Final Update

We're out of the hospital and at the Farrell's house. It is so nice to have a home away from home. Oliver loved playing with his buddies and eating pizza. Poor little thing was SO hungry since his last meal was almost 24 hours ago, due to the MRI.

Alright, here is the scoop:

Brain MRI was stable, no changes. Thank God! Oliver's subependymal nodules haven't grown, and that is the area of major concern for him. If those nodules grow they can become life threatening. We are thanking the Lord for this good news.

Kidney MRI showed very small renal cysts. Nothing to worry about at the moment, but certainly something to keep an eye on. Next time we come we'll meet with the kidney specialist, just to monitor them. Kidney issues are present in 85% of people with TSC, so this is no surprise.

Seizure and behavior control are the main concerns at the moment, obviously. They seem to be related, so by helping decrease seizures we hope to optimize behavior.

Dr.Thiele did mention that in a few years we may consider putting a VNS in again, or do a second brain surgery. She still suspects that the majority of his seizures are coming from the frontal lobe; the area that Dr.Duhaime wasn't comfortable removing because it is close to where the brain controls the face. One mis-step in that area of the brain and you get a paralyzed child. It wasn't a risk we were willing to take back then. Perhaps in a few more years we will depending on his prognosis. It would be less risky in the future, because Oliver would be older and they'd be able to map his brain better. We'll cross that bridge when we get to it, but it is on the table. Sigh.

We're looking forward to being in our own beds tomorrow night and getting back into our normal routine. We think we'll be back in Wilmington by dinner time, and Steph's grandmother, mom and niece will be there waiting for us.

Our deepest thanks to all of your for your prayers, love and support. We feel very cared for in this challenging time.