“Can I sail through the changing ocean tides? Can I handle the seasons of my life?”

Umm, yes, I can.

Well I’m glad that’s over with!  You may or may not know, Sarai was supposed to be admitted into the hospital for an EEG last Sunday in Hackensack, NJ.  Mom came down to watch Caleb...

I took a few days off from work, we were all set… and they had no room to take her.  Not on Monday either… or Tuesday.  Wednesday they called and said to get her there in an hour.  I ran out of school, literally running, threw everything in the car as fast as I could and high-tailed it down to NJ. 

This was a dreaded (DREADED) appointment.  I didn’t want to hear that she was having seizures, that they would want to give her medication, vitals every 4 hours, bad food… I thought it was all overkill.  PLUS, when we got down there I realized the only bra I had packed was the one I was wearing!  Not good.  Thank goodness it was a good one.  When you’re in the hospital with your child you need all the support you can get.

It was a rough couple days, but we’re glad it was only a couple days.  Sarai isn’t having seizures, but she IS having abnormal brain activity, “spikes,” and sometimes LOTS of them (like, one per second at times when she’s sleeping).  We were totally against medication, but we caved, and I think it’s the right decision.  We emailed Dr. Escolar to get her opinion and she felt that we should try it, they all suggested Keppra, so that’s what she’s on.  It could cause some mood changes, or it could actually help her learn or be more relaxed if the spikes calm down.  (Prayers, please!) 

Nerve racking.  There are no right answers.  It just kills me.  The talk with the neurologist went something like,

“We don’t know what the spikes mean.  It could mean she’s going to have seizures, it could not.  It might be holding her back cognitively, maybe not.  Maybe she’s uncomfortable, we don’t just know.  There is no literature to say giving medication will prevent seizures, but I think there’s something to it.  Maybe, no one can say for sure, it’s worth a try.” 

Conversations like this one are what make me SCREAM at the TV when I watch Grey’s Anatomy, a show where everyone has an answer, and doctors are willing to go the extra mile and think outside the box.  The writers on those shows are pretty creative.

(Should she get a break from doing PT just because she's in the hospital...

not a chance!)

I do have to say, Hackensack Hospital totally rocked.  The nurses were great, Child Life came and set up mats for Sarai to play on the floor, they gave us finger paints, we all kept busy.  Of course the iPad was never far.

Caleb stayed with Yvonne, thank goodness we knew he was well taken care of (probably spoiled out of his mind!). 

Sitting is going well, for both of the kids…

 (Face off!)

And you might have seen Caleb’s perfect plank on facebook…

This kid could have taught the “correct alignment” section of my group fitness certification class.

We’ll have more EEG’s to come for Sarai, we’re starting the intense physical therapy program for 3 weeks in March, and we’re hoping to take her to Pittsburgh in April to meet with Dr. Escolar and have an MRI (she hasn’t had one in over a year and a half).  Busy, busy. 

(Mall rat!)

Anyone know how to move a giant swing set??  Take it apart, put it back together and create a playtime wonderland in our backyard?  Uncle Tom and Aunt Theresa have one we could have, but I have no idea how to tackle a project like that. 

Back to business as usual for us!  Love you guys!