Cheers, Tears & Lots of Chills

It's been some time since I've posted, and SO MUCH has gone on. I just have to say that I am a very blessed person, along with God, my daddy's looking out for me right now, and I feel it! Where do I start?!? I could really post about so much with Aiden, but I'll keep this to one of the biggest steps we've been waiting for ... not just his MRI results, but even more chilling after.

The first part of this is MRI results, but you have to read on! I have been through a lot the past few years, and I want everyone to feel my happiness in the most recent news I received. Not that I feel "I deserve it", but I feel my boy deserves it. But I do know, in the past couple of years, we have always kept our faith. I believe and I continue to pray for God to lead my way, for Him to take on my problems and help me each step. And I never give up on Him. NEVER. And He has taken care of us.

CHEERS: We went in and spent two hours with our CI surgeon/ENT this week for our MRI results. All in all, his results are GREAT. No abnormalities in structure. The hearing nerves are in place. Everything looks "normal". Which is good. Which is great. It doesn't answer our question about Aiden's hearing loss, but we're okay with that. Kidney ultrasounds, check, good to go. They did find an "arachnoid cyst" on his brain, but actually, the report said "suspected arachnoid cyst". Not definite, just suspected. Our Dr. said this is not uncommon (1 out of 10 to 15 MRI's show this), but is still referring us to a neurosurgeon to make sure this is nothing to worry about. I'm okay with this, I have that feeling that it is okay. His brachial cleft sinus, this will have to be removed, preferrably before he's a year old, for scarring and surgery remembrance issues. He also had a little bit of fluid in his ears. If the fluid doesn't clear up, then they'll put in tubes and remove the brachial cleft all in one surgery. We'll figure this out after a couple months of letting the fluid clear up with some antibiotics. All in all, MRI GREAT, brachial cleft, as long as it's not draining and infected, good to go, but get it removed before preschool age (I figure if he doesn't need tubes, they might as well do this surgery with the CI surgery).

Side note to parents on ear fluid: I took Aiden in to our pedi. about a possible ear infection, no fever, he just kept tugging at his ears. They said, yes there is some fluid, but no ear infection. I told them, he can't keep fluid because of his path of getting CI's. They wouldn't put him on an antibiotic and told me not to worry about it unless he started running fever. I knew I was heading to the ENT a few days later and sure enough, our ENT said no fluid allowed, what-so-ever, and put him on an antibiotic (and he still does not have an infection, yet this fluid is not clearing up). So, even this fluid doesn't clear up, they will put tubes in, because fluid is not allowed prior to any CI surgery!

THIS IS WHERE IT GIVES ME TEARS & CHILLS ...

We then discussed our move to Maryland. Our Dr. said he recommended we go see Dr. John Niparko, at John Hopkins Listening Center (which I HAVE known since day one is where I wanted to go), and that he would have his office contact John Hopkins and fax all of our info. there. I felt GREAT! (I have been having a hard time with leaving my wonderful team here, but hearing this, just reitterated this move was meant to be).

On the way home I got a call from our ENT's office. The people up at John Hopkins wanted me to call them directly. No problem, because I have called & emailed many times, trying to get appts. when they kept telling me they couldn't do anything for me until they had all of his audiograms plus some. I was more than happy to call and actually hopefully get somewhere. I called and left a message, feeling, once again, I wouldn't hear back.

I heard back. Within a half hour. She got Aiden's history, his audiograms came in the mail THAT SAME DAY (which I had sent 2+ weeks prior), and then , after chatting a bit, she said to me,

"Great. I'm going to schedule your family a surgery consult with Dr. Niparko."
"You mean, for him to actually do my son's surgery?" I replied.
"Yes, he'll be your s0n's CI surgeon assuming everything works out."

TEARS. SMILES. LOTS OF TEARS & SMILES (OH YEAH. AND LOTS OF CHILLS). You don't understand. I didn't understand. Five months ago I was told my son was deaf. As his mother I looked up every resource on the Internet and what I came up with, for whatever reason, is that I WANTED this doctor TO IMPLANT MY BABY. Why? I don't know, what I read IMPRESSED ME, it helped me in a time of need. Then this job literally fell into my husband's lap ... he didn't look for this Maryland job after I told him about this doctor, it just happened. Then my ENT (who I would love to do Aiden's surgery as well) recommends us to this surgeon when we tell him we're moving. Then we GET ON SCHEDULE with this DR. that I first wanted for my binky boy's surgery. The surgeon I wanted BEFORE I EVER KNEW WHAT WAS AHEAD OF ME IN THIS WORLD I'M COMING TO KNOW AND LOVE, is going to give my boy cochlear implants!!!

HOW AMAZING IS THAT?!?