Monday, October 23, 2006

Out of the hospital

We are finally getting settled back in from Camerans stay at the hosptial last week. If you missed out on all the action it was all due to her left leg. Sunday the 15th she had one of those new left sided seizures and when she did that she was not able to walk. Being her left leg just noodled out! Her Ped thought nothing of it like her Neuro, they both thought it was just weakness from the new seizures "Atonic" as he called them. Anywho come Tuesday she still couldn't walk so we gave the Neuros office a call just to let them know as instructed and this is when we where instructed to take her to the ER in Nashville. So we did and of course that call was at 5:00pm so we didn't get down there until 7:30. The ER was packed full of sick kids we where just praying we wouldn't catch anything while there. Lord knows we have enough problems. Anyhow 2 hours into our wait we finally got a room back in the ER here they observed her and asked the million questions and watched her try to walk. They went ahead with a CT Scan no problems there just some sinus stuff and a chest X-ray it showed a small haze spot from her cough. They where worried of her really heavy breathing and every dr and nurse that came in the room would say does she always breath like that. Of course we said yes shes been doing it ever since this summer and no one can figure it out. Seemed they where more concerned of that than her leg at the time. Well after 5 hours in the ER they finally admitted us that being 3:00am. Poor baby girl was exhausted (so was mommy and daddy)! Once in the room they did more questions and stats and during this time the nurse witnessed one of her left sided seizures. This called for a upped med for the time being so they upped her Keppra to 2.5ml this seemed to help since we haven't seen one of those kinds since that night.
Well after 3 hours of sleep another day arose for more tests. They had her hooked up to an IV 1st thing for her MRI that went smoothly, next it was x-rays of her legs and hips. We got results later that day, x-rays where fine, MRI came back with two things. One- they found a small lesion in her Cerebelum which they said was there at her 1st scan a year ago(which we knew nothing about) and it was the same size so no worries(yeah right, that is all I have thought about)! Next thing was something like Malutrations(I have no idea what he said) but he described it as the developing nerves in your brain, said hers where a little behind, so probably why she is not developing right on track. Anyways these 2 things are still no cause for Infantile Spasms. Great news was there was no Tumors or any signs of a Stroke.......YEAH!
Come Thursday they had us in for more tests, 1st one being her EEG. It read terrible lots of seizure activity. Her Neuro was in the room during this, watching it as it went we would see foot and arm twitches that where reading as seziure activity, also still showing hypsarrythmia. But there was NO focus point still generalized and multi focal seizures. He upped her Topamax again totaling 250mg a day....Yikes! Later on that day he ordered a massive lab work. They sent off 7 different tests. Some I heard where Chromosone, Acid, Liver, Kidneys and such. Still waiting on results, the only one we knew of that came back a little high was her Lactic Acid it was 3.2 and its suppose to .5- to something, he wasn't worried. Supposedly that test is how she metabolizes her meds.
Come Friday Cameran was ready to go home. She did make a few friends while there one little boy in praticular named Joshua(sweetie pie 28 months) he got dx w/ Cancer that same Wednesday that we where there. He looked like an angel, bleach blonde hair, crystal blue eyes and fair skin, beautiful! You would here him call out Camry(thats what he called Cameran) looking for her wanting to play so we would take them to the play room. We where on the Cancer wing for kids they where all so sweet! Here's daddy taking the morning rounds of her daily walk that she loved. This was the only thing we could do to keep her from fussing. Late at night mommy was making rounds around the nurses station in the wagon. She was set up pretty good just give me my blanky and I'm good to go! After 20-30 circles everyone started to know us very well. Cameran was letting everyone know that she was awake as she was letting out her only sound she does EWwwEwwwEwwww. Sounds like a little howling puppy dog the nurses loved it.
Cameran had a PT come in and evaluate her walking and balance then later the Neuros came in. What they told us was going on was that she was on too many meds and her body was showing for it. (Hello is that not we have all been saying/thinking). They called it "Ataxia"(sp?) otherwords loss of cordination. They believe it is the Topamax causing it so we are weaning it. The weakness ended up going in to her right leg also. She was doing lots better on Friday so we opted to come on home late that evening. Cameran was very excited of this she was smiling and alughing while walking out of the hospital, those arms and legs where just a going. Come Saturday morning she was ready to move around, she was up trying to walk 1st thing but was still not able. But Sunday she was on the roll of not giving up....Our little fighter! Here's Cameran with Mrs. Yolanda "YO" her favorite nurse. She smiled every time she came in! She was 1st walking out at short distances but she was getting there it was like she was learning how to walk all over again! And today, well she is back to her old self again she is walking with kind of a stiff leg but she is healing and thats wonderful!
On another plus we are down another point on the ACTH and its showing the girl is gracing us with those beautiful smiles again and even some laughter...music to our ears! We hope it all continues, oh and more good news is that the seizures are down to 5-11 range! Hope to soon see those seizures dissappear!
Happy Fall! To see our Family Montage click here: View this video montage created at One True Media
Our Sweet Little Angels

1 comment:

Kelly said...

I am sooooo glad that they finally figured this out! I, too, felt as though she was on a lot of meds, and I was concerned when I would read about what they were putting her on (not what, so much as how MUCH!). I sure hope you get your little girl back, now that her brain isn't going to be so muddled!

We had the same EXACT problem with Topamax and had to take Michaela off of it. And because of it, I'm starting to think that one of her current meds is doing the same thing.....we'll have to see.

I think we know a WHOLE lot more as Moms than some people will give us credit for!