Clapping and a wave!

We've been doing "If you're happy and you know it" for a while and Michael will clap your hands but not his own. This past week he's transitioning to clapping his own hands (and sometimes will clap when you tell him "clap, clap, clap". Very cool and you can tell he is proud of his accomplishment. While these are very small steps, they are huge for us as it shows he is able to follow instruction and repeat the action. We all take this stuff for granted but your mind it doing a lot when you do stuff as simple as clapping. Also, Michael waved good-bye to Ms. Denise and Connor yesterday. Of course we all over did it, but it warms our hearts that our friends and our kids friends are rooting for Michael just as much as we are.  I think he has only done that once or twice before on "cue". Again, very cool stuff. I have to say it again, bit by bit he is getting better!

Michael Update 6-25-10

Michael had a great doctor appt yesterday. Looks like in about 4 weeks we will stop the remaining anti-virus and begin to wean him off the remaining anti-seizure medication. The docs were encouraged by his progress and 82 days being seizure free. We will also begin a few other immune system and cell rebuilding supplements but nothing prescription. He will also transition to a B-12/B-6 cream vs. the daily shots. All in all, good report. Michael appears to be gaining momentum on learning too. He is interacting with his brothers more and they seem to enjoy that too. Matthew for sure loves picking on Michael and carrying him around. At 45lbs, no easy feat for a 6 year old. Bit by Bit!!

My Friend Bailey

While I know this blog is for Michael I needed an outlet.

Today I lost a good friend, my 10 1/2 year old Chocolate Lab "Bailey". While in the last few months she had started showing her age a bit, limping when she got up, not as much energy, I was not expecting her to be gone so soon. Today was unexpected and a bit surreal. This afternoon she began having shortness of breath and soon after, things went from bad to worse. I knew she was dying so I was with her on her bed when she passed. It was like talking to a person, I knew she was struggling to breathe and that her time was near and I told her it was "OK to go" and "we would be OK, it was OK". It was though she was waiting for permission. I was starting to cry and while crying I told her "you are the best dog I've ever had" and she took two more breathes and she was gone. What a moment. I cried hard for a while and just stayed there with her for a long time. She would have done the same for me.

She was simply the best dog I have ever owned and may ever own. She was a great, loyal friend. She ran with me (up to 10 miles in her younger days), hunted with me (dove or quail...she would go down holes and into cactus patches after quail if they were only wounded and getting away....and she would get them!), and was just happy hanging out with me. Even in the front yard when other dogs would walk by, she would just look up, she never ran to them or bolted. Simply happy to be with me doing whatever I was doing. She met me at the door everyday when I got home, even when I would get home late and everyone else was asleep, and she would lay in the office when I worked late (sometimes till 1 or so) until I was finished, then she would go to bed. If I put on a camo shirt or wrangler jeans, she knew I was not going to work and would be doing something she would like and she would get all fired up. It was great. All she wanted to do was be around me and make me happy. As "man's best friend" she showed me unconditional love, everyday.

My friend Blake gave me Bailey as a Christmas gift in December 1999. His dog Stolie was the daddy of a litter of puppies and his "fee" was the pick of the litter which he gave to me. Susan and I picked Bailey. Like many newlyweds who use a puppy as a "test" before kids, Bailey too would prove to be the training ground for our future kiddos. I taught her all the commands and how to retrieve for hunting. She did great. Susan and I loved Bailey. With no kids in the house at the time, she was our kid. When kids did come along for us, Bailey was right there too. She was great with all the kids and very tolerant. She always gave them plenty of latitude, especially in their toddler years. She was really great with Michael and seemed to know he needed the most tolerance. At times, when Bailey was pushed to the max, she would just get up and go in the other room (or to her bed). She was a great first pet for the kids.

I have many stories about Bailey from trail running with her to South Texas hunting trips to having her clean up after each meal from our kids (or me) spilling stuff on the floor to just hanging out or fetching her favorite rope toy, but I will not include them here. Just know she was the best dog for me and we were blessed she came into our life. I will miss her...I already do.

