Teague is fine. We ended up going to the ER last night for the CT scan because he was hurting and inconsolable, and he's never been like that. We couldn't be up all night worrying about that little head. The scan looked normal, and Primary Children's looked at it today and confirmed that. They said that the ventricles in his brain are actually smaller than they were on the last scan, which means that they're getting back to their normal, pre-hydrocephalus size.
About the fat face, I got to looking at him more today, and I realize that this kid is just gaining weight. He's put on about four pounds since his surgery. Eating like a little piggy. It was just hard to recognize it as weight gain because his belly is almost always distended (that ileus is hangin' on), so all I saw was the chub on his cheeks. I hadn't seen that his arms and hands are fleshier, his little feet are fatter, and his bum is suddenly more than just a crack with legs.
Our pediatrician's office said that he should settle down on the garbage-disposal appetite once he catches up. He's always been on the skinny side, so he's got some leeway when it comes to fattening up.
It's nice to be able to feed him. That kid never ate. He was always picky, but in the weeks before we found out he had cancer, he was a nightmare. He'd ask me to fix him something, I'd do it, and he would take one bite at the most. Then he'd ask me to make something else. I thought he just liked watching me cook. I had no idea he was hungry but felt too queasy to gag it down. Poor little baby.
Now my job is to make sure he's getting good food. No more desperately resorting to anything he's willing to ingest. I have to be a nutritionist and give him all the fortification he needs to keep his body healthy and hopefully keep the cancer away. And if it comes back, he's got to be strong in case he needs treatment.
No more chicken nuggets.
Bring on the "good" calories!
ReplyDeleteWow, there really is a differnce in that little face. (Never thought about how four pounds on such a tiny frame could make such a differnce!) Good to see that sweet smile too!
ReplyDeleteand you can make really yummy homemade (baked) hicken nuggets. I had to find some recipes for Lauren when we went gluten-free...
2 halved boneless/skinless chicken breasts (cut into chunks)
1 cup natural bread crumbs (you can use whole wheat breadcrumbs for a healthier option)
1 cup natural corn flakes
1 egg
Seasonings (Optional) such as cajun, mexican, italian, etc
Preheat oven to 375F. Cut the chicken breasts into small chunk sized shapes, the thinner you cut the nuggets the easier they will cook.
Place corn flakes in a plastic bag and crush finely using the back of your hand or a rolling pin. Combine bread crumbs and crushed corn flakes in shallow bowl and set aside. At this point you can add a little dried oregano or garlic or any other herbs you think your kids may eat to the mixture.
In a separate bowl whisk the egg lightly. Then coat each chicken nugget lightly in egg mixture, then dip into bread crumb mixture. Coat evenly. Place chicken nuggets on lightly greased baking tray. Bake at 375F for approximately 20 minutes or until chicken nuggets are golden and cooked through.
wow, and how did I spell difference wrong twice in a row!
ReplyDeleteHe looks good! Glad to hear that the CAT scan turned out good results. Thanks for keeping us updated!
ReplyDeleteThat's great news. I'm glad he's eating more these days. You may want to try to keep his blood sugar pretty steady (more fiber, less white/processed foods), I've read that spikes in blood glucose can kick in the body's inflammation response. Lots of fruit and veggies... are you guys gardeners?
ReplyDeleteChub a lub lub.
ReplyDeletePancakes are nutrissous... newtritoius... nutrii... Ah heck, they're good for the little guy.
ReplyDelete