June 19, 2005 Update
Dear Family and Friends,
HAPPY FATHERS DAY TO ALL THE DADDY’S AND GRANDPA’S! It has been a while since we have written, so we thought we would say HELLO!
Our little Jacy is going to be 3 months old next week… hard to believe! She weighs 7lbs. 15 oz. And is 19 ½ inches long! Growing like a weed! =) She is doing great and brings so much joy and happiness into our home.
She had an MRI of her spine and brain on Thursday and we met with her new Neurosurgeon here at the Phoenix Children’s Hospital (We miss you Dr. Gupta!). She had to be sedated for the MRI, which was hard for me, but she did great! The MRI showed that the ventricles in her brain are enlarged but seem to be stable, so shunts are still not needed at this time. The Dr. even made the comment that he didn’t feel that she would ever need shunts, but of coarse that is no guarantee. She also has a condition called the Chiari II malformation, which is when the brain is positioned further down the spinal column that it should be. Her condition is very slight, and the Dr. doesn’t expect it to cause any future problems. All good news! The not so good news is that she also has a condition called a tethered cord, which means that the her spinal cord attached itself to the scar tissue after the fetal surgery repair was made. As she grows her spinal cord may be stretched because it is stuck down or tethered at the lower end. Symptoms of this can include a curvature of the spine, loss of motor or sensory abilities, and changes in the bowel and bladder function. If we start to see signs of any of these symptoms then she would need to have another surgery to release the spine, which would help prevent further damage. Her new urologist indicated that her bladder function remains the same and wants us to continue her current medication. One of the warnings on her medication is “DO NOT BECOME OVERHEATED AS THIS MEDICATION CAN CAUSE HEATSTROKE”. That has made us a little nervous considering our weather has been in the triple digits…It has already been as high as 113 degrees!!! We are very careful not to keep her out in the heat for too long.
Jacy is a wonderful traveler and loves road trips! We have already been to St. John’s for her Uncle Jaylen’s high school graduation, to Show Low to see some of her grandparents, and to Christopher Creek to enjoy some nice weather at the cabin. The week of June 27th will be her first annual trip to Roosevelt Lake! We can’t find a swimming suit that is small enough for her! =)
Jay’s parents and sister were able to come and visit us for a couple of days. It was wonderful to have them here with us. We have encouraged them to make their next trip during the winter when the weather is nicer and not so hot! =)
Jacy has just met the weight requirment this past week to use her baby swing and a backpack that I can carry her around in. We are having fun with the new toys! Jacy loves her baby swing. It puts her right to sleep!
I have created a new web-site page to post pictures and share family news. Please check it out. You also able to leave comments or post news if you wish. We hope that you will have fun and enjoy watching Jacy grow!
Much love to you all!
Jody
HAPPY FATHERS DAY TO ALL THE DADDY’S AND GRANDPA’S! It has been a while since we have written, so we thought we would say HELLO!
Our little Jacy is going to be 3 months old next week… hard to believe! She weighs 7lbs. 15 oz. And is 19 ½ inches long! Growing like a weed! =) She is doing great and brings so much joy and happiness into our home.
She had an MRI of her spine and brain on Thursday and we met with her new Neurosurgeon here at the Phoenix Children’s Hospital (We miss you Dr. Gupta!). She had to be sedated for the MRI, which was hard for me, but she did great! The MRI showed that the ventricles in her brain are enlarged but seem to be stable, so shunts are still not needed at this time. The Dr. even made the comment that he didn’t feel that she would ever need shunts, but of coarse that is no guarantee. She also has a condition called the Chiari II malformation, which is when the brain is positioned further down the spinal column that it should be. Her condition is very slight, and the Dr. doesn’t expect it to cause any future problems. All good news! The not so good news is that she also has a condition called a tethered cord, which means that the her spinal cord attached itself to the scar tissue after the fetal surgery repair was made. As she grows her spinal cord may be stretched because it is stuck down or tethered at the lower end. Symptoms of this can include a curvature of the spine, loss of motor or sensory abilities, and changes in the bowel and bladder function. If we start to see signs of any of these symptoms then she would need to have another surgery to release the spine, which would help prevent further damage. Her new urologist indicated that her bladder function remains the same and wants us to continue her current medication. One of the warnings on her medication is “DO NOT BECOME OVERHEATED AS THIS MEDICATION CAN CAUSE HEATSTROKE”. That has made us a little nervous considering our weather has been in the triple digits…It has already been as high as 113 degrees!!! We are very careful not to keep her out in the heat for too long.
Jacy is a wonderful traveler and loves road trips! We have already been to St. John’s for her Uncle Jaylen’s high school graduation, to Show Low to see some of her grandparents, and to Christopher Creek to enjoy some nice weather at the cabin. The week of June 27th will be her first annual trip to Roosevelt Lake! We can’t find a swimming suit that is small enough for her! =)
Jay’s parents and sister were able to come and visit us for a couple of days. It was wonderful to have them here with us. We have encouraged them to make their next trip during the winter when the weather is nicer and not so hot! =)
Jacy has just met the weight requirment this past week to use her baby swing and a backpack that I can carry her around in. We are having fun with the new toys! Jacy loves her baby swing. It puts her right to sleep!
I have created a new web-site page to post pictures and share family news. Please check it out. You also able to leave comments or post news if you wish. We hope that you will have fun and enjoy watching Jacy grow!
Much love to you all!
Jody
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