I would like to thank Blake for giving us Bailey. Giving a newlywed couple a puppy could have been bad as she could have been a lemon. She was not, she was a diamond and the best gift.

Johnny, thanks for coming over tonight. You knew Susan was out of town so you coming over was much appreciated.

Well, I feel a bit better now, I could write about Bailey for hours but lucky for you I'm done.

Reason for naming blog "Bit by Bit"

Just in case you were wondering, the reason for the blog name is not related to horse bits but for a song that was pre-loaded onto a Digital MP3 Boombox for kids that Susan bought for Michael several years back. The first song pre-loaded was a song called "Bit by Bit" by Hot Buttered Rum and Orange Sherbet (yes this is the band's name). The song was so fitting that while Michael was going through all this I coined the song as Michael's theme song. Susan used the name for the blog as the song still rings true (probably rings true for us all). I was hoping to attach the MP3 here but have been able to figure out how. It is late and I am giving up for now. You can go to the I-tunes Store and search "orange sherbet and hot buttered rum", the Campfire Sing Along album should pop up and "Bit by Bit" is song #5 or you can go to http://www.cdbaby.com/cd/osahbr and this will bring you to the same album under a different site. The actual song is 3:10 but the sample is probably 15 seconds but you will get the flavor. The song is spot on for Michael..... "Bit by bit I'm getting better, little by little I'm moving right along; piece by piece I'm putting it together, learning how to sing my song".

Michael's Progress 6-15-10

Craig here. Susan gave me permission to post to this blog from my own computer so hopefully I will be able to make more frequent entries.

We are now on day 65+ of no seizures. It is so wonderful that we've basically lost track of the days seizure free. I for one though remain cautiously optimistic. Given what we were lead to believe from the original doctors, what Michael is experiencing is miraculous. During this time frame we initially weened him from Clonzapane (which was an addictive anti-seizure medication); then, over about 5 weeks, weened him down to 1/2 the Banzel he was originally taking (another anti-seizure med) . Last week (per doctor's instructions) we stopped one of the anti-virus medications. Other than 1.5 pills of Banzel/day (vs. 3) and one anti-virus med (vs. 2) Michael is not taking any other prescription meds (other than supplements, B-12 and vitamins). I still give him a B-12/B-6 shot every morning and he takes it with NO fuss. He sometimes laughs when I stick him like "it that all you got". I realize he should mad as hell about getting shots every morning in the booty but I can tell you his attitude, for whatever reason, makes my job much easier. He also has ALWAYS taking his meds like a champ and for that we are very grateful. So in summary, no seizure and taking very little medications. Michael is rockin'!

It is weird, it is though he never had seizures and it is like that entire chapter never happened. I hope that book, chapter, whatever, stays closed forever. Wondering what Michael's and our lives would be like today and maybe forever if we had not met Dr. Stewart and his crew a mere 9 months ago. These thoughts makes me almost cry. We are so blessed and Michael, in light of what he has and is going through, is also very blessed. I cannot tell you how many folks tell me they are still praying for Michael. Keep 'em coming!

Michael makes cognitive improvements everyday. Though hard to tell and he does ebb and flow, overall he is certainly improving. He does things he never could before, plays with certain toys appropriately (or at all) that he glossed over before, interacts with his brothers (and they in turn interact with him...very cool to watch). Matthew should be careful though as he has a tendency to play rough with Michael and at 42 lbs, Michael is catching up fast and I am afraid that before too long he will be able to whip Matthew (or at least push him around) . I keep warning Matthew but he does not listen. He may learn the hard way sooner than later.

As a result of Michael's progress, we've gone from watching him 90% of the time to watching him maybe 50-60% of the time. Boy what a difference this makes. He was constantly on the go, climbing on the counters, sitting in the sink turning on the water (drenching himself in the process), hanging from the stair banister, turning on the water in the tub then leaving, pulling stuff off shelves and furniture, etc. This was constant. If he was not sleeping or in his high chair secure, he was on the move and needed adult supervision. He has not climbed on the counters in weeks (YEAH!). He still is on the move but more calmly, more purposefully and without so much collateral damage. We just need to make sure he is in the house or the backyard and we are good! While his cognition is getting better, he stills does not talk or listen or understand about leaving the house, the street is a dangerous place, drinking the neighbor's water fountain water is disgusting and he still has little fear so we are still vigilant.

