Thursday, February 25, 2010

Shunt Happens.

Ok, so Madison is 8 months old today. (cannot believe how fast it's going by!) From day one we have been watching her closely for any definite signs that she needed a shunt. We knew the odds were not in our favor, but she was doing great and showing no symptoms of increased pressure on her brain...so we were optimistic. Our neurosurgeon told us if Maddie made to her first birthday without a shunt, she was 95% confident that she would not need one at all....


So, with our eyes on the prize we continued to watch her and hope that we would be the exception. She made it to 6 months. At the 6 month check up with our pediatrician her head circumference, which had already been off the charts, took another disappointing jog away from the curve. So an appointment and CT was scheduled, and the neurosurgeon told us what we already knew..Madison would have to have the shunt. So yeah, we were bummed, but you do what you have to do, and we knew it was the best thing for her.

In the midst of all this, some friends of ours gave birth to their first baby...a beautiful baby boy. We were shocked to learn that the baby was found to have spina bifida. The odds of having a baby with SB are about 1 in 1500...so, the odds of this happening to us and them, all within a year...ridiculous. This news rocked me all over again. All of the pain I felt when we found out about Madison came rushing back and I was truly heartbroken for them. At least I have the benefit of knowing, with absolute certainty, that it gets easier, and everything actually will be OK. Now if I can convince them of that, I'll sleep good again.

So the shunt surgery was last Thursday, and yep I was scared. But she did great, and she continues to do so. We are watching her very closely and she has another CT set for next week, so we'll see for sure that everything is working right. And hopefully it is.

So now a few pics from the shunt experience...











Bright and early on our way to Children's




Sweet girl got so upset over the blood work,

she went right to sleep once it was done







...and now for some fun with hospital gowns















The goofy juice was kicking in, and in spite
of the knot in my throat, I found it impossible
not to smile back at this face.




Off she went...hiccuping all the way down the hall :)






and when she finally woke up....sort of.






Sweet girl tried to play with her toys, but she was pretty zonked






Eventually she gave up and fell asleep, keys in hand.







10 comments:

  1. She is so darn cute and looks at those legs kicking in her gown! I'm glad the surgery went well. I think the hardest part about surgery is the pre-op room and having to say good-bye to your little one. That sent me into tears when we had to do it.
    I love your blog. I'm adding it to my blog list. Take care! Megan
    http://meinhardts.blogspot.com

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  2. I love the personal touches you added to the hospital bed - blanket, stuffed animals. I hope things continue to go well with the recovery and you get great results next week from the CT scan.

    Liz
    babykeicher2009.blogspot.com

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  3. Aw, even after a big surgery she still looks so good! :) I'm with Megan...look at those legs kicking!! Woo Hoo! Love the blog!

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  4. She is adorable Selina. I can't even imagine all the emotions that u go thru on a daily basis, but I do know that u have incredible faith. Faith knowing that God will get u thru the next step. Please keep blogging. I know I want to keep reading, and I think it will help u with all of ur emotions. We def need to get together soon. Love and continued prayers, everyday, Kristine and family.
    PS....Love that blanket!!!! ;)LOL

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  5. I need a blankie like that! Ohhhhh and those legs up in the air! Only other SB moms would find such great JOY in these pictures! Love it!

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  6. Super sweet girl. So sorry about the shunt but glad she is doing so well. We will pray that she continues to do well.

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  7. despite what was going on this day, these pics are so sweet.

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  8. These pics are so sweet and so reminiscent of Jet's shunt surgery (also at 6 months!). It really shook me when we were told Jet would need a shunt after all - we were so hopeful as I'm sure you can relate. I cried right there - not the first time in front of a doctor - but I usually keep it together till I get in the car. lol. He did great - has been great ever since and I'm so glad your little Madison got the care she needed and seems to be doing well too! Jet and Madison are very close in age - almost exactly a month apart as Jet turned 9 months on Feb 26th! :) I'm so glad you found us, so happy to meet you, and so thrilled to have another sweet baby to follow.

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  9. Madison is so cute, and I love your blog title! It says things perfectly.

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