The MRI

Sometimes when Avery blinks, her left eye closes all the way but her right only makes it half way down.  And a couple times I have seen her left eye blink (several blinks in a row) with no movement at all in her right eye.

Her pupils are different sizes and her face is a little asymmetric.

All this info worried our pediatrician, so she ordered an emergency brain MRI last week.

We couldn't feed Avery, she couldn't sleep, and she was dehydrated.  She had to have an IV placed, but it was so difficult to find a vein under all her chub that four of us were holding her down while she screamed and they fished around her wrist with a needle hoping to get a vein.  The IV didn't work and they infiltrated saline under her skin.  Her tiny wrist puffed up with fluid and she just writhed in pain.  She kept looking at me like I was a traitor and she was so heartbroken that I wouldn't help her.  It was awful.  I felt so helpless and just cried with her.  Todd did too.

After calling in the IV team and finally getting an IV they sedated her.  She had screamed for about 3 hours straight by that point.  When she finally gave in to the medication she became this limp floppy dead weight in my arms.  It was SO awful.

Going through all that crap with the knowledge that a life threatening diagnosis might be coming was so scary. 

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The MRI came back normal.  (Jump for joy an cry tears of relief.)  And we were told we needed to do a neck MRI next week, just to be sure there's nothing wrong.  (Jump with anger and cry tears of exasperation.)  Really????  You need to do another MRI?????  Why didn't you just scan four inches lower the first time?!  Swearword!!

So we have one scheduled next Monday and I can't wait for it to be over.

Now I understand the phrase, "I love you so much it hurts."

It is so scary being a parent.  I would give anything- even myself- if it meant health and safety for my baby.

 Hot packs taped onto hands and feet with hopes of getting an IV:

She's so small the head holder for the MRI was a complete joke- her whole body fit inside.

Poor baby.

 

Unicorn was so glad everything looked OK!