2 weeks until Cleveland...

Looks like Bubba and I will be celebrating the Super Bowl on the EMU. We really haven't seen a lot of seizure activity lately just a few a day. What we don't see(during the night) and why they are happening at all is what we need to figure out. I am pretty sure I saw his first post-op drop seizure the other night at dinner which is concerning because he is up so much more than before so falls can be more dangerous than before.  The most puzzling things about all this is that the seizure activity doesn't seem to be delaying him at all! His therapists at Parkview have started introducing some electro therapy for his left arm to see if we can get any more function. Ayden continues to amaze us each day...counting to ten, repeating words, pushing up to kneeling in the middle of the floor, and just this weekend about 2 seconds of standing unsupported!!! I wish we could catch more of it on video, but he never cooperates with me once the camera appears.  :)

What Makes Our Bubba Special?

Ayden was born a healthy, happy baby boy in November of 2007. At the age of seven months, Ayden suffered a stroke due to herpectic encephalitis. It is amazing how something as small as a cold sore can turn your world upside down, but it did. After beating the odds in the summer of 2008 we thought we were through the worst of it and then he starting seizing a few months later.

In June of 2009 Ayden's sporadic seizure activity increased to hundreds of myoclonic jerks and drop seizures a day. In October of 2009, Ayden underwent a functional hemispherectomy which eliminated his seizures for several months. A shunt was placed in June of 2010 and since then we have seen incredible improvements. Ayden's seizures returned this past fall, but we are trying to manage them with medicine as they are only a handful a day coupled with some sleepless nights. We return to Cleveland Clinic's Monitoring Unit in early February for some answers and a plan.

When he turned 3 this November Ayden started a new and exciting chapter in his life - PRESCHOOL!!! :) He absolutely loves it, and watching him learn and grow is truly delightful for us. His vocabulary has increased from 15 words to 100+, he counts, uses his words (without a battle), and is really trying to walk!  We don't know what Ayden's future holds but we can't wait to find out. So many people have become  integral members of Ayden's "Village" that we want to update everyone. We will do our best to update as much as possible and hope to add some videos soon.  This will be a replacement for our Care Page so if you currently follow us there please note we will be ending that shortly.  

Hope to share more great news with you soon!