Back to School, Back to Primary's

First Day of 8th Grade

Actually those two don't necessarily correlate, but they both happened this week anyway. 

Like I said a couple posts ago, it's been a busy summer. Andrew came home, Joseph got married, puppies are growing, school and football started, and Aaron stayed home unless it was for fun things.

Lone Peak Maroon & Gold Game

Until yesterday.

Last April we struggled with seizure-like activity that calmed with increased meds. June was not fun, and then we did okay.

He did continue to have "spells" but they were relatively benign, very little if any impact on his vitals. But still, they occurred. And then more often, and more often, and started to impact his breathing, or at least his oxygenation.

Puppies!

The past week or two they've really picked up. He went from one or two a week to one most days. And from there to a few each day. And they started affecting his sats again. By Friday he had at least two significant spells that dropped him down into the low 60's. During the night there were a few more and then Saturday morning were even more.

So I gave up.  

Visiting with Gramma & Grampa

I mean, I had things to do, plans made, but they went out the window. 

The good news is that I got him here myself instead of calling for help.  

Nephew Elend thinks Aaron's tubes are fun!

We're not quite sure what's going on. I know his pulmonary pressures were up significantly because when I put a probe on his right hand and his left foot we had an 18 point gap in his sat rates, so he got an emergency dose of heart meds. 

He is "performing" up here. He had one in front of cardiology, one as we were transitioning to the neurotrauma floor (neuro for him trauma for me, just kidding, mostly).   Three more before midnight and then two more just before shift change.  So now we try to plan. Cardiology and neurology are being looped in.  Good news is that most of his labs and x-rays look really good, but that also means we're not sure where exactly to look, why this is happening. 

Fun times before Jonny, Avanlee & Elend 
go back to Saudi Arabia

So there we are. 

Stylin' for Joseph's Wedding

It looks like his heart is struggling as well as his brain (seizures). Why those two go together in this situation, I'm not quite sure. Is the brain driving the heart? Or is the heart pushing the brain?

We got eight really good weeks at home and we're back.  I AM grateful for the help we receive here. I just wish my boy didn't struggle so much.  Sometimes I really hurt for my little hero.

A hero is an ordinary individual who finds the strength to persevere and endure in spite of overwhelming obstacles. 

-Christopher Reeve