Tuesday, October 23, 2007

Road Trippin'

We just got back from San Francisco. Ali had an appointment with her neurologist, the infamous Dr. S., at California Pacific Medical Center. I love Dr. S. But Dr. S. has always been the most negative about Ali's prognosis of everyone on Ali's medical team. He's always told straight out that Ali would not progress very far.

I guess some doctors take that position so that parents will not have false hope. That way, if the patient exceeds the expectations set, they are happy no matter what. And the doctor comes out smelling like a rose.

This was Dr. S's tactic. And he usually smelled as good as a rose, but not exactly like one. Dr. S is quite dapper. But Dr. S said that Ali would always be on medicine called keppra to prevent seizures. He was also the doctor that said that Ali would be blind and an epileptic. He said that Ali may never breathe without a machine. A rarely smiled when working with Ali. And when we had planning meeting to discuss Ali's rehabilitation here in Eureka, he usually said his piece and then left the room. After he was gone, the rest of the doctors and nurses would do damage control to try and give us some hope and to lift our spirits. That's the effect Dr. S. had on us.

But on this visit, Dr. S. smiled. He was a little giddy, in fact, when he examined Ali. Ali was responsive and smiling and laughing during the examination. This floored Dr. S. He shined his little flashlight in Alis' eye, end she looked at him and followed his movements with her eyes.

"Did you see that?" asked Dr. S. "She looked at me. Her eyes followed me."

"She does that," said the charming and beautiful Susan.

It was our best visit ever with Dr. S. He was even talking about taking Ali off keppra. Ali was supposed to be on keppra the rest of her life. Now she could be off it some time this winter, spring at the latest.

"I'm impressed," he said. "Whatever you're doing, keep doing it."

We love Dr. S.

12 comments:

Anonymous said...

What a great report! We'll start praying for her to be able to come off of that medicine even sooner than Dr. S expects!
How cool that he has seen the transformation!
How did Ali do on the trip?

Anonymous said...

You know what I love it when the doctor gave their comment because whatever he said that Ali will be this and that. But GOD is all over little Ali. Praise Him

Vicki

Bryonm said...

Jody:

The trip was tough on Allie. She does okay for awhile, then has a total melt down at which point we stop the car and just walk and rock her for a bit until she sleeps. Then back in the car we go. She usually sleeps for a little while.

We tried something a little different on the way back home: Susan has a hard time sitting in the back seat with Allie on curvy, mountain roads (of which we have alot). So Susan drives that part and I get in the back seat with Allie and comfort her and play with her in her car seat to keep her calm. But sometimes, during a long trip, Allie doesn't want to know anything about little piggies or little songs, she just wants out and lets us know about it. By the time we were within a half hour of being home yesterday, Allie had one of those moments.

Anonymous said...

Great news!

Anonymous said...

Just goes to show...Jesus is a better physician than Dr. S. :)

Thodgson said...

Bryon,
I bumped into your blog by your request from another blog site that i was grateful for seeing the door out of. You do have good things going on in your life and I am humbled by your boldness to be real and share this journey with all. Your faith is strength for all involved! May God continue to bless as He is with you and yours.

Bryonm said...

thodgson:
thanks!!!
:)

Unknown said...

such great news!!

Anonymous said...

That is so awesome to read. What great and excellent news.

Anonymous said...

Thank you Jesus!!!! Pray and believe that is all we need to stand firm on..... We are so happy for Ali and for you all!!!

Anonymous said...

Praise Him! God will keep doing what He does best -- he's in the restoration business...

Anonymous said...

I don't know whether to laugh or cry! There is a reason Jesus is known as the Great Physician, and I so love what He is doing in Ali. I hope you told Dr. S. that what you're doing is praying and asking a lot of other people to do the same! :o)

If you had said that Ali always has a melt down on the curvy mountain road, I'd suggest that maybe she gets car sick, too. But I don't think you said that, huh.