Well, for all those who have been following us in this terrifying experience, we can share a resounding sigh of relief! Today we brought home our little Jaxon, and we have never felt such relief. I cannot put into words the miracle that has transpired over the past few days. On Tuesday we didn't know if our little one was going to make it. Unconscious, struggling to breathe, siezing and then going limp, we were not sure if he would ever recover and, if he did, what to expect with regards to permanent damage. As Tuesday slipped away into Wednesday, we were just happy to have some responsiveness from Jax. It was difficult, however, because on Monday we had a toddler that was walking, talking, and "showing what an elephant says." Then, less than 48 hours later, we had a little baby that couldn't hold his head up any better than a newborn infant. He was completely unable to support any of his own weight. By Wednesday night, I would probably equivalate his motor skills/dexterity/coordination to that of a 2 month old. Also, his fevers were spiking despite being on Tylenol and Motrin around the clock. He spent a significant amount of time being at 104.7, and didn't get below 102.3 for the entire day. Around Midnight his fever finally broke (got down to 99.8) and we were so excited!! It stayed "broken" for about 10 hours, but on Thursday morning it shot back up around 104 and he stayed feverish for the rest of the day...
Thursday, however, was the day our miracle began! Jax, usually lifeless and not very interactive, woke up from a long nap. He looked over at me and said, "Hi!" while he waved. This was amazing. Then he flipped over on his stomach, pushed up on his hands and knees and crawled across the bed to see me. Everyone in the room cried, including the nurses. No one could have ever predicted this sick baby boy would wake up from a nap and have gotten back so much strength and coordination! It was amazing. The Pediatrician was pretty much dumbfounded.
From there, Jax only got stronger! Despite his fevers, he worked hard to get his skills and coordination back. One minute he was unable to even root for the nipple of a bottle and literally within an hour he was able to eat solid foods again.
I want to thank everyone for their prayers and fasting on our behalf. Despite the unseen strength that comes from the faith of a prayer or a fast, we were able to so tangibly feel it. I have been overwhelmed with gratitude to our Heavenly Father for blessing Jax with such a quick recovery. Though he is far from being at 100%, his road to recovery has been so greatly accelerated. We anticipate that he will be back to 100% within a week... with no signs of permanent damage from the incident. We look forward to the progress that Jax will make over the next week.
Thank you for your faith, and for your strength... It has gotten me and Eli through the most difficult time of our lives. We are not totally "out of the woods" yet, but we know the future looks bright. We are eternally indebted to you!
Friday, August 29, 2008
Thursday, August 28, 2008
UPDATE
We got some test results back, all of which were great. His EEG (which monitors brain waves and picks up hints of "hot spots" in the brain where seizure triggures could be likely on a regular basis) was normal, indicating that Jax does not have a seizure disorder. His spinal tap (lumbar puncture) was negative, showing no signs of meningitis (PHEW). His MRI and CT Scans also came back normal, showing no signs of brain swelling, bleeding, etc. Just this afternoon, after being extremely lethargic and unable to hold up the weight of his own head, Jax fell asleep for a nap. About an hour or more later, he woke up, turned onto his stomach and crawled across the bed to me. You cannot imagine the relief of this miracle... we have felt the prayers and support of so many. His motor skills are coming back and, after 2 days in the hospital, we are able to start discussing the possibility of Jax's full recovery being continued at home sometime soon. We feel so blessed to have such significant improvement-- truly a miracle. The nurses in the room all started crying when they saw this, as they have been with us since the beginning of this terrifying episode. The pediatrician kept commenting on what a "new baby" he was... alert, sound of mind, and trying to work on his motor skills and coordination. Thank you for our prayers on our behalf, we will keep you posted.
Sweet Jaxon
Here is an update on our son Jaxon as of about 11 o’clock this morning. Please distribute as you see fit. Yesterday morning Jaxon appeared to be sleeping in much later than usual. This was a day after receiving his 1 year immunizations. I had checked on him several times and he appeared to be sleeping normally but finally at about 10 a.m. I was concerned and decided to wake him up. I picked him up and found that his little body was stiff, that he was drenched in sweat and had a high fever. I was unable to wake him or get any response. He would alternate between his body being stiff as a board and then being completely limp. He was barely breathing and appeared nearly lifeless. We called 911 for an ambulance which took him to Utah Valley Hospital (in Provo). He received a blessing from his uncle Chase since Eli was at work.