Michael's focus, awareness, listening and eye contact improves everyday. He is such a happy little boy. He has a great laugh that went MIA while he was having seizures. It is SOOO nice to hear him laugh. He as the best belly laugh. You can now tickle him and he will laugh (I just to tickle him and got nothing (very depressing)). He also sometimes laughs when I sing to him. I know I stink as a singer but to hear him laugh it is worth my embarrassment to sing to him.

Please know he still has a long way to go but he is headed in the right direction. While is not yet talking and I cannot tell if he understand much yet, I keep waiting for him to say "Dad, I'm hungry, I want some pizza" or something. In addition to some of the examples above, he is now opening doors he could never figure out how to open. We had installed a keyed lock on our pantry but he now knows that he can turn the key and then use his other hand to open the door. This is all great (though we had to hide the pretzels (one of his favorites)). He goes into the backyard about 50 times a day and enjoys being outside and playing. He still keeps to himself most of the time but has routine and things he enjoys out there like climbing up the slide and sliding down, flipping over our hammock and picking up sticks and touching them to the ground. To us he is just being a boy in the backyard and it is great. He and I spent some time the other day sitting in the grass and pushing the ball back and forth. It was awesome and he was having fun and seemed to understand what we were doing.

All of Michael's progress has made everyone's lives much easier. Looking back we were on constant alert and that heightened sense of protection and caring and related stress was probably harder on us all than we knew at the time. I guess you just prepare yourself for the long haul and deal with it as it comes but looking back, it sucked and was tiring and stressful (especially for Susan...at least I could go to work, she was always at work and on call for Michael 24X7). Today is still tough but to a much lesser degree. I think Susan would certainly second this. We've been able to come up for air and I know Michael has to be relived too. I wonder what he thinks about?

Before the seizures stopped we rarely went out to eat as a family, we took the other boys out of extracurricular activities (no basketball, baseball or soccer) we were just solely focused on Michael and getting him any assistance and help we could find. Everything else which was "extra" was put on the back burner. I hope that John and Matthew did not realize they were getting slighted (they certainly never said anything. It just was and we all rolled with it. Susan and I made efforts to spend time with John and Matthew together and individually as much as possible. Movies, bike rides, working the cows or riding horses, swimming or running to the store just to name a few. They also got really good quality time with their Grandma and their Nana and each got a few special trips to New Mexico or the ranches. It all works itself out I guess. God must have a plan!

Until next time, thanks for reading this far down and thank you for caring about Michael.

Starting summer school

Michael is starting summer school this week and will go everyday from 8:30-11:30.  My sweet friend Courtney told me about the Children's Autism Center and although Michael has not been diagnosed with autism it is a wonderful program for all kids with developmental delays.  The center is in Round Rock so it is close to home.  He will receive three hours a day of one on one ABA/Verbal Behavior Therapy and we are so looking forward to the progress.  On a sad note, Michael's PPCD teacher and her aide have decided to move to kindergarten.  Although my teacher side understands about needing a change when you are teaching, my mommy side is totally devastated.  Mackie and Jana are the best and we will miss them terribly.  We can only pray that they will find another wonderfully caring teacher for the kiddos.  Michael continues to go to speech/OT on Tuesday and Thursday.  We love Kristin, Jennifer and Tara and appreciate all they do.  It has been a great summer so far.

May 14th Update-Playing Tag

This is Craig here, Susan showed me how to post on this blog.  This is my first official blog post ever so I guess I am now hip and cool. Humor me please.

