Well, we finally have a true update in Gwendolyn’s latest saga.
Firstly, with the neurosurgeon so adamant that additional brain surgery is unnecessary, I’ve been told that is no longer a real option. Besides, if the neurosurgeon won’t perform the procedure, then is it really brain surgery?!?!?
Of course my next question was to figure out where we go from here. Well, the pulmonologist called in the plastic surgeon for a consult. The latest theory is that her jaw sits farther back than is typically the case. As a result, her tongue is partially closing off her airway when she sleeps as well as partially gagging her when she feeds.
We had an MRI today to get a sense for exactly how far back her jaw is sitting structurally. We’ve also got a sleep study scheduled for later this month to see how it’s working functionally. The combination of the results from each of those will help the plastic surgeon decide if she’ll need corrective jaw surgery.
Additionally, she’s been put on an apnea monitor. That term is a little misleading because it not only measures the breaths she takes (or neglects to take) but her heart rate as well. The pulmonologist wanted to observe her for a couple of days with this monitor. Assuming no serious red flags arise (i.e. the return of regular apnea spells or an increasingly high heart rate) we’ll be discharged in days and await word following our sleep study. It sounds like we’ll be sent home with the apnea monitor as a precaution. She’ll also remain on the feeding tube for the short term as well. The thought there is that if she does require corrective jaw surgery, they know she’d have to have the feeding tube in during her recovery anyway and moving her on and off then back on and off again could be stressful for her.
So, the good news is that after a couple of days with nothing happening at all, the ball has gotten rolling once again.
In other news Heather is doing better but still feels quite rundown from her illness. I’m doing much better on my end. Braelyn is still trying to figure out if she’s an only child after all or if that other girl she shared a womb with for 38 weeks will be coming back for another two-week visit sometime soon.
;)
So that’s your Castellano update for Wednesday. Oh, the picture at the top of this entry is another one from our newborn photo session. Fingers crossed that all goes well and that we get discharged this weekend!
Firstly, with the neurosurgeon so adamant that additional brain surgery is unnecessary, I’ve been told that is no longer a real option. Besides, if the neurosurgeon won’t perform the procedure, then is it really brain surgery?!?!?
Of course my next question was to figure out where we go from here. Well, the pulmonologist called in the plastic surgeon for a consult. The latest theory is that her jaw sits farther back than is typically the case. As a result, her tongue is partially closing off her airway when she sleeps as well as partially gagging her when she feeds.
We had an MRI today to get a sense for exactly how far back her jaw is sitting structurally. We’ve also got a sleep study scheduled for later this month to see how it’s working functionally. The combination of the results from each of those will help the plastic surgeon decide if she’ll need corrective jaw surgery.
Additionally, she’s been put on an apnea monitor. That term is a little misleading because it not only measures the breaths she takes (or neglects to take) but her heart rate as well. The pulmonologist wanted to observe her for a couple of days with this monitor. Assuming no serious red flags arise (i.e. the return of regular apnea spells or an increasingly high heart rate) we’ll be discharged in days and await word following our sleep study. It sounds like we’ll be sent home with the apnea monitor as a precaution. She’ll also remain on the feeding tube for the short term as well. The thought there is that if she does require corrective jaw surgery, they know she’d have to have the feeding tube in during her recovery anyway and moving her on and off then back on and off again could be stressful for her.
So, the good news is that after a couple of days with nothing happening at all, the ball has gotten rolling once again.
In other news Heather is doing better but still feels quite rundown from her illness. I’m doing much better on my end. Braelyn is still trying to figure out if she’s an only child after all or if that other girl she shared a womb with for 38 weeks will be coming back for another two-week visit sometime soon.
;)
So that’s your Castellano update for Wednesday. Oh, the picture at the top of this entry is another one from our newborn photo session. Fingers crossed that all goes well and that we get discharged this weekend!
Finally some good news. We are praying that you will be sent home sooner, rather than later but more importantly that the doctors can diagnose the problem. With all you, Heather, Gwen and Braelyn have been through my wish is that you return to a "normal" family life soon. God bless.
ReplyDeleteMom & Dad C.
Wow, NICE picture!!!
ReplyDeleteMichele
Great news. So happy to see such a wonderful family photo. Guess surgery is scary no matter what, but to avoid messing with her brain sounds like a big positive. She's a trooper and I know she'll do fine if surgery does become an option. Let's all hope she gets over this hurdle soon!
ReplyDeleteMary Lee Brawley