Back in the ICU

Unfortunately we've had a setback in Grant's condition, and he has been admitted to the ICU at Phoenix Children's again.  Yesterday we had noticed the "sunsetting" (I had called it drooping, but I've picked up on the medical jargon) of his eyes, and this morning I noticed that Grant was not reaching for any toys and did not appear to see anything.  I called the Oncology line, and the doctor on-call advised me to bring him to the ER because she was concerned about the pressure on this brain.

At the ER, they noticed his eyes were unresponsive to light and saw swelling of his fontanel (soft spot) and immediately ordered a CT scan.  Damon and I have already met with the neurosurgeon, and he has diagnosed the condition as hydrocephalus.  The ventricles in Grant's brain have swelled, and spinal fluid is not draining properly.  Grant is scheduled for surgery tomorrow (Sunday) at 8:30am, and the neurosurgeon is going to insert a shunt in the back of his brain.  The shunt is essentially a tube that will run from his brain, down through his neck and into his stomach; the fluid will go directly into his stomach and relieve the pressure in his brain.

The hydrocephalus is not necessarily as sign that the tumor has grown; the neurosurgeon said there can be so many causes and it may not even be related to the size of the tumor.  He did mention the "sunsetting" of the eyes should disappear within hours of surgery, but we have no idea if there will be a lasting effect upon Grant's vision.

I'm sure we'll learn a lot more in the coming days (the PICU doctor did say I could pass for a third year resident with my acquired medical knowledge :)), and I will definitely update the blog accordingly.  Please keep us in your thoughts and prayers and hope that this is just a temporary, not permanent setback for Grant the Champ!

Resting comfortably tonight - and still clutching his beloved giraffe blankie.

Having no problem adjusting to the crib at the hospital.