SAM...MORE THAN A CONQUEROR: We're having a wee problem

Sam. Conqueror. Overcomer.

"IN ALL THINGS WE ARE MORE THAN CONQUERORS THROUGH HIM WHO LOVES US : Samuel was born on 15th May 2009, two months early and in respiratory distress. After an initial Apgar score of 1, he was taken to the NICU and placed on a ventilator, together with an undeterminable amount of tubes, IV’s and monitors which made it almost impossible to see the little Smurfie character lying within…slightly blue and only three apples high. Sam was diagnosed within 24 hours with Rubinstein-Taybi Syndrome, a scarce medical advantage as, due to the rare occurrence of the Syndrome and the limited medical literature on it, many individuals are only diagnosed well into adulthood and some never at all. The page-long list of medical/health issues related to the syndrome, while vital in providing a prognosis and compiling a care plan, took a backseat, however, as Sam’s struggle to breathe and swallow became the primary focus of our concerns and prayers, deepened only by the heartache of not being allowed to hold and comfort him for the first ten days of his already traumatic life. After seven weeks Sam was successfully weaned from the oxygen but was still dependent on a nasal gastric tube for feeding, with which he was eventually discharged. Once home, what should have been a precious time to recover from the stress of the NICU and enjoy a relaxed and cherished time together, instead became a seemingly-endless timeline of specialist appointments, therapies, illnesses and surgeries as that page-long list of medical complexities came into play, affecting every part of Sam…physically, neurologically, medically and emotionally. Yet, despite these challenges and an “ineducable” future being predicted when his prognosis was delivered, Sam showed a delightful potential and eagerness for learning. Unfortunately though, this learning potential seemed limited to his cognitive abilities as, physically, Sam’s development lagged significantly behind that of his RTS peers. A week before his 5th birthday a brain MRI confirmed that, in addition to the RTS, Sam also has Periventricular Leukomalacia and Static Leukoencephalopathy (included under the umbrella diagnosis of Cerebral Palsy), which would more than likely have occurred as a result of the oxygen deprivation experienced leading up to and/or during his birth. Thirteen years later and with a number of surgeries and medical procedures which appear to be in fierce competition for their own “page-long list” (which surgeries and their subsequent recoveries have left Sam to face his day-to-day life with a residue of unshakeable anxieties and phobias), the boy you meet face-to-face…with his cheeky sense of humour, unfathomable joy and fierce warrior spirit…make it almost impossible to believe that that disheartening brain MRI and poor medical prognosis are of the same kid. As we begin to navigate this journey with a newly aged differently-abled teenager, leaving behind the little smurf whose fears and discomforts could so easily be remedied with a cuddle on mom’s lap, the anxiety of more surgeries and medical challenges now compounded by the universal fear of every differently-abled child’s parent/s (who will take care of their child once their own time here is gone) threatens to become overwhelming. But then the excitement of a horseriding lesson, the sheer delight of spotting a balloon (especially a hot air balloon) or a super silly giggle caused by simply hearing someone sneeze provides a beautiful reminder of the profound joy and courage these children radiate, despite their overwhelming challenges, and it provides the perfect encouragement and inspiration for facing your own. #samtheconqueror

SAMUEL - COMPLETE IN GOD
Our world has crashed, been blown apart.
This can't be happening....why us? Why now?
Your fragile life shaken before it could barely start,
How do we get through this...please, Lord, tell us how?

Drowning in our sorrow, waiting for answers that just don't come.
Our baby "special needs"? It simply can't be true!
The heartache overwhelms us, we're left feeling cold and numb.
The diagnosis tells us little - these children are so few.

But then we finallyget to touch you, to see your precious face
And all the heartache and questions fade, replaced with love and pride.
It's obvious from the very start you're showered in God's grace,
And with His love and guidance, we'll take this challenge in stride.

When once we couldn't pronounce it, Rubinstein-Taybi's become our norm.
When once the future seemed dark, we now welcome the journey as having an RTS angel brings lessons in unexpected form.

Our world has crashed, been blown apart!
This IS happening....to us.....right now!
We've been blessed with a gift, so precious from the very start. How do we get through this? Here's how.....
By believing in a God, so merciful and great,
By trusting that He's right beside us as we journey through the narrow gate.
By believing His love for us is not determined by a human frame,
By trusting that we draw Him near by merely calling His name. This precious baby we asked God for,
Prayed he'd be perfect and complete.
And, as Samuel means "God hears", He's laid His answer at our feet.

(Nicky de Beer : 27/05/2010)

Tuesday, February 4, 2014

We're having a wee problem

And by "wee" I don't mean small because it's certainly not a small problem at all.

With Sam still sleeping poorly and still going way too many hours without passing any urine, we popped off to see his paed yesterday. Sam's bladder was somewhat distended and very full so Doc Paed marched us off to radiology for some vomiting (inevitable)and a scan. The scan showed about 50mls of 'sludge' in Sam's bladder and a slightly enlarged right kidney. Doc Paed's thoughts on the 'sludge' is that it might be some debris from one or more of Sam's current meds. So the plan of action for the next five days is to hold up on the Faverin (anxiety) and Motillium and start Sam on some Cardugen, which should relax the muscles in the bladder and hopefully bless us with more frequent wet nappies. An added bonus Doc Paed mentioned is that the Cardugen might help relax Sam overall and make for some much-needed sleep.

And that it did for sure. Sam slept a solid 11 hours last night, hardly moving at all...

But Sam's nappy stayed dry for another 14.5hrs despite the Cardugen apparently taking only 2 hours to start having an effect. Doc Paed advised that going 6 hours without passing urine is reason for worry so 14.5hrs plus plenty fluids and a dose of the relaxant is a little stressful. This morning he decided to add an antibiotic too in case there's an infection lurking somewhere that we can't pinpoint. Being Motillium-free is also going to be rather entertaining as the Motillium prevents vomiting and helps the stomach empty a little quicker so, with Sam's tummy emptying at about the same pace as a snail doing the Comrades, we're surely up for some v-wording.

On a good note (well kinda) my body was so relieved and grateful for a decent night's sleep last night that it blessed me with a truly wonderful dream. I dreamt we were sitting at the diningroom table and all of a sudden Sam WALKED passed and I was like WOW! I so get Jessica's (Sam's RTS brother Alex's mom) post from almost five years ago when she blogged one day about sitting on the sofa and all of a sudden seeing Alex's head bob passed and how seeing him walking was quite surreal. I woke up all dream-happy and even slightly excited at merely just the thought of Sam walking someday. Truly can't wait.

But first, there's gotta be pee!