Ellisa’s First Seizure
Monday May 6, 2013: It’s Monday night and Charles and I are on cloud 9 after an amazing weekend at the beach with the kids and a feeling that life is getting back to normal. I sit down to read Hudson and Ellisa a book on the living room couch after dinner. Mid-way through, I [...]
Ellisa’s Neurologist: Visit 3
After more than a year and a full MRI done in November, I thought it was time to visit Dr. Kane, Ellisa’s neurologist, to assess the official report of her brain damage from birth (listeria/bacterial meningitis/grade III bleeds). Boy, I’m glad I did. Peace of mind goes a long way. As a reminder, I was [...]
The Wonderful World of Hydrocephalus: Part 3, How Hydrocephalus Works
Let’s begin with your central nervous system. Your brain and spinal cord form your central nervous system. Your central nervous system protects your skull and vertebrae. Between the skull and vertebrae are membranes (meninges) that surround your brain and spinal cord. This space, the subarachnoid space, is where cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) flows. CSF is basically salt [...]
Ellisa’s Neurologist: Visit 2
Tuesday morning was Ellisa’s year check-in with Dr. Kane, her neurologist. He wasn’t reviewing any new MRIs nor was he examining her. It was merely a check-in, so I wasn’t expecting to hear anything new from him. However, I came armed with a slew of questions. And Dr. Kane patiently sat there answering every one of [...]
Ellisa’s Neurologist
Ellisa and I went to visit the neurologist the Monday before last. Since I’ve been anxiously waiting for this appointment for over 5 months now, I thought I would share what the Doctor said about Ellisa’s current state. All signs show that Ellisa is doing really well. She doesn’t appear to have CP (cerebral palsy), and [...]