Images of a Bare Skull
CT Scan
We went in on Monday (Nov. 5) for the sedated CT scan with 3d reconstruction. However, they told us that there had been an error in scheduling because they only do sedated CTs on Tuesdays. They said that they had already talked to our Family Doctor for another "more clear" CT order and scheduled us for their only opening on Tues. But we needed to be warned that the PICU (Pediatric Intensive Care Unit) doctor may not be comfortable sedated a child with "complicated" issues like Lukasz, in which case they would "try" to get an MRI anesthetist to put him under general. And Lukasz could come in at 2:00 p.m. but could not eat after 6:00 a.m. That's crazy for this eating machine! Especially since he's learned how to sign "eat" and is VERY demanding about it.
On Nov. 6, I woke Lukasz up at 5:45 a.m. and fed him. All day I was faced with insistent "eat" signing and pulling on my arms and legs with with pointing to the kitchen. He was "starving"! At 1:30 we arrived for the CT. As expected, the doctor listened to his cute little-engine-that-could breathing while he played with the exam room toys and said he thought with his breathing and history of sleep obstruction that sedation was not worth the risk and he would talk to the MRI anesthesia people but we should really think about it because surgery isn't scheduled yet and it is an elective CT (meaning "it's not as if he was in a car accident and the CT is an emergency necessity"). As our Family Doctor, who is also a dear family friend, said, "They were trying to gently talk you out of doing it at all because they were uncomfortable, but they didn't know they were talking to Susan Kane."
I told them I was fine with whatever anesthesia they needed to do because the surgeon needed the CT scan to look at on Monday, Nov. 12, and would schedule the surgery ASAP after he saw the CT and Lukasz. Then, I had a brilliant idea. I asked how long the scan would take. "About 5 minutes." And I said, "Well, he had an ear tube put in a few months ago while being "papoosed" because we did not want to wait for his major surgery to put the ear tube in to clear up his hearing and we knew he would have a local anesthesia and the procedure would only take 10 minutes. If you want to "papoose" him, we are open to that since it would only be a few minutes." The doctor, the nurse and the CT tech gave me such a look of appreciation and relief, you would not believe. The doctor said, "That is a brilliant idea and such a wonderful option for Lukasz. Sedation or general would just be such a risk for him, if "papoosing"him can keep him still enough, it removes all risk for him."
So that's what we (me, nurse and CT tech) did while he talked to the MRI anesthetist in case it didn't work. We were done with the scan in under five minutes and before he was even done discussing options with the anesthetist!
Lukasz didn't like it, but it was over super fast and as soon as I picked him up, and showed him the jar of baby food I brought, he was laughing and happy. Poor kid, couldn't understand why I wouldn't feed him all day after he worked so hard to learn how to sign it.
The nurse said it was the easiest CT all day. She and the Dr both said they wished more parents were open to the idea of "papoosing" as it removes the risk of repeated sedation or any sedation for kids with sleep/breathing issues. Personally, Matt and I both think that if a procedure is going to take under 5 minutes, what is the point of putting your child through the risk of sedation/general anethesia? Trust me, when Lukasz is a teenager and tries to guilt me over being "papoosed", I will not feel guilty AT ALL. "One, it was safer, and, two, I knew you were tough enough to take it."
Here's what the five minute process looked like:
On Nov. 6, I woke Lukasz up at 5:45 a.m. and fed him. All day I was faced with insistent "eat" signing and pulling on my arms and legs with with pointing to the kitchen. He was "starving"! At 1:30 we arrived for the CT. As expected, the doctor listened to his cute little-engine-that-could breathing while he played with the exam room toys and said he thought with his breathing and history of sleep obstruction that sedation was not worth the risk and he would talk to the MRI anesthesia people but we should really think about it because surgery isn't scheduled yet and it is an elective CT (meaning "it's not as if he was in a car accident and the CT is an emergency necessity"). As our Family Doctor, who is also a dear family friend, said, "They were trying to gently talk you out of doing it at all because they were uncomfortable, but they didn't know they were talking to Susan Kane."
I told them I was fine with whatever anesthesia they needed to do because the surgeon needed the CT scan to look at on Monday, Nov. 12, and would schedule the surgery ASAP after he saw the CT and Lukasz. Then, I had a brilliant idea. I asked how long the scan would take. "About 5 minutes." And I said, "Well, he had an ear tube put in a few months ago while being "papoosed" because we did not want to wait for his major surgery to put the ear tube in to clear up his hearing and we knew he would have a local anesthesia and the procedure would only take 10 minutes. If you want to "papoose" him, we are open to that since it would only be a few minutes." The doctor, the nurse and the CT tech gave me such a look of appreciation and relief, you would not believe. The doctor said, "That is a brilliant idea and such a wonderful option for Lukasz. Sedation or general would just be such a risk for him, if "papoosing"him can keep him still enough, it removes all risk for him."
So that's what we (me, nurse and CT tech) did while he talked to the MRI anesthetist in case it didn't work. We were done with the scan in under five minutes and before he was even done discussing options with the anesthetist!
Lukasz didn't like it, but it was over super fast and as soon as I picked him up, and showed him the jar of baby food I brought, he was laughing and happy. Poor kid, couldn't understand why I wouldn't feed him all day after he worked so hard to learn how to sign it.
The nurse said it was the easiest CT all day. She and the Dr both said they wished more parents were open to the idea of "papoosing" as it removes the risk of repeated sedation or any sedation for kids with sleep/breathing issues. Personally, Matt and I both think that if a procedure is going to take under 5 minutes, what is the point of putting your child through the risk of sedation/general anethesia? Trust me, when Lukasz is a teenager and tries to guilt me over being "papoosed", I will not feel guilty AT ALL. "One, it was safer, and, two, I knew you were tough enough to take it."
Here's what the five minute process looked like:
As you see, above, his CT scans were available immediately. Kudos to OU Children's Hospital. I opened the disc today for the first time to send images to the surgeon in St. Louis (Dr. Jeffery Marsh--another highly recommended surgeon who also happens to be in our insurance plan). The first image at the top was the first I saw and I have to say that it really depressed me. I am used to seeing his happy face and there is a stark contrast with the image of his bare skull.
Halloween
On a happier note, lots of exciting things happening in our house with Halloween just past and the holidays coming. We had a great Halloween, the kids trick-or-treated and went to bed fast and exhausted. Even though Lukasz is almost two, this was probably his first "real" Halloween since most countries do not celebrate it like Americans do. He tolerate the costume pretty well and really loved the candy his siblings were happy to share.
He got his Certificate of Citizenship in mid-October (a couple weeks past the USCIS estimated 6 weeks) so he has proof of the citizenship he got entering the US. And we took that certificate to the Social Security office to apply for his SSN right away. A week later he got his social security number--what's an American without a social security number?
Hi there, just found your blog, which is wonderful and refreshing and you seem to have hearts of gold. I hope you keep it updated, Lukasz's journey (and yours) is incredible.
ReplyDeleteI was just going to update. Thanks, but we are no better than anyone else--just wanted a lot of kids! Happy with what came our way and learning more from them than they are from us, I am guessing. :-)
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