Neurology Follow Up

Colby had another follow-up appointment with his neurologist, Dr. Barnes, yesterday. We are so happy to report that the appointment went well!! Dr. Barnes was impressed and pleased with how well Colby is doing. At our last appointment, Dr. Barnes was a little concerned about Colby's muscle tone, but this time, he said his tone is great! Dr. Barnes also asked us several questions regarding Colby's development, and based on our answers and his observation of Colby, he is in agreement with our pediatrician that Colby is right on track developmentally. I guess Colby knew he was being evaluated, because he showed off all of his "tricks" for Dr. Barnes. He was smiling, babbling and saying "da-da," using both of his hands to pick up and hold his toys and chew on them, and waving to Dr. Barnes and all of the nurses. One thing is for sure, Colby is a social baby!! I am a little worried that I have a little politician on my hands! Ha!

We are very fortunate that Colby has shown no complications from the seizures he had in the NICU. We are also fortunate that he has had no additional seizures. Dr. Barnes did warn us, though, that Colby still might encounter some complications in his future. It is possible that the seizures could have affected parts of his brain that involve higher cognitive skills, such as reading comprehension. We will have no way of knowing this until Colby is older and has started reading, so we will just have to wait and see.

Jason and I were both dreading this appointment, because our last experiences with Dr. Barnes weren't so positive. We understand that doctors have to present the worst case scenarios to parents, but it is not easy to hear a doctor say that your baby may have all sorts of developmental delays and problems. We left our last appointment with him feeling very down and extremely worried about Colby's future. I am glad that this appointment was more positive and upbeat...I needed this! Dr. Barnes even complimented me and Jason. From research studies he has conducted in the NICU, he has found that babies with "good parental DNA" recover much better from seizures than other babies. His exact words were, "good parental DNA saves baby's brain." Thank you God for the "good" DNA.

Believe it or not, the first thing Dr. Barnes said when he walked into the room was, "Well Colby, it looks like your mommy has been feeding you well." Wow! He thinks Colby looks well fed! I love it!