Keeping you up to date...

Hello again!

Our plans changed again last week, as it seems they are doing with some regularity since Dylan was born- even before he was born.

We canceled his consult about the herniated umbilical cord. It just didn't make sense to drive all the way into Gainseville and to wait at least an hour to see the doctor, for something that we aren't really all that concerned about anymore. In fact, the bulb where his belly button should be has actually gotten quite a bit smaller recently. We'll continue to keep an eye on it, and we'll definitely ask his new pediatrician about it as well.

Which brings me to my next point- We canceled his pediatrician appointment also. Neither Barbara nor I were impressed with the pediatrician we selected. The fact that she works as the only doctor in her office, the fact that she seemed to not have time to answer questions, listen to concerns, among other things, all led to us finding him another doctor. His first appointment with them will be Oct 1.

What we did not cancel, however, was his NICU reunion. We were happy to head to Gainseville for that. Dylan was quite impressed with things. He got to see Elaine and Judah, his physical therapist and social worker from the NICU, also a couple of the nurses who took care of him and Doctor Baines and her daughter as well. He even got to meet his first celebrity. Mother Goose was there, signing some books for the children. We made sure Dylan got an autographed copy. It was nice to see the familiar faces and talk to some other NICU parents about our shared experience there. Dylan was a big hit with everyone who saw him. Those that new him from the NICU were all amazed at how much bigger he has gotten and how bright his eyes are and how they light up when he smiles. It was a good time for all.

Keep your eyes on the blog for a special poll to be held in the first or second week of October. It seems that we are having a very difficult time deciding what costume Dylan will wear for Halloween. We'll be posting pictures of Dylan in each of the four possibilities for you to vote on to help us make our selection.

Until next time...

Change in plans

Well... we thought we had an MRI scheduled for Dylan, with a follow up with a neurosurgeon. The neurosurgeon thinks otherwise.

We got a call today from his office. We were told that the neurosurgeon looked over Dylan's chart and does not see the necessity for an additional MRI, especially given the fact that he has already had three. His main concern is any unnecessary exposure to additional radiation. Considering the lack of abnormal head growth, the encouraging results of the last MRI done and the fact that Dylan has exhibited no symptoms of any continuing problems related to the hydrocephalus, it really does not make much sense to do it. I never knew there was any radiation involved in an MRI. I never looked too far into it, but I always thought they were radiation free. Live and learn, I guess.

The curious thing is this, though: If this is the case, why did the neurologist not come to the same conclusion? Is it just a matter of a more aggressive approach vs. a more conservative one? Did the neurologist simply not look deep enough into Dylan's chart and look at the "big picture"? Whatever the reason, I just wish that the docs could all get on the same page.

In other news, something I left out in my post yesterday... Dylan was at his first party last weekend. He helped us celebrate his Mom's birthday. In fact, he even bought Barbara a very nice pendant for her birthday that say "Mom". OK, maybe he had a little help with that, but as he proved on Father's Day, he can definitely shop with the best of them. I guess he appreciates having such a super Mom. He was very well behaved, although I think he may have had a little too much to drink. He drank himself to the point of passing out. That breast milk packs quite a punch, I hear.

Anyway, I just wanted to give you all a quick update about the MRI appointment. More news as it comes...

What's new, and what's not...

In spite of the title, there's really not much new going on. Dylan is still the world's most gorgeous baby, he still lights up the room with his smile, and he still has his mom and dad wrapped around his tiny little fingers.

We do, however, have a busy couple of weeks coming up. Next week, Dylan will be seen for a consult on his herniated umbilical cord, he get's his second round of vaccinations, and he's going to his first reunion (more on that later).

The consult about the umbilical cord is probably unnecessary, but it will help settle our minds about it. A herniated umbilical cord is typically nothing of concern, but it can and very occasionally will become strangulated and lead to serious complications. At the time that we made the appointment to have it looked at, Dylan was rather constipated and acting very fussy. The bulge had also grown quite a bit since he was released from the NICU. These can be signs of a problem with the hernia, so we opted for the more cautious(paranoid?) route. Of course, these can also be signs of a normal baby. I'm sure it will be an uneventful appointment.

I'm hoping that his appointment for his shots goes as well as his first visit to his pediatrician. He tolerated the first round of vaccinations very well and he impressed his mom and I very much. If he has the same lack of reaction to them as he did last time, I will be very happy about that. Who wants to see their child upset and uncomfortable?

As for the reunion, that's something that I know Barbara and I are looking forward to, and we think Dylan is as well. The NICU has a reunion planned for their former patients. Although we have stopped in to see some members of his care team when we are in Gainseville, there are some nurses we haven't seen and that we would like to say "thanks" to and show off our beautiful boy to. The flyer says they also have some "fun activities" planned, but I somehow think that Dylan may be a bit young for them yet. Maybe at next year's reunion though. :)

I'll let you all know how things went with all of the appointments in my next post.