OK so the doctor apointment was a disapointment. Not dialated, not anything. Oh well. I had an ultrasound preformed but all I got was a picture of his winky. And sorry, NOT posting that! But Dr. Staggmeier said that it should be soon considering I am currently (as of today) 36 weeks 4 days. 37 is considered full-term. So we shall see. I'll keep you posted.

 

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OK so I have not had a contraction in like a WEEk. The baby's Due date is in 2 weeks and nada. If I am not in active labor by next friday i'm going to ask to be induced. Because the ultrasound tech said the baby was like friggin 6.5 lbs. MY BUM it is. lol. I mean, c'mon really. Who was she trying to fool? Mo didnt like her too much anyhoo. She was rather anti-social and hardly spoke to the expectant parents.

 

And to top it all off, I am HOT all the time. I sweat like crazy. The AC is set at 72 and i still sweat. I had Mo buy a fan for the bedroom at night cause i sweat so darn bad. Totally nasty.

 

But as for Devlin, he is active and moves alot. I can tell he's a long boy. My little bugger. I'll let you all know something.... I'm a little worried about Gaelen's interaction wit the new baby. Jack's going to be just fine but Gaelen? He's a litle Momma's Boy. He is always on me. he loves to be held if for anything than to just watch me play Mindsweep and listen to music. He likes to fall asleep like that too. But what am I to do when Devlin arrives and i CAN'T pick him up? I'm sure the dilema will fix itself.

 

OK ppl i'll talk to ou again soon.

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He has ARRIVED. Devlin Leandro Grullon graced us with his presence on May 26, 2006 at 7:14 am. He weighed in at 11 lbs 14 oz and was 21.5 inches long. No wonder why I was hurting all the darn time. I had almost 2 FEET of baby inside me!!.

 

It was a very difficult delivery. He became stuck inside me after the head came out. His shoulders were wide and the doctor had a hard time getting him out. In the end he sustained a potentially crippling injury to his left shoulder and he was not breathing. They do not have a NICU at the hospital, of which I knew and was not very happy about. They had to intubate Devlin right away and because the ventilation machine was inop, they were hand bagging him. He was then scheduled to be transferred to Cristus Shumpert Medical Center in Shreveport, LA. Moises and I were totally upset. We did not get to see Devlin again for over 24 hrs. And when we did he was just covered in wires and feeds. This is not how we had imagined our son's birthday. This, in our opinion, could have been prevented. There is no way Devlin gained a whole other baby size in 2 weeks since his last ultrasound. The tech was incompetent and even though I know it's a guesstimate, didn't even come close. If I had been given a Cesarean, he would not have the injury to his left shoulder and his lungs would not have gotten wet from the fluid. The doctor did not use the bulb to remove the excess fluid from his lungs after his head was removed because he was stuck. She was busy trying to get him out. His lungs were wet and he couldn't breath on his own. The left shoulder was stuck and stretched in such a way as to cause a Brachial Plexus Injury.

 

 

It is the stretching and/or tearing of nerves in the shoulder due to a difficult birth. Devlin cannot move his left arm at all. The orthopedic surgeon said he didn't have any broken bones so on Tuesday Devlin is scheduled to see a physical therapist. If he does not regain movement of his arm by 3 months of age, he will have to have surgery to repair the damaged nerves.

 

On Saturday, May 27th, the tube was removed and Devlin was given a mixture that was 50% O2. He also began feedings through a tube in his nose. Gavage Feeding is a way to feed babies who are not able to suck or swallow for good nutrition. He was given .5 oz initially and the doctor gradually raised his feeding amts.

 

Sunday, May 28th, he was able to maintain his own oxygen levels and no longer needed to be given O2. He also was given over one ounce of formula and took to it well.

 

Monday, May 29th we had to leave. We did not have enough money for either of us to stay. I felt I was abandoning him and Mo said that he was in great care. The doctor assured me I could call whenever I wanted to get any information I needed. I know he's in capable hands I just wanted it to be a normal delivery so I could be holding my child. Up to this day I hadn't held him. But Devlin's doctor let me right before we left. He was beautiful!! He's so long and he kept looking at us with his bright eyes. Pictures on the way!!

 

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He is HOME!!. Devlin came home with his family on Wed, June 7, 2006. He has been doted on by his older brothers and "Ooo"'d and "Ahhh"'d at by both Moises and me.

