On April 29, 2011, Brad and I became parents to the best little guy in
the world. Carter changed our lives and made every day so much better.
He was a happy, healthy and completely lovable boy.
Life was "normal" for all of about 3 weeks. After that, lots of little things started coming up and we went back and forth to the pediatrician as Carter developed suck-swallow issues, reflux, excema, blocked tear duct, etc. Nothing too series, but enough to keep us on our toes (and sleep deprived).
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| 3 months old |
Then around three months of age, we noticed Carter's head seemed to be growing too large too fast. So it was back to the pediatrician to figure out what was going on. He sent us to a pediatric neurosurgeon who diagnosed Carter with Hydrocephalus (read more about this condition
here). The very next day Carter was in surgery at CHOC to have a shunt placed in his head to drain the excess fluid off his brain. We were in the hospital for four days and during this time we learned A LOT about what this diagnosis means for Carter and us. Carter will have a shunt in place for the rest of his life and will probably have numerous surgeries over time to replace or repair the shunt as needed. We will have to constantly monitor his health to make sure the shunt continues to work properly - a fever spike, headaches or vomiting could mean there's a blockage or infection and we're back in surgery immediately.
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| Carter before his surgery. 4 months old |
Carter recovered remarkably well after the surgery. With the excess fluid and pressure relieved from his brain, he was as happy and active as we had ever seen him. He was all smiles and laughs. It was so incredible to see.
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| 5 months old |
While in the hospital for his shunt surgery, the doctors discovered Carter had a fairly large VSD (hole in the heart). This is a somewhat common heart defect. Many kids are born with this and the holes sometimes close on their own. Two months later, when Carter was six months old, the cardiologist determined that the VSD was not closing on its own and Carter was quickly heading to the point where he could have difficulty growing and gaining weight due to the strain on his heart. So another surgery was scheduled. In November, we were back at CHOC for open heart surgery. Everything went very well and once again, the surgery was successful and the recovery exceeded all doctors' expectation. Such an amazing answer to prayers.
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| In the hospital after heart surgery. 6 months old |
The recovery after heart surgery was four weeks of limited movement with Carter mainly laying on his back, but it was so encouraging to see him slowly gain back his strength and mobility. In the months since surgery, his cardiologist has given him a clean bill of health. The heart has healed completely and he will be able to have a normal, active life.
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| 9 months old |
Due to the surgeries and recovery time, Carter is a little behind on some of his major physical milestones. He's having difficulty sitting and holding his head up, so he's currently in Physical Therapy and Occupational Therapy once a week to try and get caught up. Therapy and doctors appointments are definitely keeping us busy these days but it's worth it. We are so blessed and amazed by this strong little fighter. And by the love and support we've received from all our friends and family.
