wanted to give a quick update on how Owen is doing.
in a word...
AMAZING!
He feels so good. He is a different kid. It is great!
He talks more. He plays more. He moves more. Wants to do the stairs. He's happy.
He is saying so much more, and putting so many things together that he never did before.
And he's so happy.
Did I mention that he's happy?
It is so wonderful to see.
yet, sad at the same time... to know this is what we were missing. to realize how bad he really must have felt.
We're happy to have our joyful Owen back.
I'm even happy when he acts up.
Because NOW we can nip some of these behavior issues in the bud. The screaming, the hitting, etc. I can know now that it is just him being naughty, not a failed attempt to communicate his pain. I can make him toe the line because he feels good and is fully capable of doing so. I can know that when we discipline him it is not being unreasonable. It was so hard and uncharted and inconsistent. I think there were times he didn't "want" to be naughty, but he almost couldn't help it—he was at the end of his rope. So yes, I'm even happy about him being naughty. I am looking forward to it being "normal."
He goes back to school tomorrow. His third day. He is super excited. He even has a new backpack. Buz Lightyear and Woody from Toy Story. The dino bag was too deep. kept making him fall over. This one is just right. He loves it.
Anyway, we could not be more pleased with the results of this shunt revision. In some ways I wish it could have been done a year ago. But it is what it is. We'll go from here.
Boy is he happy.
And every once in a while he'll say, "What's on my head? My shunt? Dr. Boaz fix it? No band-aid?"
So cute.
Feb 16, 2010 10:17pm
ReplyDeletePTL!!! So thankful for gifted medical people that can help. And a great mommy & daddy that never give up!
Hang in there!
Joni Lehman
Feb 16, 2010 10:25pm
ReplyDeleteWhat a happy post!
So glad the procedure went well and he's back to normal.
Love,
Stephanie
Stephanie Birdsall
Feb 16, 2010 11:24pm
ReplyDeleteSooooo glad to hear he's feeling better! Isn't it a relief that the surgery was just what he needed and you can know get back to life? Yay for our little buddy Owen! :)
Tracy Jensen
Feb 16, 2010 11:28pm
ReplyDeleteYay for OweN!!!
Laura DeHoog
Feb 16, 2010 11:36pm
ReplyDeleteWhoooHooo!! That is great! So glad that he is feeling so great after his shunt revision. Hope he has a great time back at school!
Marne
Marne Dekkers
Feb 17, 2010 12:05am
ReplyDeleteYEA, YEA, YEA!!!!!! I'm happy to read this post! So glad that Owen is feeling good and that there won't be anymore of those awful sad pictures. They brought tears to my eyes everytime I saw them. :(
Have fun with the 3 year-old behavior! Dealing w/ that myself here! Brendan has been really experimenting with defiance and yelling at people. He'll yell and yell, and then in the next breath, sweet as can be and repentant, "I'm sorry Mommy. Sorry I yelled. I'll be nice." (with "the eyes"!) :)
Stephanie Johnson
sjncj1994@yahoo.com
Central, AZ
Feb 17, 2010 5:05am
ReplyDeleteYEAH!!!!!!!!!!!! I'm so happy Owen is feeling great!! That is the best feeling in the world to see such a difference almost overnight...but DON'T beat yourself up over not doing it sooner. We'd all do whatever works "sooner" if we only knew but you know we aren't in control of the timing and thank God we don't have to be! Tiffany and Ethan
Tiffany Carter
tiffy799@yahoo.com
Macon, GA
Feb 17, 2010 9:08am
ReplyDeleteAwesome - such great news and a HUGE answer to prayer. I'm glad that Owen is himself, and even naughty - you know he is himself. Yay!
Thank you for sharing...Rejoicing with you.
Carrie
Carrie Holt
Feb 17, 2010 9:15am
ReplyDeleteYEAH for Owen.
Jen we are so happy for you all that the surgery went smoothly & obviously had wonderful results.
thinking of you all & rejoicing in the positive outcome!!!!
the renner family,
steph, eme, carter & brian
steph Renner
Feb 17, 2010 12:44pm
ReplyDeleteI'm SO happy that he's so happy! :) The poor kid has been through so much, he deserves to feel good! I'm curious to see how this new programmable shunt works - and if it works well, I wonder then why they wouldn't use this kind more often.
Kathy Luersman
Fort Jennings, OH
Feb 17, 2010 1:52pm
ReplyDeleteI am so happy to hear Owen feels so great! What a sweet boy! I can't believe how fast he was playing after the surgery! I loved the video of him thanking Dr. Boaz. Do you know if Dr. Boaz will ever see it? I bet he would like it. And all the nurses. Miss you guys. Love you.
Melinda Rohrer
Feb 19, 2010 8:59am
ReplyDeleteWow...thats amazing, Jen. We're so glad that he's feeling much better:). Thinking and keeping you guys in prayers always.
mya carter
Feb 19, 2010 6:27pm
ReplyDeleteStillllll not getting page updates! (FIX IT PLEASE CARINGBRIDGE!!!)
SO SO SO SO SO SOOOOOOOOOOOOO Happy Owen is doing so much better! Makes me tear up.....I am wanting that breakthrough for Brandon so bad....hope the tonsils fix it....
Thank you so much for sharing what you think and feel and about what is happening with Owen....I think that so much of what we share on here can HELP others....we will learn from your "shoulda, coulda, wouldas....." Know what I mean.....Reading yours, and other SB moms updates help me in so many ways....(if only Id get the page updates! *ahem*, Caringbridge!)
Love you guys......Give Owen a big hug from us!
See you in less than a month! Oh...and we changed our ENT date to the 16th too! THANK YOU FOR THE TIP!!!!!!!!!!
Kim Wilhelm
Feb 27, 2010 6:04pm
ReplyDeletemost often I'm brought ot tears when I pray for Owen and your family however the last time I was brought to tears in thankgiviing for how our Lord once again came through. I often get upset with myself because I'm always amased at what God can do and I shouldn't be. It was great to read about Owen and I could just feel the excitement in your words and the joy you were feeling
love in Christ
DG
D.G. SWOVERLAND