Today, Michael is going on 34 or 35 days, seizure free (nice to lose count). He is a new little man.  Given all he has tolerated over these past 2 years from EEG's, MRI's, shots (which I give him every day), pills, liquid meds, special diets, etc. we are glad to see him catching a break (which we hope becomes permanent).  He has proven to be such a trooper and tough as nails throughout this process.   Makes me almost cry writing this knowing what he's been through and how it has impacted so many lives.     It is nice to know so many people care so much about Susan, John, Michael, Matthew and me.  Overwhelming at times!  I second Susan's thank you's to all our friends, family, to the folks at IDM Partners and Wild Basin Investments (who've been extremely flexible in my work schedule so Susan and I could deal with Michael, great to have a supportive employer through something like this), and to Michael's teachers at Council Oak Pre-school and the folks at Old Town Elementary, especially Mackie and Janna.  Thanks to everyone.  You will never know how much your prayers and support means to us and what good work you've done or allowed in Michael's improvement.

Over the past month, Michael's attention, focus, awareness, smile, laugh and overall cognition has shown huge improvement.  While there are still mountains to move (and we are moving them), he is getting better everyday.  Yesterday the boys and I were playing tag in the front yard running from tree to tree as "base" and Michael was running, laughing and playing tag too as best he could.  Other than retrieving him from the street a bunch of times (he does not realize he could get run over out there and when you catch him, spank his bottom, look him in the face and tell him "no street" he just laughs and smiles, cute but not good).  Point here was we were all playing and it was great!  Later Michael got mad at me.  Maybe for the first time ever! He cried and screamed.  It was AWESOME!   Though I am used to this with John and Matthew, having Michael mad at me was cool.

Please know we are on the front row of witnessing a miracle.  World class doctors from here in Austin and Houston told us Michael was in for a rough and tough road and that LGS is not only drug resistant but is at times regressive.  Michael has and it bucking that trend thanks to his attitude and to his angel on earth, Dr. Stewart and his team. 

Though we realize Michael has a ways to go and is certainly substantially delayed, the joy and relief of no seizures for a while and seeing more of a sparkle in Michael's eyes gives us all hope that bit by bit he is getting better.

Bit by Bit

We are writing this blog to keep our friends and family updated on the progress and healing of Michael Jesse.

Michael was born on September 5th, 2006. He joined his two brothers, John (4) and Matthew (2). Michael was a healthy 8.13lbs. baby. He was a typically developing little boy who hit all his milestones on time, started speaking a few words and then, at about 16 months, Michael started to "shiver". The Pediatrician thought that he was probably just feeling his wet diaper and said "no big deal". After two more weeks of the "shivers" that continued to worsen, we knew something was happening. He continued to experience many "shivers" and he began to frequently lose his balance and fall. He was very active but, having had two boys before, I knew something was "not right". His Nana actually caught one of the episodes on video which showed his left arm flying outward for about 1 second. We took the video to our Pediatrician and he immediately told us to see a Neurologist. The wait was three months. What??? We called back and said we would take the first available appointment and were at the office in 2 1/2 months. The wait was an eternity. During the wait, it seemed like Michael was having "shivers" that had now turned into seizures and his falling became almost routine (and a few of the falls resulted in him losing three teeth on three different occasions). He was starting to look like a veteran hockey player and he was barely 18 months old.

The writing of this blog was probably something we should have started when this all happened but, needless to say, it's been a very stressful and scary two years and, with two other very active boys, time to blog was nonexistent. I also want to say thank you to all my friends for all of their understanding and prayers. I appreciate that you understood my need for some isolation and did not take it personally. I appreciate the continued calls even when I did not return them. I love you all.

Today, May 1, 2010 is approximately two years to the day that we first took Michael to see the neurologist. At that time, they did an EEG and an MRI, the results of which confirmed that he was experiencing Myclonic Seizures. At first, the doctors said that he would take an anti-seizure medicine that would probably control the seizures -- like it was "no big deal"; but, by this time I felt like I had been kicked in the stomach and I don't really remember much else that day. It was all a blur. The doctors said the meds would stop the seizures but they did not! The medicine (Lamictal) took 8 weeks to get up to a therapeutic dose (you have to do it slowly so you can watch for a life-threatening rash). But, in the meantime, we saw our little man lose all speech and contact with the world around him. Though still very physically active (though his coordination suffered even more due to the drugs), his cognitive abilities were regressing fast. Where was our little man going?? He did not recognize me, Craig, his brothers or grandparents and his seizures were getting worse and more frequent (up to about 15 a day that we were seeing). It was a very frightening time. I think I called the Neurologist's office every three days and they kept telling me to "just give the meds more time". I was a mess!!! Nothing was working and after the eight weeks time and another medicine (Keppra) added to the mix failed, these doctors referred us to another specialist in Houston who recommended an extended hospital stay so they could perform an EEG on Michael which would continue for four days.

