Ty is eight weeks old today. I can't believe that time has flown by so quickly. It is going to be a beautiful weekend here in SF, so we're going to have fun with Ty. Tim's mom, Geri, and Tim's sister, Amy, are here this weekend. We've already enjoyed a great walk to Clement Street and lunch at a great Vietnamese Restaurant.
We've had a really great week. Ty has humored me enough to go to sleep easily every night at 9:30 or 10PM and only wake once feeding. Yes, I know that is late for a baby, but we like having quality time for Tim to hang out with Ty. Fortunately, Ty and I sleep in quite late in the morning.
I attended my first Baby Boot Camp...it's nice to be with other new moms working out with their babies in strollers. It is also great to work out at Crissy Field anytime!
Ty has come with me to work twice in the last two weeks. He sleeps in my sling on my chest while I work for a few hours. And, Tim gets to spend a little extra time with him since I'm working at his office. And, it's nice to be using my brain a bit and getting money for my expensive hair color and bills. :>
Thursday, April 26, 2007
Friday, April 20, 2007
Pics from last weekend
Here are just a few pics from last weekend. We went to Crissy Field...a beautiful, but sort of frigid day. Also, pics of Ty sleeping ON Tim.
Thursday, April 19, 2007
Wednesday, April 18, 2007
Monday, April 16, 2007
Friday, April 13, 2007
Recap of Events...
Several of you have asked for an update on Ty's medical situation and/or learned about his problems later. Here is a summary of everything without my usual extra commentary.
Thurs 3/1 - Ty is born at 4:26 AM. I had a natural and smooth birth (but long) without any problems. But, because he is 41 weeks, he takes in a lot of meconium which affects his breathing immediately after birth. Right after birth, he has trouble breathings, so they take him to the NICU for observation. The doctors think he might have an in infection.
At about 12 hours after birth, Ty had his first small seizure. When the nurses noticed this, the doctors arranged for Ty to be transported from the Level 2 NICU hosptial we were in to a Level 3 NICU where he can recieve more critical care. I get myself discharged and packed in about 20 minutes so I can ride in the ambulance with Ty.
Fri 3/2 - By Friday night, Ty has had a series of tests: CT scans to look for superficial brain injury, possibly from the birth process, a Spinal Tap to test for meningitus, and an MRI to look for other possible causes for the seizures.
Late Friday night - we learn that Ty had a stroke. Based on the type of "scan", they know the stroke occurred within 3 hours to 7 days of the MRI. He most probably had it right before or right after birth. The stroke caused a small amount of damage to his left middle cortex. It appears to be right above the area that controls motor skills.
Sat 3/3 - We meet with the neurologist who shows us the 54 slides of MRI's (pictures of Ty's brain) in rapid fire pace. The doctor says he has no reason to be concerned about his overall health, but tells us that Ty may have problems with the right side of his body. However, given infants' neural plasticity, Ty may actually have no problems at all or may have problems with motor, cognitive or speech development. But, we will not know anything long term until he "moves" through each major developmental milestone. Many infants that have strokes may never show any symptoms because the brain learns to use other parts of the brain or may actually "skip" over the damaged parts.
Needless to say, Tim and I were shell shocked at this point.
Sun 3/4-Mon 3/5 - Ty is removed from antibiotics because they have ruled out any infection. Ty's seizures are also under control by this point.
Tues/Wed - They stop giving Ty the heavily sedating anti-seizure medication and keep him on the one other, but milder anti-seizure medication.
Thurs-Sat - Ty's sedation level continues to drop, so we are able to feed him and he becomes more "awake". However, his breathing is still shallow, so they keep him on a little bit of oxygen. They think he just needs more time to breathe deeply after dealing with the sedation.
Throughout the week - they do more tests to monitor his brain activity and monitor any new damage. Also, they do tests on his heart to see if he is at risk for more strokes.
Tuesday, 3/13 - We get to take Ty home!
Many of you have asked why infants have strokes. They think that infant stroke is greatly under diagnosed. As many as 1 in 4000 infants suffer from a stroke. We only happened to learn about Ty's stroke so early because he exhibited the seizures. The seizures were caused by the stroke affecting a very specific part of the brain.
Well, there appears to be a few different leading causes:
1- Some congenital problem - maybe problems to the heart which may cause clots which increase the risk of strokes.
2 - Infections - can increase the risk of clotting, which increase the risk of strokes.
3 - Genetic risk of clotting - this is more rare, but we've all been tested and none of us (Ty, Tim or I) have any underlying genetic risks.
4 - Environmental risks introduced in pregnancy - if I had done cocaine or other stimulants that affect the central nervous system in pregnancy. (No, I did not do any drugs before or during pregnancy).
5 - Random - Apparently, there is a theory that the risk of stroke increases exponentially in the mother and infant the week before and the week after birth. This may be due to additional clotting that takes place to prepare for birth in the mom and babies' bodies. (I actually learned about a mom who had a stroke during birth recently...so, the risk is increased for the mother, also). Right now, Ty's stroke is looking like it had a random cause like this.
