Had a good night!

Chad had a good night, (he might not agree)

He wants to sleep all through the night.

He is improving using less IV drugs gets him closer to home

Getting up out of bed is good for him but he is not fond of it.

 

His head is swollen today. They may or may not

take off the dressing today. He is not eating much at all.

 

 

He complains less that the last surgery, he was very

ready to go home last time. Now he is just enduring.

 

On to another day @ Swedish. :)

It's done! ABI installed and tested well :)

Hi all,

We are in the hospital here @ Swedish.

Chad got out of the ICU at about 1 pm this afternoon.

 

He is doing well.

His Dr. wants him up and about.

More time in the Chair than in the bed.

He hurts alot .

They took the cochlea out and the Cochlear implant out.

 

Taking the cochlea out left a gap in his head.

So they took some fat from his stomach

and put it in his head. He thought

that they should take some from his butt so he could literally be a "Butthead".

 

He also had a question "If you are what you eat then I am drugs,

If I am drugs why don't I have alot of girlfriends who are

already addicted to me?"

 

So his sense of humor is not absent through this.

 

That is my update. Have a nice weekend!

ABI surgery tomorrow Dec. 7th!

Hi all readers...

I apologize for not updating sooner, however I have been very busy.

The surgery was moved from the 11th to the 7th.

Which is tomorrow. (eek!)

 

We met with some of the surgical team last week

for our pre-op appointment and learned some

scary stuff. I will tell you about it after it's over.

 

This surgery has never been done at the hospital

we are going to. Swedish Cherry Hill campus.

 

Dr. Backous, Dr. Mayberg are the brain surgeons performing

this surgery and they have never done it before. (no stress here!)

 

However they are flying Dr. Marc Schwartz

from the house clinic in L.A. to assist or

teach is a better term to use.

 

The Cochlear America is sending people.

 

Needless to say the cold Chad has had for the past 4 weeks,

has been causing stress the last few days.

They don't want him to cough after surgery.

Apparently you can leak spinal fluid if you cough.

 

So... We are packing up and heading in out in a few minutes

to drive over there.

 

We are nervous! Wish us luck, or prayers on Chad's behalf would

be greatly appreciated!

 

I will update Friday or Saturday!

 



Auditory Brainstem implant.... Dec. 11th!

Got a call from Dr. Backous's team today.

Auditory Brain stem Implant surgery....tentatively Dec. 11th.

Should be firmed up by the end of the week.

It could be canceled if the insurance decides not to approve.

 

 

There will be a team of three Neurosurgeon's

Dr. Backous

Dr. Mayberg

Marc S. Schwartz, M.D. who is flying up from L.A.

 

 

Click here: for more info regarding ABI's and how they work.

 

The link above takes you to a page from

the "House" clinic in Los Angeles.

 

 

We have been having a rough time with migraines

associated with the initial craniotomy surgery back in April.

 

We added a new doctor... a neurologist.

He gave us new medicine, we got that regulated and went

6 days without a migraine.

Then he wrestled a little with his brother and...

You guessed it Migraine.

 

He also got new medicine for the actual migraine and it

helps alot. Brings his pain level down from a 7 to a 5 in 15 min.

It's AWESOME!

Sucky day....

I will update with pictures soon but...

We withdrew Chad from school today.

He just can't do it. His head hurts so bad

he can't go to school.

That was DEPRESSING!

 

Then we went to see his ENT who had placed a call

to his doctor in Seattle. They have decided that the

Cochlear implant is not going to work.

 

The next step is an ABI Auditory Brain stem Implant.

It is similar looking on the outside to a CI.

It bypasses the cochlea all together and goes

straight to the brain stem.

 

 

His doctor had mentioned that was the next step.

I thought it could be done at any time or at least at a

later date. It can't. :(

If you don't use the stuff in the brain for what it is supposed

to be used for then the brain uses it somewhere else.

 

You have to place a Cochlear Implant or an ABI

within the first 12 months of the tumor removal surgery

or the brain will start taking the nerves etc.

 

We hit six months today.

The longer you wait the less chance of success.

ABI takes a month to be approved by Insurance, and

the Cochlear Company.

 

So... we have to decide very soon.

I mean... Chad has to decide very soon,

really within the next two weeks if he wants to

have surgery A G A I N. :(

 

Recovery from brain surgery is sooooooooo

SOOOOOO  SO SO SO SO BAD!

 

Besides... He was still having pain from

the other two surgeries, that's why we withdrew him.

 

FYI ABI gives you only sound awareness. Not

word recognition.

 

THIS IS A TOUGH DECISION.

IT IS A SUCKY DAY!

 



Grateful for this blog today...

I was scrolling through these pictures and blog posts.

Many I am so grateful I have done this.

There is NO WAY I could explain what has happened in my life with

out all this! Thank you also to my friend Patsy for introducing

me to blogging many years ago. 

Awesome Cheney sunset after a very dusty extremely windy day.

 

So Blake turned 16 this past Sunday.

This was his cake. It was awesome.

 

White Chocolate Frito m&m popcorn. :)

The friends at his party!

 My parents came for a visit and they camped

at Riverside campground in Spokane.

They took us to this cool bridge.

Then the boys went for a walk...

 

And a climb (you can see the two dots at the top?

Hmmmm it's been 4 1/2 months since brain surgery.

I wonder if he's steady enough to climb up there?

 So here he is shimmying back across the looks to be

very unsteady tree. UGH Boys. I told my mom...

if we don't look then they will come back faster.

She gave up and went to the car :)

 Things are going well here. The boys are meeting lots of new people.

People here are very friendly. We are happy for the change.