We took Michael to Houston and checked into the hospital; specifically, the EMU (epilepsy monitoring unit). Craig and I stayed with him, of course, in the 8x10 room (cramped and scared). Michael was hooked up to a video EEG (leads glued to his head, and a backpack). He was confined to his room with Craig and me for the entire four days. Because of his age and the fact that the multimillion dollar wireless EEG equipment was not working in the playroom, Michael was not only confined to this room, but also confined to only his crib which consisted of bars on the sides and top. It looked like a cage but it was the best thing for Michael at the time. We wanted answers and we were there to get some -- whatever it took. Poor guy... he was so active, never watched TV, and loved to be outdoors. Craig and I entertained him as much as possible and he was introduced to Barney videos - which helped pass the time.

Leading up to the hospital stay, I had read everything I could get my hands on about Myclonic Epilepsy. I was even muddling through neurology textbooks. There was one syndrome that was very rare and I prayed that this was not what Michael had, but gut instinct told me it was a possibility. After 4 days of monitoring, MEG, MRI, lumbar puncture and many blood draws, the head of Pediatric Neurology came in with her students; (it felt like an episode of House) and told us that Michael was having about 30 seizures a day and, based on his brain wave patterns, he had a textbook case of Lennox Gastaut Syndrome. I started crying and Craig knew that it was not good, by my reaction. Then, they all left and we were left alone with Michael and lots of questions. One of the doctors returned to our room and handed us a one page sheet from an internet site about LGS and said, "LGS is a spectrum and, hopefully, his will be on the mild side". What?? Really?! Are there any experts?. What's next??? How do we help him? At that time we felt totally abandoned.

One thing that was a recurring theme through the process was the realization that we have to be staunch advocates for our children. The doctors see many patients and at times we felt we were "cattle" being herded through the process. Up to this point, other than a few nurses, the compassion we hoped to get from the doctors was non-existent. Many times, the doctors would never really even look at Michael, hold his hand or acknowledge him in any way -- he was just there.

Devastation doesn't even begin to cover the feelings we were having. I just wanted to get back home and out of the hospital. We got home and got our prayer warriors to work. The boys' daily prayers included prayers for the "shivers" to go away and for Michael to find his voice. Our church, grandparents, aunts and uncles, friends, and their bible study groups, all praying for Michael. Craig and I were coming to grips with our situation and realizing that God would not have blessed us with Michael if we were not ready. I'm glad He thought we were ready because we were terrified and lost. What was going to happen?

I think we got mad at the LGS and decided we were going to throw everything but the kitchen sink at it to help Michael as best we could. We started giving Depakote to Michael, in addition to the other medication, and still nothing was working to control the seizures.

We were back in Houston a few months later to start the Ketogenic Diet which was another option they suggested. This was a huge undertaking, but, I was up for it especially since it could CURE or at least help him. The doctors increased the new medicine (Depakote) and we were admitted into the hospital again to start the diet. We were there for three days and then sent home with a handful of recipes, a scale and hope. The diet is high fat and few carbs and is such that every ounce of his food has to be measured to the gram with NO exceptions and we had to use a spatula to get every bit into his mouth. Our two other sons were not allowed to eat goldfish, cheerios, pretzels or any snack food in front of Michael. They were relegated to eat their meals at our kitchen bar so he could not see or get to their food. Over the course of this diet, we never ate together as a family. John and Matthew were troopers and never complained about the extra attention that Michael received. All of their sweet friends were so understanding too. I love those little guys. We managed the Diet for 5 months and though Michael ate like a champ and maintained "Ketosis" (which is what the doctors wanted); unfortunately, the Diet did not work on reducing or controlling his seizures. During this time, Depakote almost sent Michael into liver failure. Nice - he was only 2 years old! What was odd was that his seizures seemed to improve after his near liver failure but this was dismissed by his docs as just a coincidence.

