Back to Work, Back to School

Posted on September 23, 2017 by mommabear0208

Both Lily and I transitioned easily back into our routines. I returned to work with a clear head about the direction we were/likely are going in with the feeding tube. Of course my kid upended it all by devouring most everything in her sight after the appointment with her pediatric GI (who recommended a small feeding tube). So for now, the decision is still somewhat up in the air. She’s still eating well. But I’ve done my research, I’ve written out the pros/cons and I’m as comfortable as can be about this situation.

Which is a good thing as it’s been a crazy few weeks at the office. Thankfully my team held things together while I was out. Actually they did more than hold things together – they did a phenomenal job managing some really complex projects that arose during my absence. And the projects have kept piling up since my return. Currently my team is running multiple community fundraisers and assistance programs for employees who have been severely impacted by these recent disasters (the company I work for operates in over 100 countries and 500 cities). Additionally we hosted Cherie Blair (former Prime Minister Tony Blair’s wife and kick-ass advocate for women’s rights) for a conversation and cocktails the day after the earthquake in Mexico. It’s been both a a sad and inspirational time at work. So much devastation but also so much support for our employees (which my team and I are managing). And to top it off, a cool panel session with some awesome ladies.

As for Lily – she continues to have her ups and downs. But is loving school and her therapies. I’m getting notes from her teachers and therapists that she is blowing them away. I’m so proud of this hard-working kid.

From top to bottom:

Mom working hard
Lily letting me know what she thinks about Rett Syndrome on a bad day
Excited about the first day of first grade!

Some good news

Posted on July 28, 2017 by mommabear0208

The week started out tough. Lily got a ‘failure to thrive’ diagnosis on Monday from the nephrologist. This is like getting (as one wise Rett momma so eloquently put it) a punch in the gut. Hearing those words, especially as a mom, well… the guilt and disappointment and anger is indescribable. I walked away from that appointment trying to not feel like a total failure as a mother. Thankfully my kid was being extra sweet and silly which helped shake me out of my funk.

The next day I got a video from school showing Lily holding onto the handlebars for close to 40 seconds while riding a bike. This is HUGE. Her hand function has slowly been improving over the past few weeks. I can’t post videos to this site so you’ll have to settle for a screenshot instead. If you’re on Facebook, I’ll be posting the full video shortly.

And then this morning, we had to see her pediatrician to get his signature for a Medicaid form. They do not make it easy to get, nor maintain Medicaid but holy cow am I glad that Trumpcare failed because I’m not sure what we’d do without it. But I digress…. We did a weigh-in at the same scale we used 5 weeks ago and according to the scale, she gained 2 pounds. It’s taken a lot of effort – and patience – for both Lily and her nannies, therapists, teachers, parents, etc. to get here. And we’re not done yet. She’s still 3 pounds away from where she was 6 months ago but she’s starting to gain it back.

How did she gain 2 pounds in 5 weeks? Well, Lily’s been on a steady diet of home-made mac-n-cheese, duck, tater tots, cupcakes, avocados, yogurt, pudding and pizza. I’m still slipping in super healthy stuff for her morning smoothies to ensure she’s getting the vitamins and minerals her body needs. But she’s basically eating anything and everything she wants.

In two weeks we are seeing the GI doctor to discuss further this ‘failure to thrive’ issue but I’m hopeful that the conversation will be a mostly positive one.

Holding on to the handlebars like a pro!

To supplement or not to supplement

Posted on November 11, 2016 by mommabear0208

Recently on one of the parent groups, a question was asked about whether or not it’s worth buying expensive supplements for your kiddo. I thought my response could be helpful to other parents on a similar journey so I’m sharing here:

I’ve been using Agape on and off for years. When I can’t find it or afford it, I use the stuff you get at wholefoods ‘child life’ I think is the brand. I also have used and am using a mix of other supplements for my kiddo on top of this. And have I seen results? How can you really know? And what results are you looking for?

My daughter isn’t ASD (autism spectrum disorder), she has a disorder that, among other things, can cause growth issues (i.e. head and feet and other body parts stop growing) and failure to thrive because of malabsorption in the gut. She also has sensory issues and struggles concentrating. She physically cannot sit still due her her disorder.

So what have I seen? Well one thing is that she is on the growth charts. And continues to grow (though her weight is very much on the low end of the charts, but so is mine). I also see that she is healthy. And is getting better at paying attention. But is it just because she’s maturing? Is it because she got lucky and doesn’t have the growth issues that the other girls with Rett Syndrome have?

I don’t know. But I’m going to keep supplementing her and ensuring she eats the cleanest and healthiest foods possible (she’s on modified GAPS) because it can’t do anything but help.

