Laura's babbling!!!!!

Yesterday Laura started saying na na na na, then ma ma ma ma. This morning Emma shouted, "Mammy, Mammy she's saying da da da da!! Was thrilled, I swear I woke Brian up at 7.30 this morning to let him hear her, he only got in from work at 02.30am. He was chuffed to bits. Emma is listening to every sound Laura is making. We are starting speech therapy on Monday week so am making a list of Laura's new sounds. We had physio last week and her therapist couldn't get over the difference in Laura's trunk control in just the few weeks. She will be 6 weeks over the operation next Thursday, am shocked at just how much the seizure's were holding her back.

Laura's 2!!

This is picture of Laura on her 2nd birthday. Since she got home last Friday, she has had a vomiting bug for a couple of days. God love her she has been real cranky all week. Soooo not like her, well not the old Laura anyway. But since the operation she is eating stuff she would never in a million years have eaten. She is even drinking from a beaker, which was unheard of before surgery.

She went back to pre school on Thursday and is going to a joint physio & occupational therapy session on Monday. Easy time is over, time to get to work!! She is sitting up alot straighter since the surgery. She still can't sit on her own but hopefully now with alot of physio we'll see some difference.

Laura's home!!

They let Laura home today!! At this moment she is fast asleep in her own bed. I really don't think I could stand another day in a hospital. So all is well with her at present. Will keep you posted. Its her birthday on Tuesday, thank God she's home.

Laura got transferred

Laura got transferred to Temple Street last night. She is doing really well. However her big sister Emma has chicken pox!! She is in isolation at the moment as she was in contact with Emma. There's a question now over whether the water blisters that Laura was breaking out in prior to surgery was nothing to do with tegretol at all. We are waiting on results of a blood test. She is now finished on Tegretol as of today and she'll be weaned off Epilum now. She is charted to be discharged on Friday, all going well. Can't wait to get her home.

No beds........

Temple Street Childrens Hospital cannot accommodate Laura at the moment (Thank God!!) They are full. She will remain in Beaumont for the moment. They brought Laura down to theatre this morning to put her under a general anaestethic to put a central line in as her veins are worn out. She is still on the intra-venous antibiotic. They will test her again over the weekend to see how her infection is doing.

The Hemispherectomy Foundation

Today Laura received a parcel all the way from Texas. Cris & Kristi Hall from America have set up The Hemispherectomy Foundation. It is a Foundation in the US to help familes of children (or adults) that have needed to have half their brain removed. They very very kindly sent Laura some gifts of a toy, teddy & beautiful crochet blanket. I swear, the nurses were mesmirised!!!
I had been telling them all about the other children I had been reading up on and then comes this box of pressies for Laura. It was brill. I keep referring back to all the other children we have gotten inspiration from that have had hemispherectomy's. Everybody here thinks its great that we have received messages from America nevermind the thought of sending some beautiful gifts. My Dad is amazed!! We would like to thank you from the bottom of our hearts for thinking of our little girl many many miles away from you. It was soooo touching it made us cry xxx

Laura's getting transferred to Temple Street

The update with Laura is that one of the tests showed an infection in her secretions from her chest. She's still spiking temperatures randomly. They are starting her on a third antibiotic. But the problem is that they can't get anymore access from the veins in her hands or feet so she has to go to theatre to get a general anaestethic to get a central line put in, as the antibiotics are intra-venous. She still has some runny nappies which isn't helping her bum at all. She is screaming every time she wee's.

So the long and the short of it is that from a neurosurgical point of view Mr O'Brien is very happy with her so he is essentially finished with her. The reason they are trasnferring her to Temple Street Childrens Hospital is there are more paediatricians available & its where her neurologist is based so we can get her weaning of her anti-convulsants sorted too.