Now we just had to wait and see if he got better and try a few other drug combinations. He was now having about 5-6 seizures a day -- that we were seeing. His liver enzymes improved and they started him on another drug (Topamax) that seemed to help at first, but, within a few weeks, it too lost its effectiveness and the seizures were back and Michael was still not learning. The doctors in Houston were starting to wear me out; especially after I asked them about a new drug for Michael called Banzel that was released in the United States in January 2009 (after 10 years of use in the UK) and was specifically for LGS, they said they had never heard of it and totally dismissed me. (Did I mention you have to be an advocate for your child?)

We came back to Austin and found a new Epileptologist who confirmed Michael's diagnoses, took him off Topamax and Lamictal and put him on Banzel, per my request. Although she had heard of it, Michael was her first prescription for the drug. It was great. He was almost immediately more attentive, smiled more, recognized faces and had fewer seizures. This lasted for about 6 months; then, he regressed again and began having more seizures. During this time, we also had Michael in speech therapy twice a week, ECI came to our home once a week to evaluate Michael and he attended preschool twice a week. We will be forever grateful to the people at Council Oak Preschool who watched over Michael as angels and included him in their program as best they could.

Also, during this entire time, I read everything I could get my hands on which would help Michael to learn and also for me to learn more about his condition. This entire situation was very trying, especially since John and Matthew were now 5 and 7, and also needed love, attention and time. They are the sweetest boys and care very much for Michael. I can honestly say that without our faith, prayer and our families, Craig and I would have lost it. Everyone was and is such great support. I am so blessed to have the best parents, in-laws, my sweet brother, Craig's brother and sister-in-law and, of course, our friends. We have the BEST friends!! Also, Craig's work and the folks he works for have been more than understanding and supportive and that has reduced other stress that could have existed. I thank God for all of you everyday. We really do have a "village" around Michael!

As mentioned before, we have thrown everything at Michael but the kitchen sink. We have tried Neuro-feedback, cranial massage, nutripuncture, speech therapy, OT and Equine-Therapy at the R.O.C.K. All of these therapies were supposed to help and we have met some wonderfully helpful people, but the reality was that none of this was helping Michael to learn. We even looked into off-shore stem cell therapy (which is a HUGE farce as it relates to neurological illnesses and probably most other illnesses). I was corresponding with one lady who said her child "was cured" using stem cell therapy. This, of course, got us excited and hopeful; but, thankfully, our Uncle Jesse (Michael's namesake) talked to a few of his doctor friends and informed us of what a scam it was. Phew... The lady that I corresponded with has since taken down her blog and will not return emails. uummmmm...

Craig writes: As a side editorial, we hope the people and companies (MEDRA for one) selling these "stem cell cure alls" all rot in hell for preying on desperate and innocent families looking for hope for their kids and loved ones. Those are some bad, evil people. Be wary!

We had to find a way to stop the seizures before Michael could begin to learn. We went in for a check up with our Epileptologist and she wanted to start Michael on another drug (Felbamate) which is black boxed and/or another one possible drug. The doctor was leaving it up to us. I was floored and angry. Isn't that her job? What do we know about picking a drug for our child? I can only do so much research and when you look at the drugs for epilepsy, it is not pretty. Which is the lesser of two evils?? I was so frustrated because this doctor was putting a band aid on a monster wound. No one was looking for the cause. We had to realize that none of the Neurologists knew anything about this syndrome, except how to diagnose it. No cures, only prescriptions of symptom masking hard core drugs. At the end of the day, at least our experience has been, these Neurologists, beyond their fancy equipment for diagnoses, were merely prescription drug dealers.

