another part of the “feeling better” has to do with my comfort level with Anna. That’s not to say that I understand why she freaks out sometimes and screams bloody murder, but I do understand that those noises she makes while sleeping aren’t anything to worry about, and that the scrunched up face she makes usually indicates that a diaper change is in my future. I guess you could say we’re getting to know one another.
Max is looking skinny these days. We think it is the stress - that or he’s just shedding his winter coat. I like to think it is the latter. He’s supremely interested in Anna and enjoys sniffing her head and car-carrier, but when she starts crying he seeks out quiet hiding places in the basement. He’s certainly missing all the attention he used to get and has begun acting like a small child who misbehaves only to have someone pay attention to him. I often feel like a broken record when it comes to Max - “no, no, no.” We have one chair that will never be the same because he’s taken to scratching the crap out of it - especially in our presence. Luckily the weather is warming up so that we can take Max outside on his lead. This tends to calm the savage beast (actually it wears him out what with all the birds to watch and grass to eat).
So as you can see, life here at the Enssle/Hess house is going well. We’re all a little sleep-deprived (including Max), but enjoying ourselves. Hopefully we’ll have some new pictures soon. I need to upload them from the camera.
April 13th, 2006
Yesterday we took Anna to the doctor’s for her second week checkup. So far so good — she’s a healthy little kid. Our goal for week two was to make sure she made it back to her birth weight, and on Friday she tipped the scales at 8 lbs. 4 oz. (And yes, she seems to carry most of that weight in her cheeks). She’s also grown another inch, putting her at 22 inches long. We’ll be starting talks with the WNBA soon.
Tara’s making progress as well, though she’s still not quite out of the woods as far as the anemia is concerned. We’ll probably try to get her in for a checkup here in the near future, just to make sure her iron levels are getting back to normal.
April 1st, 2006
Our nephew Ben Steadman passed away peacefully this morning in the arms of his mother and father, a little after 7:00am. At six years old he was one of the most sensitive, charming, and courageous people I’ve ever had the chance to know.
We’ll be spending time with our family over the next few days. We’ll post information about the memorial service as soon as we know more.
Update: A memorial service and reception for Ben will be held at First Evangelical Lutheran Church in Longmont on Tuesday, April 4th at 2:00pm in the afternoon. The viewing starts at 12:30pm. All are welcome. Please check here or on the Steadman family blog for more detailed information in the coming days.
Update: Dean posted details about the memorial service.
March 29th, 2006
Yesterday morning Dean called me to say that things looked pretty bad for Ben, and that we should consider coming over soon to say goodbye. Before we could get ourselves moving, however, my aunt Peg called to say that the nurses thought things were a little too hectic at the house and that all the congregated family were going to leave to give Ben and Dean and Melinda some peace — could they come over and hang out at our house?
We were sorry to not be able to see Ben, but happy to be able to open our doors and provide a refuge for my aunt and my cousins. We had some lunch and talked a little about our fears for Ben and his parents. But after a few hours with no news folks decided to retire to their own homes, to their own personal waiting.
Debbie had promised to make a pot roast for Dean and Melinda, and later in the evening I took the food over to their house, unannounced. They welcomed me into their darkened livingroom where Ben and some of the rest of the family were lying on the couch, everyone listening to the silence and warmth.
Ben lay quiet and motionless, asleep. I hugged Dean, and kissed Ben on the cheek with a whispered goodbye to a boy who’s taught us so much about courage in the short time he’s been with us.
We will miss you Ben.
March 29th, 2006
I just heard from my cousin Dean about twenty minutes ago. For the past few days our nephew Ben’s been extremely tired, has had terrible, unrelenting headaches, and hasn’t been able to keep food down. The went to the hospital yesterday and have learned that Ben’s tumor has grown by more than 50% in the last three weeks. The doctors have told them to start planning in terms of days, not weeks.
Ben’s home again now, and Hospice will be starting to make regular visits to ensure that Ben’s in as little pain as possible.
Here’s an excerpt from Dean in the Steadman’s blog:
We’re preparing Ben and Madie with the information that they need to face the events to come. I have no idea exactly what that means, but I know in my heart that Ben will be free from his cancer and pain. I have faith in an existence beyond our understanding and find comfort with Ben knowing more about it than I do. I am blessed to have had this time to learn from him.
I still don’t understand how this could happen to such a wonderful family. Ben, Madie, Dean, and Melinda — you are all in our prayers.
March 27th, 2006
Little Anna is one week old today! She had her first doctor’s visit since leaving the hospital, and she’s been given a clean bill of health. She’s gaining weight (she’s up to a whopping 7 lbs. 10 oz. after having dropped to 7 lbs. 7 oz. upon her departure from the hospital), and the jaundice has been declared a non-issue. So she’s a healthy kid!
Tara got a checkup too, and the doctor agrees that the headache is most likely related to her anemia. More iron, more water, and more rest should do the trick over the next few days.
March 22nd, 2006
I’ve posted a few more photos of wee Anna. Check out the photos page where she’s got her very own album.
And everyone’s doing well. Anna’s been sleeping and eating well, and her jaundice seems to be clearing up nicely. She’ll go for her first doctor’s visit tomorrow, so watch for an update sometime thereafter.
Tara’s doing better too. Her headache is almost gone and so she’s feeling better about life in general. It’s hard when bending over to pick up your baby makes you woozy, but I think she’s over the worst of it.
March 21st, 2006
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