I seem to have been rather remiss in my job of keeping everyone informed of what's going on with the Lanester. On Dec. 15 we went to see Dr. Sharpe (he's our neuromuscular neurologist). He concurred with Dr. Fenichel about the Phenobarb so we'll try it. He also agreed that Lane did not need blood levels checked like Sparky did when she was on it. I was just checking. Dr. Fenichel is not what he used to be in my opinion. We are to see a neurosurgeon in Jan. to discuss the possibility of a pump for Lane that would help with his muscle tone. He assured me that Phenobarb & Sinemet could be taken at the same time as there was some conflicting stories about this from 2 different pharmacies. Our bodies, at least those of us with semi normal tone, make what is in Sinemet and if you couldn't mix the two then no one would be able to take Phenobarb. This explanation makes a lot of sense. We go back in Feb. One thing that always impresses me with Dr. Sharpe is that he always takes the time to shake Lane's hand. There is something very sweet about this simple act.
Wednesday the 17th took us to Dr. Morgan. He was again very happy with his progress. Said the dialation went very easily and that we only have to do it twice a week now. He changed out his Mic-Key to the size he wanted. This one fits tighter. We go back in March. While there, we saw Elizabeth, who was our social worker in the NICU and Dr. Beth who was with him in the very beginning. She was happy to see how well he was doing. She played a tremendous role in Lane's story, always there for the sorrow and the joy. She's the one who called to tell us that he had perfed and was going for emergency surgery. I can hear every word of that conversation to this day. She took as much care of me during those 3 months as she did Lane, just like Sarah. She never had the doctor attitude. She loved Lane and it showed. She's the one who started calling him "the Lanester". I remember one day the team rounded on him and it was very crowded in our room. I was sitting in my chair and she came over and sat down in the chair with me. She nearly hugged me to death when I told her he finally opened his eye. She was very genuine in both her concern for our baby's life and her joy over any progress he made. I left the NICU honored to have known her. It was Dr. Beth who put my fears that we wouldn't be watched as closely when we moved over to Pod A to rest. This is the step down unit from what they call the "high side" She had rotated off our team by the time Lane finally got over there but she heard they'd moved him and came to see him. She was patting his butt and it caused his heart rate to increase. We had 2 nurses and a doctor that wasn't ours in there in a heartbeat. They were relieved to see what had caused the elevation and I was relieved to see that we would definitely be watched as closely in our new home as we were in the high side. She was there for us when we realized we wouldn't be home for Christmas. I remember her staying behind after the rest of the team had left that day just to hug me and talk with me. It was Dec. 15 of 2006. Funny how stuff like this lingers in one's mind. For me this is just as much a part of our story as any of the major (good or bad) events that occured. They say God is in the details. Well I have 3 months worth of details. I could go on forever but the hour grows late. I will save them for another time. As for this time she reassured me about this pump that we may wind up with. Saying that she had seen kids have success with these but that if we wanted to wait she felt the dr would be okay with that too. All in all these visits went well. A fact of which I am very thankful.