Quick post

Big day today.
We are taking Allan back to the ophthalmologist here for a check on whether the lump is shrinking. We are also going to see a gastroenterologist who specializes in pediatric feeding issues. Allan takes from the bottle, but not nearly enough and, with everything else that keeps happening to him, it is hard for him to pick up any steam with that. The NG tube really isn't a long-term solution and we have known that it was possible that they might want to put in a "peg" at some point (a port in to the belly that you use to feed). The thought is that we may want to do that when they do the cataract rather than wait and have a second surgery. So there you go.
Griffith is being a little rock star and has been sleeping through the night for about the past week. This means he stays up until about 11, but we think it is worth it to have him sleep until 7.
More later.

JXG

That's our diagnosis.

We've had a big day with Allan's first trip out of state. Granted it was just Ohio, but still and all. We headed out early this a.m. for the University of Cincinnati where they have a Very Special Ultrasound. Once again Allan distinguished himself by being an absolute angel and cooperating with the doctors. He couldn't have been sweeter and, as a result they got a lot of good images. The conclusion is that the lump in his eye is something called a juvenile xanothogranuloma. It is a noncancerous mass of cells that develops usually in the head and trunk at about Allan's age. It sometimes (rarely, naturally) will develop in the eye. It is treated with medicines and should recede over time. The bad part is that the inflammation has caused his cataract to grow so that it is now impairing his vision. So for now we treat the JXG until that lump is small enough for them to do something about the cataract. If it isn't one thing, it is another.

Griffith is being an absolute angel. Sorta. He is now sleeping through most of the night but only by Scooby-snacking, cat-napping and whining throughout most of the evening. Flora is convinced that he can tell when she has picked Allan up because he starts to fuss.

Cheryl brought over their Halloween outfits. We aren't going to give too much away by saying that they are going to be A.Dor.Able. Can't wait.

Onward and upward -- Allan's eye is pretty much the same. The redness has cleared up, the pressure is back to normal, but there is still something in there that is keeping the pupil from fully dilating. They keep calling it a lump, but they don't know what it is -- fluid? a cyst? So, we are off for Cincinnati tomorrow to see a specialist up there who has a high resolution ultrasound. With any luck, he will be able to tell us what this thing is. And what we are going to do about it.