What is next? Well, Ty takes medicine daily to prevent the strokes. The doctors will probably discontinue the medicine around 5-6 months of age. Apparently, he may not need the drugs after that. However, there is a chance he may have a few seizures as he comes off of the drugs. But, it is all an experiment. And, we simply wait and see. But, in the meantime, he is a funny and cute and normally developing little boy.
Update: Ty was taken off of his antiseizure medications at 4 months and he's had no problems since. The neurologist says that the clinical evidence shows that his stroke makes him no more for risk of another stroke or seizure than any other child now. Great news.
I'll get back to my light fun in the next update...we hope to have fun pictures after this weekend of no work!
Thurs 3/1 - Ty is born at 4:26 AM. I had a natural and smooth birth (but long) without any problems. But, because he is 41 weeks, he takes in a lot of meconium which affects his breathing immediately after birth. Right after birth, he has trouble breathings, so they take him to the NICU for observation. The doctors think he might have an in infection.
At about 12 hours after birth, Ty had his first small seizure. When the nurses noticed this, the doctors arranged for Ty to be transported from the Level 2 NICU hosptial we were in to a Level 3 NICU where he can recieve more critical care. I get myself discharged and packed in about 20 minutes so I can ride in the ambulance with Ty.
Fri 3/2 - By Friday night, Ty has had a series of tests: CT scans to look for superficial brain injury, possibly from the birth process, a Spinal Tap to test for meningitus, and an MRI to look for other possible causes for the seizures.
Late Friday night - we learn that Ty had a stroke. Based on the type of "scan", they know the stroke occurred within 3 hours to 7 days of the MRI. He most probably had it right before or right after birth. The stroke caused a small amount of damage to his left middle cortex. It appears to be right above the area that controls motor skills.
Sat 3/3 - We meet with the neurologist who shows us the 54 slides of MRI's (pictures of Ty's brain) in rapid fire pace. The doctor says he has no reason to be concerned about his overall health, but tells us that Ty may have problems with the right side of his body. However, given infants' neural plasticity, Ty may actually have no problems at all or may have problems with motor, cognitive or speech development. But, we will not know anything long term until he "moves" through each major developmental milestone. Many infants that have strokes may never show any symptoms because the brain learns to use other parts of the brain or may actually "skip" over the damaged parts.
Needless to say, Tim and I were shell shocked at this point.
Sun 3/4-Mon 3/5 - Ty is removed from antibiotics because they have ruled out any infection. Ty's seizures are also under control by this point.
Tues/Wed - They stop giving Ty the heavily sedating anti-seizure medication and keep him on the one other, but milder anti-seizure medication.
Thurs-Sat - Ty's sedation level continues to drop, so we are able to feed him and he becomes more "awake". However, his breathing is still shallow, so they keep him on a little bit of oxygen. They think he just needs more time to breathe deeply after dealing with the sedation.
Throughout the week - they do more tests to monitor his brain activity and monitor any new damage. Also, they do tests on his heart to see if he is at risk for more strokes.
Tuesday, 3/13 - We get to take Ty home!
Many of you have asked why infants have strokes. They think that infant stroke is greatly under diagnosed. As many as 1 in 4000 infants suffer from a stroke. We only happened to learn about Ty's stroke so early because he exhibited the seizures. The seizures were caused by the stroke affecting a very specific part of the brain.
Well, there appears to be a few different leading causes:
1- Some congenital problem - maybe problems to the heart which may cause clots which increase the risk of strokes.
2 - Infections - can increase the risk of clotting, which increase the risk of strokes.
3 - Genetic risk of clotting - this is more rare, but we've all been tested and none of us (Ty, Tim or I) have any underlying genetic risks.
4 - Environmental risks introduced in pregnancy - if I had done cocaine or other stimulants that affect the central nervous system in pregnancy. (No, I did not do any drugs before or during pregnancy).
5 - Random - Apparently, there is a theory that the risk of stroke increases exponentially in the mother and infant the week before and the week after birth. This may be due to additional clotting that takes place to prepare for birth in the mom and babies' bodies. (I actually learned about a mom who had a stroke during birth recently...so, the risk is increased for the mother, also). Right now, Ty's stroke is looking like it had a random cause like this.
What is next? Well, Ty takes medicine daily to prevent the strokes. The doctors will probably discontinue the medicine around 5-6 months of age. Apparently, he may not need the drugs after that. However, there is a chance he may have a few seizures as he comes off of the drugs. But, it is all an experiment. And, we simply wait and see. But, in the meantime, he is a funny and cute and normally developing little boy.
Update: Ty was taken off of his antiseizure medications at 4 months and he's had no problems since. The neurologist says that the clinical evidence shows that his stroke makes him no more for risk of another stroke or seizure than any other child now. Great news.
I'll get back to my light fun in the next update...we hope to have fun pictures after this weekend of no work!
