Since he has been home, he has been a lot like any other newborn. He is really getting into a groove with eating. He isn't very fussy and he sleeps well. The incision on his back is healing very nicely. We'll have to keep on eye on that part of his spine as he grows since there is always the chance that scar tissue will cause the spinal cord to stick in one place and not grow well with the rest of his body. But so far, so good.
The biggest concern we have right now is about his head. We have to watch out for the accumulation of fluid on his brain, called hydrocephalus. If too much fluid builds up in your skull, it could put pressure on the brain and cause brain damage. This is quite common in kids with spina bifida and about 81% of them will need to have a tube put in their head, called a shunt, that will drain the fluid out of their head, under their skin, and down into their belly.
Gideon's head is growing a little more quickly than we'd like to see, which is an indication of the onset of hydrocephalus. The soft spots on his head are also starting to bulge out a little bit. We're keeping a close eye on the situation and he may end up getting the shunt surgery next week. It is something we'd obviously hoped to avoid, but we've been so blessed already we could hardly complain.
Keryn's mom and sister have been staying with us since shortly after he was born, helping us to watch the other kids while we were at the hospital. Yesterday, Keryn's mom went back home to Las Vegas. She has a son and daughter-in-law and their two kids living with her right now and the daughter-in-law has some medical problems and was admitted to the hospital for reasons we're still not entirely clear on yet. She was more needed there than here, so off she went. She has been such a saint through everything that has poured over her this year.
Keryn's sister, LaDale, is still staying with us until the 13th when she'll go back home to Colorado Springs. She has been so helpful and we feel blessed that she is in a position where she can offer so much of her time to us. Keryn, particularly, appreciates the blessing of getting a bit more sleep than she might otherwise get with a husband at work and two toddlers running around the house.
I imagine that you are curious, as we were, to know what the myelomeningeocele on his back looked like. Here is a before and after picture. You can click on the picture to get a bigger version.
