Thursday, March 4

Good News!!

So sorry to just now be updating the blog! We got good news last week from neuro - they had the neurosurgeon review Bryce's MRI and he said that he was very happy with it. We still have our regular follow up in June but if that looks good they very well might not ask to see him again for a year. Their goal has always been to get him in only once a year for regular check ups on the shunt's function.

This week Bryce had his monthly assessment with his physical therapist. She went over the expected motor development milestones for Bryce's corrected age with me. It was quite enlightening. He's doing great on his gross motor skills. Some examples of gross motor skills are: maintains balance while sitting (which Bryce doesn't do yet but is making great progress on), extends arms and legs off surface while laying on stomach and holds head in alignment when tilted from side to side.

On the other hand, his fine motor skills are quite lacking. Though Caleb and I are convinced that he's heard us saying this quite a bit in the last few days and has begun already trying to prove his parents wrong - already. Some examples of fine motor skills are picks up rattle (nope - couldn't care less about said rattle most of the time), grasps and holds cube, engages fingers in mutual touching while lying on back. The last, with the fingers, Bryce has been doing for awhile now but most of the finer motor skills are where he's lacking.

His therapist explained to me that when Bryce first came home the goals for physical therapy (PT) vs. occupational therapy (OT) would have overlapped significantly. But as Bryce grows each will encompass more and more separate tasks. She suggested we get Bryce into OT a couple of times a week to try to get a head start on this.

Of course, with Bryce's history of IVH (brain bleeds), hydrocephalus and possible seizures we expected there would be lots of therapy in his future. And I'm optimistic that with all the therapy we can get him into we'll be able to positively effect his outcome. Whatever an outcome might be.

So if I have to spend every minute of my day waiting for a therapist to call us back, schedule this, that or the other, or calling to pester some home health company into doing their job than I gladly will.

The other recent event, the one we are most excited about, is that Bryce had a visit with the pulmonologist last Friday. He said that they've already seen a huge drop off in flu and RSV for the season so we can start gradually taking Bryce out around people. Hallelujah!

Caleb and I just love and adore Bryce so much and we want to show him to the world! Not to mention we're feeling a little, okay a lot, like old hermits. But as the weather grows sunnier and warmer the risk reduces and Bryce is getting more and more interested in what goes on around him. It's all very exiting!