Getting anxious

Hi Everybody (as Ciaran would say)....I can't believe THIS surgery is going to happen in 1 week.  I am honestly getting quite emotional about it.  I think because it is the holiday time, it is actually making it tougher.  I am in the Christmas spirit but can't envision Christmas...at least until we are back home. 

Thank you all for your well wishes and prayers.  I love you all SOO much!! 

Thank you, Betty-Memaw, for letting us come over and use your computer.

Another surgery

As most of you know, Mommy thought my spinal cord was retethering.  Well, two weeks ago we went for my MRI and Dr. Moss gave us the results.  They were worse than Mommy expected so it was a loonnnggg ride home from Phx. 

One of my conditions is called the Arnold Chiari Malformation.  My cerebellum is pulled down in to my spinal column and is compressed against my skull and upper cervical vertebraes and it is not allowing the correct flow of brain/spinal fluid.  This is causing a syrinx...a fluid filled pocket in my spinal cord.  The spinal cord should be solid.  3/4 of my cord has fluid in it.  This is causing my scoliosis, my headaches, my irritability, my lack of not wanting to eat, my gagging and coughing, my loss of balance, etc.

To alleviate all of this, I must have a decompression surgery.  This surgery will consist of removing the occipital portion of my skull and the back of the top 3 vertebraes.  Yippee.... :-{ Folks, this is a doozie of a procedure.  IF this procedure does not help to drain the syrinx, another procedure will have to be done.  Dr. Moss will have to put in a shunt in my spinal cord and it would drain into my abdomen just like my other shunt in my brain.  All of this info has to be sent to SLC Shriner's Hosp to my orthopedic doctor because they are monitoring my scoliosis. 

Surgery details :::: December 2, 2009 at 8 am at Phx Childrens Hospital.  They told Mommy I should be in there 3-5 days.  The toughest part of recovery is learning to turn my head again because they will have cut through my neck muscles.  Nurse Mary told Mommy they do sedate me for most of the time.  Mommy is happy about that because
I hate to be on my back (this is probably why) and I will have to stay ON my back.

Mommy will be able to update my site from the hospital.  She found out where the computers were...The Emily Center.
 
Please put me in your prayer groups.  Pray for me, Mommy, Daddy and Dr. Moss. 

Love to all and Happy Thanksgiving.

P. S. Our computer crashed so Mommy is going to Memaw's house to update.

Halloween 2009

On Halloween morning, we went to our Mommies and Me playgroup.  It sure was a blustery day but we still had fun at our party.  There are two photos at the end of the post that Mommy can not get moved up to the top so this posting will move around a bit.

November 1 is my cousin, Jacob's birthday.  This year his mommy, Auntie Shaunacie, went all out for his party and had a Haunted House for his birthday.  I loved eating his skull cake. My costume this year was...the itsy-bitsy black widow.  I had spiders and webs all over my chair.  My silly cousins, Marissa, Kolton and Austin went bobbing for apples....more like drowning for apples.  This is my newest cousin, Camdyn.  This little, chunky monkey is 4 months old!!  I sure love her though.  I gave her lots of hugs and kisses. Scary, Scary...

Halloween night we went to Bliss' house for a fun-filled party.  I recently met Bliss at one of my playgroups. 

Taa-daa...the black widow.  What really scared me was when my own shadow would cast in front of me....it looked like a giant spider was coming up behind me.

Mommy's nails...perfect for the occasion.

The kids were playing musical chairs....

Here, I am trying to throw the ball through the monsters mouth.  All of the parents made fun games for us to play.  Because of the temperature, we didn't play another one of the games because it included water....brrrrr