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September 28th - Day 40, 2:30pm
posted on 09/28/2007
Friends and family, from the bottom of our hearts we want to say thank you for your prayers for Bennett, and for your prayers for us during our meeting. We needed them, and we felt them. Respiratory-wise, Bennett is doing ok today. He is fine right now and resting much more peacefully than a couple of hours ago. When we got to the hospital he was having a "moment" and his readings were pretty bad. Essentially he was having a bronchial spasm (kind of like an asthma attack), and as a result he just wasn't getting the oxygen he needed. SO, there was a lot of action around Bennett when we first arrived, but they were eventually able to settle him down and he currently remains on CPAP. Their goal is to do whatever it takes to not have to intubate him again. Our meeting with the pediatric neurologist was heavy, but necessary. We were reminded that all readings and examinations are preliminary, and that it will most likely take months (and maybe years) to fully realize exactly what challenges he will face. With that said, the doctors shared several concerns with us as potential problems. The neurologist examined Bennett earlier this morning, and he found increased tone (stiffness, etc) on the left side of his body. I share this potential diagnosis with you cautiously, because that's how it was presented to us. But at the same time, because it was shared with us, we want to share it with you. Because of the initial trauma to Bennett and because of the lack of oxygen to his brain, areas of tissue in his brain have most likely been permanently damaged. From the readings of the MRI and the examination of Bennett himself, the neurologist believes that Bennett will likely have some degree of cerebral palsy (CP). There are many degrees of severity of CP, and the neurologist stressed that at this point there is just no way to tell how severe (if severe at all) it will be. But he will most likely have some form of CP that the staff has already assured us will be aggressively treated with intense occupational and physical therapy. The sooner Bennett can breath on his own, the sooner this therapy can begin. His cognitive functioning, at this point, looks "ok." Again, it will take several months or years to fully realize how significant it is. The neurologist did say that the EEG revealed no seizure activity, but that Bennett is unfortunately at an increased risk for seizures during his lifetime. No other MRIs or EEGs are planned at this point. Your comments on Bennett's website are always so encouraging and moving, but today they have been even more so. We just cannot thank you enough for your love and support. Last night our nurse told us something that really helped us in how we view this. She said, "remember that Bennett is going to be exactly who God wants him to be." So simple, so profound, and so true. We praise God for giving us our precious boy, Bennett Mitchell. God has saved him on numerous occasions, and we are so thankful for all of the many precious moments together He has already blessed us with. We believe and know that He will make our son exactly who he is supposed to be. To God be the glory, great things He hath done. We love you all, and we ask that you continue to lift Bennett up in prayer. Please continue to pray for his lungs, for his right diaphragm (which is most likely paralyzed temporarily), and for his neurological functions. If we have more information to share this evening we will post again. Otherwise, we wish you all a happy weekend, and we'll see you in the morning. Love, Travis, Kelly, and Bennett
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