August 12, 2006
Natalie has been doing really well since the last update. She has graduated from the Perlman Center at Children’s Hospital. She is getting ready to start first grade too! She did give us a scare, however, when one morning she began to gag and aspirated. She had quit breathing and we had to call a squad to transport her to the hospital. We spent five days in the hospital with her, and the doctors determined she had pancreatitis.
She also had pneumonia, and was treated for that with no complications.We made it through the summer, and Natalie really enjoyed summer camp this year. She is doing really well with her Dynavox and has been making great progress with it. We are still attempting to figure out the head switches that she needs so that she can use it more at home. Natalie also had a baclophen pump installed back in the spring. The pump was installed in her abdomen, and is about the size of a hockey puck. It gives her small doses of Baclophen directly into her spinal column which helps loosen up her muscles in her body without the drowsiness and other side effects.
We are getting ready for another school year and lately it has been really hectic keeping up with all of the doctors appointments for school time, but we are making it so far. Natalie really is a trooper, and such a blessing for us. Even though she is hard work at times, when she smiles and looks at us when we are near her, and then she starts laughing, it melts our hearts.