Surgery will happen...

Howdy ya'll

It looks like surgery is going to happen! He's going to be getting an MRI done in August (likely sedation will happen, since he squirms around A LOT), and after the appointment to talk about it and discuss how and what will happen, surgery will likely happen in September.

What Jonathan has is called Spina Bifida Occulta, also known as hidden spina bifida. We still don't know how it happened (his genetics appointment isn't until July, and it is likely genetic from what the neurosurgeon said), but we do know now that it is the least troublesome form of it and easiest to correct. The fact that he has excellent movement in his legs and no problems with his bladder or bowels is a great sign, but the surgery is needed to prevent problems from appearing later as it is degenerative; as he grows the nerve endings and the tethering is stretched and damaged, which then affects his legs, bowels and bladder. He had his baseline test on his bladder (peed on the resident and the urologist! Who knew that catheters weren't fun??? LOL), and things look good from their end right now; his bladder is a little small, but they aren't sure if that is because he is small or if it is because of the tethered cord problems.

He also had his first date yesterday! We met up with another NICU graduate, Aimee and her daughter Sayde, and had lunch to celebrate her anniversary and birthday (Aimee's). As Sean puts it, they shared a bottle and went to bed. It was great seeing them, and it's going to be a bummer when they head back to their base in Texas in May when Dustin comes back from Iraq (she's been staying with her family in Fort Edward/Glens Falls while he deployed). Thank goodness for Facebook and technology!

After his stressful day yesterday he is snoozing today, but won't snooze anywhere but on me (makes typing comfortably interesting).

Thanks for the the good thoughts, prayers, and wishes! He's a little fighter (LOL, just like his mommy, so it's been said...), and he'll be fine. Just have to take things a day at a time. :-)