P.S. to PRAYER REQUESTS...

I found out today that Milena's CT scan was perfectly normal - so sign of cerebellum atrophy or anything abnormal at all. So we're very thankful! The school may arrange for some developmental testing before the year ends so we can pass it on to Winnipeg.

We saw Churchill High School and took pics of it for the children's reference. It backs on to the Assiniboine river, so I'm hoping Milena doesn't get too adventurous and wander about. There didn't seem to be any fencing of the property at all. It's a nice small high school though, and they'll receive the same Lifeskills Program that they've had here. The only bad news is that it's way across "town" and their bus ride will be long. I'm picturing those dreadful days of having to get Nathan on a 7:20 a.m. bus!

Nathan's neurologist appointment is Monday April 2nd re his possible epilepsy. Please keep us in your prayers on that day as well!

A HOLIDAY IN WINNIPEG!

We just got back from a long weekend at Kevin & Becky's, and can report that Becky and the "little one" are doing well. Milena had to have her hand pried off poor Becky's stomach more than once, as she thrilled to the feel of baby rolling and kicking!

We all went to a Manitoba Moose game - won in OT with a shootout, no less! Nathan and Milena were ecstatic to be back at a hockey game, and Daddy is contemplating buying a "mini-pack" of 11 games for next winter while we live there.

We also took the kids to the Mint and saw all manner of coins being made - Nathan didn't find it as interesting as Milena but he did like buying a roll of pennies in the boutique.

Also, Paul talked his way into getting keys for three houses out of the CFHA, so we checked out three different locations and "styles". Back alleys are all different in the melting spring weather, as are drowned lawns, and leaky basements! It was good to see houses in this condition as a reference for the future, seeing as we'll be moving in in July.

We spent Sunday a.m. at Faith Covenant Church and saw "Speechless" from Providence College. Milena was trying to imitate the girls as they did their musical sign-language. She was totally entranced! It was nice to see some of Kev's ministry there.

Paul and I also had a romantic dinner at "Tavern in the Woods" for our 19th wedding anniversary. It was engulfed in deep, gothic, fog and added to the candlelit atmosphere. We haven't enjoyed such fine dining since The Dove left Barrie years ago!

Kev & Becky bought a cake and decorated the living room/dining room for a combined Nathan/Paul/Laurie b'day party and anniversary celebration. When Paul downloads pics of this trip, I'll post some so you can all see what a great time we had that night. Kev bought Spiderman napkins, and Happy Feet cups, as they'd taken the kids to see Happy Feet while Paul and I went out for dinner. Happy Feet and going to MacDonalds seem to be the highlight of the holiday for the kids. :)

Thanks to both sets of parents for calling us to wish us a Happy Anniversary! It was, and we both feel better now that we've explored 17 Wing and some of its houses, as we journey forth on our 20th year of marriage. Winnipeg is a HUGE city compared to what we're used to, so I have to admit I'm a bit intimidated. I'm sure that'll wear off once we get settled and I find my way around.

MISSION ACCOMPLISHED!

Well, the nurses had to knock Milena out Thursday p.m. with a sedative by 10:30 p.m. because she was too wound up to sleep. :) She knew that IV was coming sometime, and kept saying "I'm going home now," anytime someone asked her how she was doing.

Despite my arguing with the doctor that she be given a pre-sedative before they put the IV in, she wasn't given anything. The doc didn't even bother contacting the anesthetist beforehand - she figured they could give her an Ativan in the scan room. I argued my case that NO WAY would they get an IV in her without SOMETHING, but what does Mom know?

It took five of us to hold her down, and four tries before the anesthetist could get the needle in. No kidding. She was spurting blood everywhere, which only made her more hysterical. He finally got it in her hand and gave her a quick shot of something that knocked her out in about 30 seconds. Then they transferred her to the CT Scan bed, and he nearly knocked the IV out of her hand again because he hadn't taped it down.

I was furious, crying in the booth, but our doctor gave me a big hug and apologized for not sedating her earlier. A little too late! The whole process took 10 minutes; they put dye through her brain too so I was glad we'd anethetized her, as I've had that and it's not a pleasant feeling.

Then the nurses wouldn't let me in the recovery room, after I'd promised Milena my face would be the first thing she saw when she woke up. I was ready to strangle somebody. Excuse given - they couldn't violate the other patient's confidentiality who were also coming out of anesthetic! You can sit in Day Surgery with people coming out of anesthetic and look at everyone there - but not in the "recovery room". Seemed like a screwed up policy to me!

