I'm Blogging for Brady!

Hi friends and family,



I've been saying I'm going to do it for a while, and tonight I finally am starting! Blogging...I'm certainly no expert at this, but I think it is an important thing for me to do. This blog will keep friends and family up to date on Brady's progress. It seems clear that we have a long road ahead of us as we seek out a diagnosis, prognosis, and treatment for Brady. You will be able to check in on how things are going by reading my posts. Even more importantly, Matt and I believe in the power of prayer! For that reason I will be giving specific requests for prayer. Please pray for Brady! We know that God loves him even more than we do (thanks Julie for reminding me of that) and that He is holding Brady in the palm of His hand.



My first update: We finally have an appointment for Brady's MRI. His appointment is scheduled for next Wednesday January 21st. Our insurance change held things up a bit, but I'm so relieved to finally have the date set. This is the first very important step towards figuring things out. The MRI will have to be done under anesthesia, so needless to say, we are very anxious. I'm having a hard time thinking about my little boy being taken away, put to sleep, having an IV, and laying inside a big machine. But, it needs to be done so that the doctors can identify what exactly is going on.



At our last appointment the doctor, who is a developmental pediatrician at Strong Hospital, did a physical exam and medical history of Brady. Based on his evaluation, he feels that Brady has a form of cerebral palsy called spastic diplegia. Cerebral palsy is a permanent condition that occurs due to some form of brain injury usually occuring at birth. It is being assumed that Brady being born 6 weeks premature was the reason that his brain suffered some sort of injury. The injury ususally involves bleeding in some part of his brain. Only Brady's legs are affected so we can assume that his motor cortex is damaged in some way. The MRI of his brain will most likely show evidence of a past brain bleed which would solidfy this diagnosis. The doctor told us the scan could show something more serious, but that is not likely. He is confident that with a CP diagnosis, Brady will walk, but there is no definite time table. CP is a life long condition that doesn't progressively get worse, but does affect a person throughout their life.



Please pray:

For peace for Matt and I as we deal with anxiety and fear waiting for an official diagnosis.



For Brady and that he feels safe and secure throughout the procedure.



For wisdom for the people performing and interpreting the test.



Thank you all for caring about our family,

Megan