Good News, Good News, Good News

Yesterday's CT scan and Neurosurgeon appointment went beautifully. Thank you for the all the notes and comments letting us know you were thinking about us. That always touches me.

We arrived to the radiology department almost on time. We were just eight minutes late. Once upon a day, I would have been horrified by that. I use to think that if I arrived at the exact scheduled time I was late. My opinion of on time meant being early. My how I have changed.

The staff accommodated us so kindly and patiently regardless of our tardiness. We were even shown to a private waiting room secluded from the other patients. I had requested for the technician to perform the CT scan without sedating Cayman first. Usually in a new setting Cayman is quiet and I thought there might be a hopeful chance she would hold still during the imaging. They agreed to this with no questions asked especially once they saw how calm and sleepy Cayman was upon our arrival. The receptionist stared tenderly at Cayman with a look in her eye that gave me the feeling that the desk between her and us was the only thing holding her back from snuggling Cayman into her own arms. Cayman is quite the snuggle bug when she is sleepy.

Putting us in a solitary room was meant to be unstimulating in the hopes of keeping Cayman quiet. The nurse turned off the lights and we patiently waited for her to return.

I stayed with Cayman during the CT scan which was successful without sedation! I could tell by the look in Cayman's eye she was alarmed by the machine and each time the table passed her through the ring she lifted her head completely off the table bringing her chin to her chest. I did not even know she was capable of doing that!!

The technician showed me a trick. By placing my hand on Cayman's chin with my fingers stretching across her jaw helped brace her head and Cayman felt more secure about being less mobile. With my my other hand, I held up her favorite toy as a distraction. All of that along with the technician holding another flashy toy, froze Cayman's attention just long enough for them to perform the scan.

It was then off to the Neurosurgeon's office for the review of the scans.

Mike and I felt fairly confident that there would be good news delivered to us but sometimes it feels scary thinking that way. The weight of bad news can feel like a heavier hit when there is an expectation for only good news. But by the end of the appointment we had big smiles on our faces and a slip of paper in hand saying Cayman's next return visit is in 8 months!

It was ALL good news!

Cayman's brain has grown...

Her skull bones have not prematurely fused together (a condition called Craniosynostosis that Cayman is at high risk for)...

And the distal catheter of her VA shunt has plenty of room for growth before it pulls away from the heart vessel. Which means it pushes the replacement surgery for her shunt farther into the future. We know it will need to be done someday but that someday will not be soon.

Here is Cayman's brain scan from yesterday's appointment:

Review: the blackened areas in the center is all the fluid. The gray area around the fluid is the brain tissue.

It looks significantly better than it did when Cayman was first born. Her head was filled mostly with fluid and only the tiniest amount of brain was noticeable on the edges and none at the roof.

Here is the scan from the day after she was born:

I cherish days like these!!

Here is a few more random pictures from the day...

Mike allowed this picture to be taken only because Big Bird was willing to hold Mike's Ohio State hat.

Mike and Cayman playing with their ipods.
Notice the expression on Mike's face. Does it look familiar from this post?


Getting Cayman's weight. 18 1/2 pounds. She's a little peanut.

Cayman watched Judy intensely as she took her axillary temperature.