Neurology update - NEW HOPE!

GREAT, GREAT NEWS!

We had our appointment with Dr. Ness this morning. For those of you who don't remember, we last saw Dr. Ness in May. She told us that we didn't have to come back for six-months unless Addie developed seizures...well, six-months have passed. I don't even know where to begin, there was so much that was said and 98% of it was so positive! Dr. Ness said that seeing Addie just made her day. She was absolutely thrilled at how well she is doing! She wasn't concerned that Addie wasn't crawling or attempting to walk; she was quick to point out that not all children achieve this milestone at this age. She isn't going to be concerned about walking until Addie is 18-months (by then, I'll have Addie chasing after Julien and the cats). Dr. Ness was concerned about Addie's speech development and the fact that she isn't babbling. I have known from the beginning that this would be our biggest struggle, that's why I work with Addie on sign language so much. Addie was very cooperative and showed Dr. Ness her new tricks including her ability to feed herself Cheerios (Addie learned that trick while we were waiting for Dr. Ness to come in the room! Prior to now, Addie would get the Cheerio in her hand, but was unable to put it in her mouth)! We talked quite a bit about development and I finally asked Dr. Ness "my" question. I asked her if she thought "Addie would develop to the level of a ten-month old, four-year old or if she would be able to contribute to society?" Dr. Ness was quick to tell me that she really thinks Addie will be able to contribute to society! I can't tell you what HOPE that gave me. Dr. Ness went on and on about how well Addie is doing! HOPE and FAITH is what I live my life by now. There are a lot of days when it is just faith, but today was a day of pure joy. What a perfect time to give me this news, just one more thing to be thankful for! I pray each and every day that Addie continues to learn and progress. I have a very dear friend who had renewed hope for her son after seeing an adult with Down Syndrome working at Panera Bread in Vestavia. I fully understood why this restored her hope and today was my day. GOD is truly watching over Addie. He will continue to show the world his miraculous powers and I honestly believe it will be through Addie. She will achieve more than anyone could have ever HOPED. Please say a prayer and thank God for this blessing, this blessing of HOPE.


(Our next scheduled visit with Dr. Ness is July. Addie will have another MRI to see how her brain is developing. I will pray each day for continued brain growth and development. God will continue to be with us. The results will be nothing short of miraculous!)