MRI

Tuesday J2 had his MRI. It took a while to get it scheduled because they wanted him to be sedated. He couldn't have anything to eat or drink after midnight and he had to have no more than 4 hours of sleep for the Chloral hydrate to work right. El Patron stayed up till 2 a.m. and then I got him up at 6 a.m. We had to be at the hospital by 8 to get him checked in. They took him to the Pediatric ward and got him some Jammies and a bed. They needed to do the MRI with contrast so they had to give him an IV, which was the only hitch in the morning because he hates shots.

He was all settled in his bed watching "Harry Potter" and he kept asking for the medicine because he was tired. He was out after about 5 minutes. They came and moved him down to the MRI and I was able to sit in the room with him. They gave us earplugs and headphones to where in the MRI room. Everyone kept whispering around him, moving him very gently so he wouldn't wake up. I though that was silly because when they started the MRI it was SO LOUD! But they kept whispering. Weird.

The MRI took an hour and I got to peek at the pictures when they gave him his contrast. They are so cool. He started to stir a bit close to the end but he slept like a champ. He woke up when they were moving him off of the MRI table. He asked if he was done. When they told him he was all done he tried to get up off of the table. He sat up and had a look at the machine and I told him how loud it was he said "I didn't hear nothin'" which made all the nurses and techs laugh. One of the techs thanked me for sedating him because it makes their job so much easier. Man, if I had to have an MRI I would want to be sedated.

Maryann the Nurse gave J2. some soda and some pudding and told him to rest for a while before he went home. She told me that the Chloral hydrate tends to make them act drunk but he seemed like a nice boy and would be an amiable, fun drunk. He seemed to be in a hurry to get home so we didn't stick around for very long. He did get sick on the car ride home.

Friday we got the results of the MRI. I told J2 that he wasn't allowed to cry during the visits. He has cried at the end of the last two appointments and I can't hear what the Doctor is saying. The Doc looked him over and asked some questions then he turned to me.

"We have the results and the good news is that he hasn't have a tumor but they found something else. They found some flairs that might indicate a bacterial or a viral infections which may be Lyme disease, Lupus or MS. I have already talked to the Pediatrician and she will refer you to a Neurologist. They will need to do a blood tests and a spinal tap. There is also a large blood vessel that seems to be growing abnormally but it shouldn't be of concern" I tried really hard not to cry. J2 seemed to be oblivious to the news.

We went right over to the hospital and got the film of the MRI and took it right to the pediatrician. She looked at the report and told me she wasn't so sure that it was MS or Lupus because he is a normal, active boy with no fevers or muscle weakness, no loss of balance, just the double vision. We went over his history and she is thinking that it could be the blood vessel that is large could be pushing on the nerves which would explain the double vision and his speech delay. It also could be how the brain of an Asperger's boy looks. Another thing is that it could be a result of a traumatic birth, which we had. She told me not to worry (yea, right) and to not look anything up on the Internet so that I wouldn't freak out. Then she asked me what our summer plans were. I told her what the plan is, mainly nothing, and she suggested that until we find out more about the blood vessel that he shouldn't be left unsupervised. "But don't worry!" WHAT!?!?

So I went home to worry. This has to be the worse news I have ever had for my children. I kept thinking about MS and him having a spinal tap. Do they put him out for that? I've heard that those are unpleasant to down right painful. I thought about doctors, hospital visits, blood work needles, medicine, alternative treatments....in short I worried. But I only looked up the definition of Lupus because I wasn't quite sure what that was. El Patron kept saying "It was supposed to come back normal." Most of our life stopped that day.

Later that evening the Pediatrician called and she had talked to the Neurologist at Loma Linda University. He really doesn't think it is MS or Lupus.In fact she said he laughed at it. It is probable just a result of a traumatic birth or the Aspergers. She still wants us to see him just to be sure. They may have to do another MRI and some blood work, I'm not sure that the spinal tap is off the table. We'll just have to see.

We still aren't sure what it is or what will have to be done. After the Neurologist is done and he doesn't find anything that would cause the double vision, we will have to go back to the Optomologist and do the eye surgery after all. We are just starting out. So I guess my summer plans include fixing my kids brain.

As a testament to his wonderful spirit he kept saying "Today is my best day ever!", which is what he says every day. He is a great kid who has family and friends who love him and whatever it is we will get through it all.