there is so much wonderful news to share that I hardly know where to begin! let me start by saying that the Lord has been so faithful to us. ever so much more than I could ever begin to deserve in three lifetimes of living like Mother Theresa. I have been given the desire of my heart-- TWO wonderful, healthy (did I ever think I'd say that about Keagan?), flourishing sons (one due in November). I am overwhelmed.
first of all, Keagan's Chiari Malformation has stabilized. there are no signs of ill effects, other than of course his balance and the issues we already manage on a regular basis. we have another check up and MRI in October to take another peek, but our neurosurgeon sees no reason to consider an operation at this point. he also firmly ruled out Autism in any form!
his speech is improving by leaps and bounds, to say the very, very least. anyone who has known him the past year would agree, he's barely recognizable in his speech patterns from the time he lost his speech abilities last winter until today. he continues to work with a speech therapist weekly, and James and I work with him consistently at home to help move him forward. I have zero complaints, because the amount of work that we have put into him is exponentially showing, and who could say that their child isn't a worthwhile investment of time and effort?
we were seen by a geneticist, who said that his chromosomal deletion was very small-- we're still waiting on test results of James and me to see if they hold any significance or not, but they would answer the question of "why" he struggles with his speech. while that answer would be nice to pinpoint, he is improving so much, as I mentioned above, so it's not really a 911 priority for us mentally.
and finally, and best of all, Keagan went to the cardiologist today. at almost exactly 3 months post open heart surgery, the doctor says that there are NO SIGNS of damage remaining. the thickening f the walls of his heart is GONE, and while he has a "soft" heart murmur-- that may never go away-- he is 100% within normal range of a normal child. what a beautiful word to hear-- normal!
I firmly believe that all of the prayers sent up on our behalf have brought us to this point. we have had the most wonderful support through our journey to Death's door and back, and I thank every single person who has been a part of our support system. it is world wide!
it absolutely blows my mind to consider that less than a year ago, we had ZERO hope for Keagan to live a normal life neurologically, and 6 months ago, we were looking at an impending death sentence with his heart beginning to fail-- at TWO YEARS OLD. now? we're considering little league next spring. he starts school after his 3rd birthday. he will be a big brother soon. he's potty training (hallelujah!!) successfully. he's singing songs, learning his colors, helping with household chores (he loves to fold laundry and wash dishes... we'll work on effectiveness later). to say, "but he seems fine," is now a wonderful, wonderful statement-- because while he does stand at risk of progression with his CM, and he is still at risk for heart problems when he is older... right now, today, he IS fine. and that's all that this mother could dream of or hope for.
Zephaniah 3:17 (NIV): "The Lord your God is with you, the Mighty Warrior who saves. He will take great delight in you; in His love He will no longer rebuke you, but will rejoice over you with singing."
Psalm 17: 6-7 (NIV): "I call on you, my God, for you will answer me; turn your ear to me and hear my prayer. Show me the wonders of your heart's love, you who save by your right hand those who take refuge in you from their foes."
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