So the doctor sat with me in the waiting room until she was awake and we could take her back to her room. The doc kept apologizing over and over, and then the anesthetist came upstairs and apologized to me as well. Which was very nice of him to take the time, but it shows you how hysterical she was, and how it upset everyone involved.

Anyway, it's over now, and I've learned that Nathan will need one too - so now that I know Ativan takes about an hour to work, I'll really be a mother bear and make sure he gets some (or something) before his is done.

Many thanks for your prayers! :)

PRAYER REQUESTS, PLEASE!

We've got a few things going on with the children that we'd like you all to pray for - this picture is Milena in the hospital on the second weekend that we arrived in MJ.

Tomorrow after school, Milena and I are going back into the hospital overnight and she's scared silly. She's going to be put under anesthetic for a CT scan of her brain, and we'll be going home as soon as she wakes up in recovery. The exact time, in case you like to pray that way, is Friday the 16th at 11:00 a.m.

The last time we tried to CT scan Milena, they gave her three oral sedatives and she still wouldn't lie still on the platform and go back into the CT scanning machine. It's the fear of "falling" backwards or something. She won't even tip her head back at the hairdressers to get it washed! Thus, the need to be knocked out while they scan her.

The CT scan is to look for any brain damage that she might have sustained either genetically, or at birth. The psychiatrist who's examined her orally feels that she's NOT bipolar, as we were told in Richmond Hill, but that her symptoms of echolalia (repeating everything obsessively) and a few other things could be the result of one of the above. The report, however it turns out, will help us in future programming for Milena as to her learning capabilities.

Also, her vision was checked by the specialist again last Thursday, and she's now 20/40 in her good eye, and -950 in her right eye, which means that we're going to start CNIB intervention at school. The specialist took photos of her eyeballs so I could see the retinal damage, and it pretty well covers the entire retina, and most of the "bumps" which could turn into rips are around her optic nerve. Also, there's a space around the optic nerve which didn't close up when she was in utero, further complicating her vision. The only "help" she could have at this stage is to wear contact lenses, which isn't going to happen as she won't let you near her even to put one eye drop into her eyes.

Basically, she's going blind in her right eye. That's the prognosis, but we're thankful that we can get CNIB into school now. She also complains about the fact that she can't see - which wasn't happening a year ago when we moved out here. (she calls it her "buggy eye".)

A prayer request for Nathan: he and I are going to Regina April 2nd to see a neurologist. He had a seizure over the New Year's weekend when he was so sick he had to be hospitalized. A subsequent EEG showed that he has "small seizure" activity - and so we need further testing or consultation to see if he needs to be medicated for petit mal seizures. We've never observed anything like what he had at New Year's, but the doctor told me that petit mal seizures can be as mild as him just staring off into space for a few seconds, and that he's likely had this all his life! The reason to possibly medicate him, is so that it doesn't develop into grand mal seizures. We'll have to see what the neurologist thinks. This has come as a complete surprise to us, and obviously if he's been having seizures they must be mild as no school has ever mentioned him having them, or having "strange moments", as the doc said to me. However, all the schools with their Master's in Special Ed teachers also missed the fact that he's autistic, so there you go!

We'll have Milena's report back next Monday or Tuesday so I'm hoping that the doctor will call me asap to let us know what they found (if anything). Please pray that Milena will stay calm tomorrow night, and that they can get an IV in her without it being a major crisis for her. I'll probably post on the blog again re the results, and/or call Mom and Dad and they can let you all know how she's doing.

Thank you, everyone - we really covet your prayers right now for these two things. Milena is compensating very well re her vision, but she's frustrated about getting tired, headaches, and even though she can't express it properly, she knows she can't see things properly anymore. We now sit in the second front pew at church - and the specialist told me she's likely only seeing people as blurs, with colors for clothing.

We love you all, and are praying for you too!

NATHAN'S B'DAY EXCITEMENT :)

Santa was supposed to bring Nathan a DVD called "Spiderman and the Venom Saga". Imagine Nathan's MAJOR disappointment Christmas morning when Santa had been unable to find this DVD ANYWHERE in his "Santa Pack". (checked every video store in MJ, tried to order it in, etc.)

Amazingly, my Mom found it when she was in this little collector shop getting him some Spiderman comics for his birthday. The picture is of his delight at FINALLY getting his copy of this most cherished of DVD's!!

We're sure looking forward to the March break when we see Kev and Becky, so he can get Grampa & Gramma's Spiderman Surprise that's waiting in Winnipeg for him!

Opening Your Christmas Gifts

Just some photos to show you all how much your gifts were appreciated! For the Dorazio gifts and Grampa and Gramma gifts, we opened them on Christmas morning and Paul took a video of the extravaganza (forgetting I'd have nothing to scrapbook!)