We were getting desperate. Michael is only three years old and the doctor only has two more drugs in her bag of tricks to try.? It is also disheartening because I had read that if the first drug did not work there was only a 10-15 % chance that any subsequent drugs would work either -- no matter the drug, and the percentages went down from there.

Through this entire ordeal, we never asked "why us" or "why him". We knew God had a plan and we were just trying to navigate the way He would want. We put our trust in God. He will take care of Michael and us and He would not have blessed us with Michael, as He had blessed us with our other two boys, John and Matthew, if Craig and I were not ready or able to care for him.

A few friends had told us about the NeuroSensory Center and we thought, what the heck, it was here in Austin and we'd heard nothing but good things about it -- it couldn't hurt. Thank you Cory and Natalie. Their kiddos were seeing him for Autism and other developmental delays and had seen tremendous results. I emailed the Center and told them about Michael. They emailed back and asked a few questions and then said, yes, we think we can help him. We went in to see Dr. Kendal Stewart in October 2009 and they ran a series of non-invasive tests that look at a person's neuro sensory system; they studied Michael's history and tried to go back to the source of when the seizures started. In short, these doctors went back to when the seizures began and asked, "why did they start in the first place?". This group's practice consists of treating viruses in the inner ear. Michael's issues began after a series of vaccinations and it was conceivable that one or more of the viruses had taken up residence in Michael's inner ear and was causing all this havoc. Dr. Stewart and his local partner Dr. Taylor were the FIRST doctors throughout this entire ordeal that acted as though they could help and make Michael better (and not simply mask symptoms). These guys appeared very confident and acted like they understood what was going on with Michael. Had we found our angel here on earth for Michael? (and he was working in Austin less than 1/4 of a mile from Craig's Austin office?). Craig and I were cautiously optimistic. Something about these doctors was different than all others we'd met with. Even at the first visit we got the immediate sense they cared and wanted to help Michael as much as we did. WOW.

From that first visit they started him on several antiviral medication staged in over the next several weeks. We also started giving Michael a B12, B6 and Folate injection,magnesium, immune spray, Vitamin D drops and a multivitamin. Dr. Stewart also cautioned that Michael's condition might get worse before it got better but he explained why and what was going on in Michael's head. This guy was walking us down a path and we trusted him. Michael's seizures did get worse and we got even more scared and concerned. In February, he started to experience Tonic-Clonic seizures (grand mal) and our Neurologist said we should consider a VNS implant which is, in simplified terms, a pace maker for the brain.

Craig and I discussed this and decided to consult with Dr. Stewart. For a doctor who is in high demand and hard to get in to see, he requested Craig to come in to his office the very next day. Craig did and Dr. Stewart said he did not think Michael was a good candidate for the VNS and asked us to give Michael until the summer to continue on anti-viral pass and suggested that Michael not undergo the surgery. We had been seeing progress in other areas (focus, cognition, awareness) in Michael so we followed Dr. Stewart's advice and punted on the surgery. Dr. Stewart reiterated that with issues like Michael's. there is no quick fix and he was running a marathon not a sprint but he (Michael) was stilling running the race and improving (bit by bit). It was not too long after that visit with Dr. Stewart where Michael experienced 4 seizure free days; then 1 seizure; 4 more days without a seizure and then 2 small seizures; and then, 11 days without a seizure -- then just a couple of shudders. Now, on May 10, 2010, Michael has gone 30 days without a seizure. Wow - GOD IS GREAT and prayer is POWERFUL! Since he initially started having "shivers", he has not had even one single day of relief with anywhere from 2-30 seizures a day. So, today, we celebrate any and all seizure free days. We pray and ask you to pray for continued healing and learning for Michael and also to pray for Dr. Kendal Stewart that God will continue to give him the wisdom, patience and insight so that he can continue to help Michael and all the other lives he and his team touches. In our eyes, God is healing Michael through this man. Very powerful stuff!

Thanks for reading this far. I know it was long but wanted to cram 2 years of this into the 1st post. Now you are up to speed!

We will continue to update everyone on Michael's progress.