If you’re not comfortable paying for Agape, why don’t you try the child life supplement to see if it’s something your kid will even tolerate before investing in a big, expensive bottle.

This SN parenting journey is not an easy one. And I’ve realized that we can’t do everything all the time. So pick and choose the things you believe in and think can help your sweetie be the best kiddo s/he can be.

Long and lean, happy and healthy!

The importance of genetic testing and Rett Syndrome…

Posted on November 6, 2015 by mommabear0208

I’ve recently been approached by two families who have concerns about their daughter’s development. And both have asked me to share our journey to an accurate diagnosis. If you remember, Lily was given two mis-diagnoses along this journey. So I’ve decided to dedicate a post for families who are on a similar journey. if you’re new to this site (you found me through middle of the night googling), please feel free to leave a message below and I’ll get back to you if you have any follow up questions.

Q: I am wondering if you could share with me a little more about your journey to an accurate diagnosis, as well as any providers or evaluations that you felt were significantly helpful?

To me, what was the MOST definite and defining moment for Lily was getting the genetic test results with the Rett diagnosis. Here are the ‘steps’ it took to get there:

Autism diagnosis August 2012

Lily was talking and social and hitting all her milestones and then BAM. At around 15-16 months, there was a major regression. The language went away, she became super aloof and disinterested and physically started demonstrating some delays as well. She was initially diagnosed with autism at 18 months (both through Early Intervention and a private developmental pediatrician).

ESES Diagnosis November 2013

Once we started EI services (she was getting 20 hours of ABA, plus Speech, OT and PT), it became apparent that the autism label didn’t fit. The words started to come back (and then go away – which is still happening). She came out of her shell and was social and interested in the world around her again. We then had a bunch of EEG’s done to try and figure out the underlying cause of her regressions and found out she had a rare form of epilepsy called ESES. And we thought ‘aha! this is what is causing her regressions’.

Rett Syndrome Diagnosis January 2014

But while she was being treated for the ESES (using high doses of steroids that I had to inject into her leg every day which totally sucked for us both), we got the genetic results back (which we did to see if there was an underlying reason for the ESES). Rett Syndrome was confirmed. All her doctors (and she has many) were surprised with the results as she didn’t fit the ‘Rett girl’ profile. She walked, she had some hand function and she wasn’t having seizures (though she does technically have epilepsy and has epileptic episodes which I’ve been told are NOT seizures).

Q: Who did you work with to get the Rett diagnosis?

The geneticist we worked with was Dr. Marion at Montefiore in the Bronx. And what was especially great about being at Montefiore was that there is a Rett Clinic there (the only one in the tri-state area, led by Dr. Sasha Djukic) so we were already in the Montefiore system. It also helped in terms of scheduling doctors appointments as the Rett clinic is open on Fridays and we now just go there once a year and see anywhere from 2 to 5 specialists in a day instead of going back and forth to the hospital to see all the different doctors.

Q: Where are you today?

A Rett diagnosis sucks. But you learn to live with it. And knowledge is most definitely power. I know what I’m dealing with and I can better prepare myself and my child for the road ahead. And by the way, it’s mostly a happy road we walk.

Q: Is she on a special diet?

Lily has been following the GAPS diet for the past two+ years (though she has pizza on Fridays at school) and is on the growth charts which I believe is because of the healthy foods and supplements she takes (many girls with Rett start to fall off the growth charts by the age of two). She sees a nutritionist regularly.

Q: What types of therapies does she receive?

She goes to a private special needs preschool where she receives numerous therapies, and has an augmentive communication/speech generating device that she navigates with her eyes (think Stephen Hawkins). It is called a Tobii. Actually she has two Tobii’s – one at home (which we own and were able to procure through the EI program) and one at school (which took a year of advocating through the DOE CPSE program).

Here are the services she receives through the DOE, on a weekly basis:

At school:

1:1 para professional for health and safety reasons (this is imperative: our girls cannot self defend)
5×30 Speech Therapy
4×30 Occupational Therapy
4×30 Physical Therapy

At home (she has a ‘dual recommendation’, sometimes called an RSA, and is supposedly impossible to get through the DOE):

6×60 SEIT (Special Education Itinerant Teacher)
3×45 Speech
3×45 OT
1×45 PT
4×60 Assistive technology services (so that the home speech therapist can program both Tobii’s and upload course curriculum to them so Lily can follow along in class and participate).

On the weekends she goes horseback riding through the GallopNYC program and is loving it.

Yes. It is a lot of therapies. And yes. It was not an easy decision to put her in to all of these therapies. But the proof is in the pudding: My kid is thriving.

We live a mostly happy, and always busy life. Yes. It is possible.