Before we were permitted to take him home, Moises and I had to learn his therepy excercises, take a short Infant CPR class, and show the NICU we could buckle him in the carseat Mom and Jodi got for him. That little bugger slept the whole ride home. We arrived home around 6:15 PM CST. We unpacked all this things, and yes Jodi, he wore THE "Take-Home-Outfit" At 7 PM i fed him aprox 2.5 oz. we did his excercises (need to be done at the most 8x per day) cleaned him up a smidge, changed his clothes for bed, and I rocked him til he fell asleep. He woke for his next feeding at about 2 AM and he drank all 3 oz. He has a vitamin suppliment he needs to be given 2x per day so I gave him that as well. I changed his diaper, did the excercises, and rocked him back to sleep. He didn't wake again til after 7 am. What a good boy!! I think he knew he was home and safe. But that's just me talking! :P

 

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June 8 2006:

 

 We have a scheduled doctors appoint emnt with Dr. Schneider in Jasper today at 1. They are going to be suprised to see him to say the least.

 

Devlin is coming along nicely. We are still doing his excercises as instructed. He is starting to resist during the wrist flex exercise. And the swelling has reduced. He can move his index, middle fingers and his thumb. Still nothing fron the ring and pinky fingers. Also no move ment in any of his arm. I know it is a slow porcess, regrowing nerves, but I really think we should be seeing more progress. Anything new and I'll report it.

 

Devlin is almost 2 months old today. Can you all say BIG? This boy is already eating so much that we have added a bit of cereal to his formula. It helps a little. He's sated longer and not as cranky. Mo wants to feed him mashed potatoes. Stated that that boy can handle it. Man, I don't know what I'm going to do! LOL

 

Ok update on his condition. Recently we returned to Cristus Shumpert in Shreveport, LA and had a check up with Dr. Pickvance. She is Devlin's ortheopedic specialist. She ultrasounded Devlin's hips because she said she noticed something on the exrays back when he was born. The ultrasound confirmed that Devlin had shallow hip sockets. This, she told me, was caused by him being so big and to cramped inside that they did not form correctly and the ball part of the thigh didn't hollow the socket out right. She want's to see him again in 2 months to check his progress becasue she said it will eventually get better.

 

As for his arm, I have tried to get in contact with the Department of Neurosurgery at UT and so far, nada. I'm going to call Dr. Pettit Monday of next week to ask her advice. I called Dr Schneider's office yesterday and didn't get a call back so I don't know where to do from here. It almost feels like they do not want to talk to me. I'll keep trying and keep you all posted.

 

His movement has improved a little. As you all know, nerves regrow about 1 mm / day. As of this moment we are seeing movement in his forfinger, middle finger, thumb and wrist. There is very little movement in his ring and pinky fingers. No movement in his forearm or bicept. But Dr. Pickvance said nerves also grow backwards.. starting at the tip of the exremeties and moving towards the trunk. So this is good. I'm glad to see any movement to tell you the truth. We'll just keep up with his OT and see what happens next month.

 

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Well time for the update to the "Fatty Melt" as Mo calls him. On July 27 we had an appointment with Dr.'s Mancias and Quach at the University Of Texas Pediatric Neurology Department in Houston Texas. They stated that he has some damage to the C5, C6 and possible C7 of the spine. He also has some slight drooping on the left side of his face as well. The pupil of his left eye is slightly smaller than his right. Dr. Mancias stated that this might indicate an avulsion. That is where the nerve is removed at the spine. It is considered the most serious type of injury. Devlin has an MRI scheduled for November 14th and will at that time be sedated to run the scan and see how extensive the damage is. Until then I am to continue his exercises for Range of Motion and be extremely careful of his shoulder and elbow area for I can aparently dislocate it! Dr. Mancias feels that if by November there is no movement in his bicep area, then surgery is needed to repair the damage. This scares me. He's so little and the surgery, ANY surgery, seems so invasive. They will be workin on and around his spine... I'm terrified something could go wrong. But I'm told that Dr. Mancias is the top Peds Neurosurgeon in Texas. He was extremely polite and he did a great job answering all of my questions, going so far as to draw a diagram showing where the damage was in relation to the spine and nerves. I just want my little boy to be ok. Granted things could be alot worse. He could have gotten Cerebral Palsy easily according to the research I did. Erbs Palsy is treatable whereas there is no current cure for Cerebral Palsy.