Eli was waiting for me and Jaxon (who rode in the ambulance) when we arrived at the hospital. After some time at Utah Valley they were able to bring Jax back to consciousness and at one point he was able to drink a bottle, but he was slipping in and out of consciousness and had essentially no motor activity. He was given a spinal tap to test for meningitis, no results back on that yet. It was decided that he needed the care of a pediatric neurologist which required him to be moved by ambulance to Primary Children’s Hospital in Salt Lake City where was admitted last night. Overnight he was seen by several doctors and has been assessed by a pediatric nuerologist.
It appears that all of this was caused by seizures which were the result of a reaction to his immunizations, particularly in response to the fevers. The severe seizures he was exhibiting yesterday morning have subsided and he has been on Phenobarbital to control them. Later last night Jaxon had become more cognitive. He recognized people, would cry, and was responsive to people around him. This is certainly encouraging, however we are still concerned that he was not regaining motor control. He was having difficulty staying attached to his bottle, tracking with his eyes, could not put things in his mouth, had difficulty holding his bead up, was drooling excessively, would suddenly jerk his little body nearly out of the arms of whoever was holding him, etc. At this early stage, the theory was that he is having continuous seizures, which are likely located in the cerebellum.
At this point they plan to keep him hospitalized for observation. The seizures have subsided, and he has begun to hold his head up for short periods of time on his own. He is showing the desire to sit up and move around, which is a good sign. Yesterday his fever spiked and stayed at 104.7. He broke through the fevers temporarily but they are back at 103.3. We greatly appreciate all of your fasting andprayers on behalf of Jaxon and us, and for the Christ-like acts of service that have been both rendered and offered. His situation is still serious... They are keepng him for observaton.
Eli was waiting for me and Jaxon (who rode in the ambulance) when we arrived at the hospital. After some time at Utah Valley they were able to bring Jax back to consciousness and at one point he was able to drink a bottle, but he was slipping in and out of consciousness and had essentially no motor activity. He was given a spinal tap to test for meningitis, no results back on that yet. It was decided that he needed the care of a pediatric neurologist which required him to be moved by ambulance to Primary Children’s Hospital in Salt Lake City where was admitted last night. Overnight he was seen by several doctors and has been assessed by a pediatric nuerologist.
It appears that all of this was caused by seizures which were the result of a reaction to his immunizations, particularly in response to the fevers. The severe seizures he was exhibiting yesterday morning have subsided and he has been on Phenobarbital to control them. Later last night Jaxon had become more cognitive. He recognized people, would cry, and was responsive to people around him. This is certainly encouraging, however we are still concerned that he was not regaining motor control. He was having difficulty staying attached to his bottle, tracking with his eyes, could not put things in his mouth, had difficulty holding his bead up, was drooling excessively, would suddenly jerk his little body nearly out of the arms of whoever was holding him, etc. At this early stage, the theory was that he is having continuous seizures, which are likely located in the cerebellum.
At this point they plan to keep him hospitalized for observation. The seizures have subsided, and he has begun to hold his head up for short periods of time on his own. He is showing the desire to sit up and move around, which is a good sign. Yesterday his fever spiked and stayed at 104.7. He broke through the fevers temporarily but they are back at 103.3. We greatly appreciate all of your fasting andprayers on behalf of Jaxon and us, and for the Christ-like acts of service that have been both rendered and offered. His situation is still serious... They are keepng him for observaton.
Wednesday, August 20, 2008
Eli-The human Slingshot!
Eli went to a party for the MTC (where he used to work) and got to ride the HUMAN SLINGSHOT! He said it was soooooooooooo much fun. For those of you "less cultured folk" (I say that with a smirk), it was featured on CMT's "Country Fried Home Videos" ... needless to say it was one of those things listed on Eli's "To Do Before I Die", and now he has fulfulled it. Fun stuff!!