CT Myelogram - 12.23.2010

Isaac was scheduled to have his CT Myelogram on December 23rd. What a way to start the holidays, right?!? Grandma Debbie and Great-Aunt Darleen got the pleasure of spending the day with Eli so Ryan and I could accompany Isaac to Children's Mercy. For the fun of it, Eli decided he didn't want to nap. ALL.DAY.LONG. He was either missing his brother, excited about Christmas, or was having too much fun getting Grandma all to himself. I'll let you decide :).

First, we got instructions that Isaac was to be at CMH at 11:30am. He was to have no formula after 6am. Normally, they would let him have clear liquids after that up until about 9am. However, Isaac needs thickener in any liquids that he takes, that is considered a solid, so he couldn't have anything after 6am. He is such a good-natured little fella and was in a pleasant mood most of our time waiting to get called back (which ended up being after 12pm... so much for that 11:30 prep time!). Once we got called back to the prep area, Isaac got a full physical and check-up by a nurse practitioner, which got him pretty riled up. He was HUNGRY. And he couldn't figure out why we wouldn't feed him. The look on his face was pitiful! I was so ready for them to get the show on the road! We signed the usual paperwork, and then took him down to the room where they would do the Myelogram, which is the part of the test where the radiologist injects contrast media (dye) into the spinal canal's fluid (cerebrospinal fluid or CSF). After the dye is injected, its purpose is to illuminate the spinal canal, cord, and nerve roots during imaging.

Once the dye was injected, they moved Isaac to another room to perform the CT. The dye will show up on the images that are captured during the CT, showing the radiologist a good depiction of Isaac's anatomy of his spine and the nerve structures. This should prove to be a great tool for Isaac's doctors that are overseeing his spinal issues. We have an Orthopedist and Neurosurgeon following him.

After the test was completed, Ryan and I were called back to be with Isaac as he woke up and to feed him something. I think he was happy to see us, or to get a bottle, or both! We asked the nurse if we could speak with the radiologist (Dr. R), since it would be a holiday weekend and we likely would not hear from Isaac's doctors for a couple of weeks (because once they get the results, they will consult with one another before we're brought into the picture). Anyway, the nurse told us that the radiologists don't usually talk to families, and that he wouldn't come talk to us. Lo and behold, who walks through the door next? Dr. R. And he was carrying a picture. He was pretty excited to tell us that somehow, someway, Isaac has spinal fluid everywhere he is supposed to. Dr. R didn't get into specifics about what this does or does not mean, or any of the other issues that are being looked at. We do know that what he saw is a good thing. We were concerned that the spinal fluid wouldn't make it down past the juncture where the spinal cord is compressed. After Dr. R left, our nurse let us know that she'd never seen one of the radiologists bring a picture of the test down to parents. We were so happy to have received some good news.

Ryan and I were ecstatic with what we were told. We know that there is surgery in the future to correct the lordosis in his spine that goes along with the vertebral dislocation, but for now, this bit of positive information is what we hold on to. Every bit of positive information means so much to us. We know Isaac is going to have challenges - we are not dismissing that, but to get best case scenario when we get initial test results back -- we couldn't ask for anything else! Especially after our unscientific research that tells us that under all of the conditions that Isaac has, he shouldn't be able to have any use of his legs. But, Isaac can tell when I tickle his toes, he giggles. When I give him a horsey bite on his thigh, he laughs. And when he gets excited, he kicks his legs. So we know he has feeling and can move them.

So now we are waiting for the Neurologist (Dr. I) and Orthopedist (Dr. S) to chat and get back to us on a game plan.

Romans 5:1-5
Therefore, since we have been justified through faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ through whom we have gained access by faith into this grace in which we now stand. And we rejoice in the hope of the glory of God. Not only so, but we also rejoice in our sufferings, because we know that suffering produces perseverance; perseverance, character; and character, hope. And hope does not disappoint us, because God has poured out his love into our hearts by the Holy Spirit, whom he has given us.