 

But here is another concern for me. Sometimes, the affected arm is noticeably smaller than the unaffected arm. Even after surgery. This occurs because the arm is not used as much. Although the size difference is permanent, it will not increase with age. I know I have to be supportive and encouraging; focus on what Devlin can do as opposed to what he can't. But I dont see why my son has to have ANY functional limitations. He doesn't deserve this. He didn't do anything wrong and he is completely healthy. The statistics say every 1 or 2 babies in 1000 will have Erbs Palsy. That's too high. Granted that was posted in 2000 and I'm sure the numbers are much different but still.

 

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September 6th 2006

 

Devlin has MOVED HIS ARM! Yesterday I was talking on the phone to Jodi and I saw Devlin raise his arm off the mattress about 3 inches. Can you believe it? AND as I was doing his RoM excercises I noticed some resistance in his elbow. That's good news!! I'll be calling his doctor in Houston tomorrow and let him know the information.

 

Oh and he's DROOLING! He keeps trying to suck his thumb or eat his fist. I'm not sure which it is but he loooves sucking on it. He's been smiling more often and he's tickleish under his chin. I'll HOPEfully be getting a tandem stroller at the end of this month. I'm looking forward to taking walks with Gaelen and Devlin now that the weather here is cooling in the evenings. I think it'll do them all good.

 

Well I'll keep you all posted. Keep him in your thoughts!

 

 

January 30th 2008

 

We finally got DSL back and I can update this wonderful site. OK Devlin is one AWESOME kid. He has goten to a point in his therapy that he cannot proceede further. He can lift his arm aprox 60 degrees if he doesn't use his trunk to increase the amount of movememnt. He has some hand movement although Dr. Mancias is talking about doing a surgery to give him more. His arm is slightly smaller like I thought it would be. He uses it mostly for stabilization.

 

He is due in May to have a test done that will locate the muscles in his arm that are active. they will then sked the muscle graph surgery where they will ake active muscles and put it where it'll allow him more movement in his hand only. The amount of movement in his arm and shoulder will not get any better, unfortunately.

 

Even though he has physical limitations, this boy is sooo smart. At 12 months he was saying "thank you" at 14 months he was using a mouse to click items on a coloring computer game. Now this kid can turn on the tower, select start, find his 3 different game programs he plays, play them, then close the program and shut the computer down IN THE RIGHT WAY all by himself. He's 19 months, ladies and gentlemen. He now no longer wants to sit in his high chair. He wants to sit at the table with his brothers when it's time to eat. He sleeps on a regular twin bed with his older brother (they wont sleep in seperate beds. They like the closeness), he loooves to run and play outside. We have, on the advice of his neurologist, gotten him a helmet to wear when playing because he falls alot and cannot catch himself. He can say his brothers' names, has on occasion said yes instead of no, says juice, choochoo, snack, and bath. I have a little home movie I want u all to see. It's of his therapy session.

 

August 26th 2008

 

Dev is a little boy that is for SURE!. Climbing on things, running  jumping, playing rought with the older boys. He has NO limitations at all. He has a few spills but that is to be expected. He's talking more articulatly now as well. He uses sentences and can string together more than three words to tell me something. He doesn't just say "Mommy, juice" he'll say "Mommy, may I have juice" and sometimes I don't have to remind him to say "please" My dad should be proud that I teach them to say may and not can't.. he used to DRILL that in our heads.. Can denotes ability May denotes permission. Now I do it to my kids LOL. Dev can get into his own chair now (no booster seat for him.. no sir) and he can climb up in the car to get in his car seat too. He holds his water bottle or sippy cup against his body with is left arm and uses his rt ro heave himself up. Out of the blue one day he gave me an orange crayon and I asked him what color it was. He said orange. I went through his box of 8 and he could recognize and name orange, yellow, black, green, blue, and red ( which he pronounces BLEH ) His favorite songe are Numa Numa by O-Zone ( go to my myspace to see what song I mean) Iron Man by Black Sabbath, Du Hast by Rammstein and Duel of the Fates from the Star Wars epics. He canname and recognize star, circle, and octogon. (he uses the same program Jack, Elijah and Gaelen used on the computer. He LOVES Sponge Bob and is always having Jack draw him a picture of Plankton. and when he eats an Oreo he ONLY will eat the middle and leave the rest LOL

 

We took him a month ago to the Dr to do the EMG. The information I received was startling. He had up to 75% movement loss in his hand. I knew it was bag just not how bad. the percentage drops the further up his arm we go but the hand is something I'm worried about. He cannot feel pain in it either. When they poked the needle into the fleshy space between his thumb and forefinger he didn't even twitch.It wasn't just one poke in that area either. I'm awaiting Dr Mancias' call about where we go from here.