We're still around with lots to share

The Type A in me is going to have to post multiple entries to relay all the recent Emma info.  I just can't handle putting it all into one big entry.  And no one wants to read one big entry.

So let me start with Shriner's.  Last week at Shriner's, we saw Emma's urologist, neurosurgeon, and orthopedist.  Emma is no longer on her antibiotics to prevent bladder infections.  She's going to be tested again in a few months to make sure it hasn't come back.  If the UTI DOES come back, that means her bladder isn't totally emptying, and we may have to start cathing her, which would totally depress me and probably send me into a four-day depression slumber.   We told Dr. Troup that Emma's whole left leg from hip to foot twitches very quickly sometimes, so he's ordering an EEG to make sure she's not having seizures.  He doesn't think she is, but he wants to make sure.  The EEG involves bringing her to the hospital sleep-deprived (sleep-DEPRIVED, not sleepy).  I think I'd rather play in traffic, but that seems to be the story with so many of Emma's medical tests.  Her orthopedist said that Emma can stay in her stander for longer than 30 minutes each day, which is a great thing considering she LOVES it, and it's a great chance to get some housework accomplished.

The next thing I'll mention is that Emma has been accepted by the hospital for the VitalStim therapy!  This was obviously one of my goals, but I'm not done.  I'm not a parent they can just get off their backs simply because they offered this therapy to MY daughter.  As I've said before, I feel led to be an advocate for other kids whose parents don't know how to be.  I'm still working on this aspect of it....but as for Emma, she's going to have a swallow study soon and then move forward with the VitalStim therapy.  She'll have this therapy twice a week for twelve weeks and hopefully be more effective at swallowing.

This is it for part one of my catch-up entry, plus a few more looks back at last year:

April 15, 2010

April 16, 2010