July 2, 2005:  Theresa had her first tast of carrots today.  So far, she has enjoyed these the most.  Not eating much more than before, but the enjoyment is what is important.

 

July 5, 2005:  Today, Theresa went to Texas Children's Hospital for her MRI of her brain.  We knew she was going to have to have anesthesia, but when we got there, they told us that it would be "general" which means that she would have to be intubated and then extubated (always a fear for us that it won't happen immediately.)  I freaked out, and had her pediatric surgeon paged (he was in a long surgery) so I had Dr. Miniati, the fellow that also works with her paged.  He called back and said that there wasn't a problem with it, and that it seemed like the safest route to go.

 

They checked her oxygen saturation levels, and they were 100% (yea!) and took a blood sample to check her potassium levels (since she is still on Lasix).  It took several tries to get her blood, but they finally did (and started her I.V.) at the same time.  We spoke with the anesthesiologist (who happened to see her during her last surgery) and were reassured that general anesthesia was the safest route.  The overall MRI and recovery took the estimated time, and she was able to extubate immediately and was acting normal, though sleepy from the time we were able to see her. 

 

We expected to wait a day or two for the results, but her surgeon, Dr. Cass immediately emailed the report to Tim.  It was fairly inconclusive as to a major cause of her rapid head growth, so we will have to schedule an appointment with a neurologist for more infomormation.  No news is good news, I guess, through frustrating not to have a clear diagnosis.

 

July 7, 2005:  Trying to get an appointment to see a neurologist at TCH is nearly impossiple.  I called to get one, and the EARLIEST appointment is JANUARY 2006!!!  Dr. Cass' office is trying to work an earlier time with a neurologist, but so far, November 2005 is the earliest they can get.  Tim has also been calling other hospitals around the country to see what they think, and if they have anything more convenient. 

 

July 11, 2005:  Finally!  We got a reasonable appointment to see a neurologist.  I think that Dr. Cass had to call the other doctor directly and ask a favor, but we have an appointment for June 19 of THIS year! :)

 

July 15, 2005:  She had her regular 6 month check-up and immunizations today with her local pediatrician.  She weighed 16 lbs 4 oz.  Length was 26 inches and head circumference was 44.5 centimenters.  She is still on all the same growth curves.

 

July 19, 2005:  We met with the Chief Neuro-Surgeon, Dr. Dauser, and though he was brisk in his meeting (we arrived early, and he saw us and we were gone before our initial appointment time had even started!) he is supposedly the best that TCH has to offer in this department.  He said that based on the MRI things still showed Hydrocephalus, but that we can't be sure as to the cause (because her brain isn't formed and there is fluid filling the space, because her body doesn't tell itself how to absorb it properly, because she makes too much fluid, etc)   He also said that the cause doesn't really matter, the treatment is still the same - a shunt placement - which will be placed in her brains' ventricle to drain the fluid in to her abdomen.  We are going to wait another month to see if it will "plateau off" and not need a shunt after all.  This is about 50/50, but since she has had this present since before birth, we are unsure about her personal rate.  Since she is not showing any signs of distress or brain damage, it is safe to wait until next month and reevaluate the situation.

 

July 25, 2005: Theresa rolls well now from side to side.  She will go as far as she can (without actually rolling over) and try to reach toys on either side of her.  We try to move the toys out of her reach, so she has to continue rolling, but, smart girl that she is, she will just use her feet to grab them, or give up and try for something closer.

 

July 27, 2005: 

 Theresa has begun to bear weight on her legs when you hold her upright and put her in the excersaucer.  She used to let them collapse, or draw them up underneath her, but now she will actually "stand" with help.

 

July 29, 2005:  Theresa rolled over (all the way!) from back to stomach to back again!  I think it was an accident (she was reaching for something, and had her pacifier in her mouth, so she scooted herself off the ground to avoid rolling on it) and she seemed very surprised and pleased with what she had done.  I couldn't get her to repeat it, though.

 

July 31, 2005:  From measurements done at home and routine doctor's appointments, her head circumference is still growing.  She still seems happy, though, and we have our appointment set for August 24 to see the neuro-surgeon again. We are on a waiting list for the actual neurologist.  We have also sent her information to another hospital in another state for a second opinion, and hope to hear from them regarding their thoughts on this before we proceed with a surgery.