Getting into a groove...
We are all getting into a groove. Ty is now 6 weeks old. But, it feels like we have only been parents for 4 weeks (after the 2 week visit in the NICU). And, then my mom was here for 2 weeks. So, I feel like I've only been really a mom for 2 weeks now. Given that rationalization, we are doing great! We've settled into a somewhat predictable sleep and feeding schedule. Since he is now 6 weeks old, we are hoping that we will start to stretch the nighttime sleep between feedings.
We still haven't gotten the results of our bloodwork...that being mine and Tim's. I'm thinking that means that the doctor got all negative results. We are postponing Ty's follow-up bloodwork until he is a little bit older.
I got my new "sling", a Mei Tai, in this week. It is significantly more comfortable for me, so now Ty can happily sleep a few hours a day while I am wearing him. I "wore" Ty to Tim's office today, as I'm going to start working again as a part-time consultant in the accounting department again. But, we're thinking I can do most of the work from home with mini trips and meetings in the office. But, it provides a good opportunity for Ty and myself to have lunch with Tim.
Since we got through our bathroom inspections this week, Tim officially has his first free weekend with no construction obligations. I think he needs to sit all weekend with a baby on his chest!
Saturday, April 07, 2007
Invitation to San Francisco Bay Area Ladies
Hello everyone! I'd like to invite all of the Bay Area ladies to an event that I've attended for the last two years. The Mother's Day luncheon on Friday, May 11 supports the Marin Abused Women's Services (MAWS).
The Marin Abused Women's Services (MAWS) is an incredible organization that provides services to abused women and their families. They have services that help both women who are trying to rebuild their lives, as well as programs to help their partners. They have helped over 30,000 women in the Bay Area since their founding.
Each year, MAWS raises a substantial portion of their fundraising dollars through this Mother's Day luncheon. It is truly a "ladies day out" event with incredible guest speakers (this year is author Isabelle Alende), Cosmos and wine for purchase and an incredible silent auction. Rarely do I like the items being auctioned off at events like this, but I actually want the items being auctioned off!
I am officially a "table captain" this year and have committed to filling a table of ten ladies. I'd like to invite each of you to consider coming and enjoying a lunch with fun ladies while supporting a great organization. The luncheon fee is $75, but $50 is tax deductible and 100% of the proceeds go to MAWS...all of the event expenses are underwritten by sponsors.
If you are interested and have the means, please join me. The application can be downloaded at http://web.mac.com/lealotus/iWeb/timles/MawsRegister.html
If you'e out of the Bay Area, please consider supporting your local Domestic Violence agency.
Lesley
The Marin Abused Women's Services (MAWS) is an incredible organization that provides services to abused women and their families. They have services that help both women who are trying to rebuild their lives, as well as programs to help their partners. They have helped over 30,000 women in the Bay Area since their founding.
Each year, MAWS raises a substantial portion of their fundraising dollars through this Mother's Day luncheon. It is truly a "ladies day out" event with incredible guest speakers (this year is author Isabelle Alende), Cosmos and wine for purchase and an incredible silent auction. Rarely do I like the items being auctioned off at events like this, but I actually want the items being auctioned off!
I am officially a "table captain" this year and have committed to filling a table of ten ladies. I'd like to invite each of you to consider coming and enjoying a lunch with fun ladies while supporting a great organization. The luncheon fee is $75, but $50 is tax deductible and 100% of the proceeds go to MAWS...all of the event expenses are underwritten by sponsors.
If you are interested and have the means, please join me. The application can be downloaded at http://web.mac.com/lealotus/iWeb/timles/MawsRegister.html
If you'e out of the Bay Area, please consider supporting your local Domestic Violence agency.
Lesley
Hanging Out
Lesley and Ty had their first few nights alone without Tim. Tim had to travel for work, so Lesley had her first night alone with a baby. Gasp! One of our co-workers from Hargreaves (Tim's firm) came and hung out with me Thursday night. She is a former nanny and is a whiz with babes. I also got some good company while trying to get Ty to go to sleep.
We had a tough day at the lab this week. We are still trying to finish various tests to make sure that Ty is not at risk for further strokes. Unfortunately, the lab collapsed four of Ty's veins and worked on him for over an hour without getting any blood out of him...while I try to remain calm while Ty is screaming his lungs out. I talked the doctor into letting us wait a month until he has grown a bit more. For the time being, I am calling Ty the turnip. Also, Tim and I had tests done, as some of the risks may be genetic. They can take as much of my blood at this point.
We had a really funny thing happen to us at the ferry building. We thought we'd have a glass of wine at the wine bar and enjoy some artisinal cheeses. But, we got asked to leave because Ty is UNDERAGE! What is that about? We thought they were joking, but apparently it is a California law. Tim tried to offer them Ty's fake ID, but they didn't go for it.
More pictures are posted on Ty's web pages at http://web.mac.com/lealotus/iWeb/ty.
Monday, April 02, 2007
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