Wednesday, November 10, 2010

This Has Been One Odd Week

The first loop I was thrown for was a comment left on What Was I Thinking. Just when I didn’t think the Koffron, Andrews / Lessard family trees couldn’t bee any stranger, 1940 comes a knocking with another possible branch to my family tree no one knew about.  I am kicking my self that I may have had some clues, and information that might have possibly prepared me for this discovery a decade ago but I didn’t put it all together until it discovered me.  Life is sure strange. 


The second dose of reality hit me yesterday when I took Miss CoCo for her follow up appointment with her new neurologist.  The MRI she had over 3 freaking months ago showed that she does indeed have some brain damage.  I was not necessarily expecting this because in my experience people usually call you with abnormal results, they don’t wait 3 freaking months.  I guess since they found what they were looking for in the first place, it is static (not going to change), there is no treatment other than what we are already doing, they figure it is better to talk to the mom of the brain damaged kid in person.  Probably wise.

How the news about CoCo could have had any shocking affect on me what so ever came as, well, a shock to me.

For the almost the last two years I have been dragging that child around telling anyone who would listen that something is just not right with her.  Just about everyone told me I was being a neurotic, hyper-vigilant, overly involved, overly concerned and overly anxious mother.  Undaunted, I continued to drag her little ass around to every specialist I could think of until she landed in the office of the chief of neurology for Children’s Hospital and just at the point I accepted the fact that I might just be as neurotic as everyone said I was, I find out I was right all along.  No strutting about, waving my finger, no end-zone dance for me,  just an end to the wondering how nuts I realy am.  (About this at least.) Yesterday, I cried.   Today I move on.

The Neurologist was very surprised by how well she is doing and told me to keep up what ever we have been doing because it is doing wonders for her. 

The thing that gets me is that if I had just accepted the first “let’s just wait and see” or the second “you worry too much” or my third and personal favorite, “you need a new hobby” (as if paying attention to my children is a hobby), my child would have missed out on almost 2 years of therapy.  I had to insist that she get therapy!  Somehow that just seems backwards to me.  Everything on infant development says that the brain is most pliable before 3 years old.  Shouldn’t they error on the side of caution?  Had I sat back and waited for a definitive answer she would have just been starting therapy NOW, and no, she probably wouldn’t be doing so surprisingly well. 


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In the spirit of adoption awareness month here are a couple of posts I found interesting:

Insight from an adoptive mom @  Our Little Tongginator: An Attitude of Openness


this From Cassi @ Adoption Truth: What Do We Hear In Their Voices

and Should the foster care system really let ADOPTION be a permanency goal for older children? from I Was A Foster Kid


* This post is a part of my National Adoption Awareness Month, a post every day in November campaign, to remind perspective adoptive parents that there are 140,000 kids for whom family preservation is not an option, who through no fault of their own are currently available for adoption in the U. S. foster care system, right here in our own back yard.  If you are considering adoption please consider adopting a foster child or becoming a foster parent.  It could change a child’s life.

11 Comments:

Real Daughter said...

You know, this makes me so upset!! too many times, professionals dismiss our Motherly instincts.

Thank God you persisted!! CoCo is a lucky and adorable little girl!

J. Marie Jameson said...

She's so cute! Good thing you were vigilant. It's like that episode of Golden Girls when Dorothy goes to all these doctors telling them there is something wrong and they all dismiss her... until she finds the one that tells her she as CFS. Then she goes out to celebrate. Keep up the good work MOM... you're doing a wonderful job.

PS - I'd like to hear more about your first paragraph. You have my curiosity peaked. LOL!

Pam L. said...

I am soooo glad you didn't give up. As a former health care provider, I am ashamed to hear stories like this. Anyone in health care knows, early detection is KEY to healing. I would love to believe that they learned their lesson from this, but because of the lack of communication that exists between providers, I highly doubt that.
The lesson here is that parents are their child's most important advocates, and always listen to your gut, no matter how many may scoff. And what happens to the child with no or multiple parents? Well, your blog is a good first step to finding that out!

a Tonggu Momma said...

I am so glad you've received more accurate medical information. Professionals truly need to listen to parents more. Our daughter has sensory processing disorder and, while we were very blessed to have many professionals help us navigate those early months and years, I have heard horror stories from other families who lived through that same "am I crazy?" process. I'm sorry y'all had to go through that and relieved you have answers now.

(And thanks so much for sharing your insights on my last adoption post. I really appreciated hearing your perspective.)

Laynie said...

Thanks so much for your comments on my blog (mySweeterChaos). Could you please email me? I have a couple of questions. Thanks!
Layniedw@yahoo.com

Campbell said...

"No strutting about, waving my finger, no end-zone dance for me, just an end to the wondering how nuts I realy am." Uh huh.

Sometimes you just know. It's great you're way ahead of the game in helping your adorable daughter!

Sunday Koffron Taylor said...

Thanks you guys, she is a really sweet girl – she will be just fine.

Pam - excellent point!

a Tonggu Momma – I linked to your post, I really like what you are trying to do for your community.

Laynie – I sent you my email address, let me know if you didn’t get it. I know that what you are doing is tough; I have nothing but respect for you.

Sunday Koffron Taylor said...

Oh, and yes Just Me…I will blog more about that but I still have a couple of lose ends hanging out there.

Leanne O said...

Sunday, you are one incredibly strong and intelligent woman. Your children are blessed to have you as Mommy. I'm thankful with you that you were strong enough to listen to everyone else's garbage and ignore them to pursue for answers for your gorgeous little girl. Gut feelings, especially a loving mommy's are usually right on.

I can't help but wonder how you found my blog and why you chose to become a follower. Mine seems quite petty if I feel like comparing to yours. Not that comparing is necessarily a smart thing to do.

I'm wishing you strenth, heaps of it, as you walk each step on this path called life.

Campbell B. said...

Baby brains are amazingly powerful healers. Doctors don't know everything... from my experience some don't know anything.

She's such a lucky girl to have a mommy like you fighting for her and giving her the best chance possible!!

Sunday Koffron Taylor said...

LOL, @ LeanneO I think it was your Oct. 14 post GRRR, I can totally relate and sometimes I like a little “normal” in my life. Your blog is not petty, I think it is sweet. Thank you Cambell B, Cambell and all of you again.

 
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