Alexander visited Dr Rathke over at Raleigh Neurology for an interpretation of his MRI. The indications from the MRI are that things look good three months after the surgery and that the area of the brain that was removed has filled with spinal fluid which was to be expected. The only abnormality noted was the areas that we knew about before his surgery but because they were not electrically active, it was decided to leave them alone unless they became a problem.
We have a plan to start reducing the Topamax (his last seizure medication used as a maintenance drug) over a seven week period to start after we hear Dr Bruce’s opinion of the MRI. In the next couple of months after the Topamax is gone, Alexander will have an EEG and we’re expecting to return to Washington to visit Dr Bruce in November. (Since this entry was written, Dr Bruce has weighed in with his opinion that the MRI looks just fine even knowing about the abnormal areas we knew about before and that the EEG would be better after the medications are gone to get a more accurate view of what’s going on in his brain electrically).
All in all, things are progressing pretty much as we have expected.
What was unexpected was finding Mommy, Grammy, and the boys in the office lobby on a surprise inspection tour of the work habitat. They were a welcome surprise to what was a pretty boring Friday up to that point. They got to see the cave (the small office I share with Jamie, we keep the lights off because fluorescent lights stink!) and experience just how hot the office can get when it’s miserable outside. But on a brighter note, they got to meet some of my coworkers as well as spring me a bit early to go home and mow the lawn. Woo hoo. 🙂
For a lot of them, this was the first time they actually could see Alexander for real rather than a picture or a set of MRI images that I had carped from the CDs containing his MRI data. It goes without saying that everyone was pretty much impressed with the boys (and rightfully so, they’re both awfully cute when they set their mind to it!).