Update on Cooper

hey all! i wanted to try and fill everyone in on cooper and let y'all know what we learned friday at his neurology appointment.

his blood work came back normal, (the blood work was checking for the metabolic and mitochondrial diseases/disorders) with the exception of one test called CPK, which was slightly elevated. this level is elevated in people with cerebral palsy - those levels are elevated into the 1,000s. cooper's was 420. the doctor likes for them to be less than 200. she's not too concerned about it, but will recheck again in a couple of months to make sure it's not elevating. his lactic acid levels were slightly elevated as well. she didn't seemed to be too concerned about this either. she said many things could cause this increase, including mishandling of the blood, which is what happened with another test that ended up completely botched. had some other test come back abnormal, she would have been concerned; but everything else looked good.

she is now leaning away from the metabolic and mitochondrial diseases/disorders.

cooper's EEG came back normal and showed no signs of seizure activity. praise the Lord! this was never a concern for me and t., but i suppose she wanted to cover all of her bases.

his MRI revealed a couple of brain abnormalities. his corpus collosum, which communicates between the left and right sides of the brain, is either not there, or is very small. now, this is the part of the brain that is sometimes removed from people who have severe seizures. the doctor said that many times, people who don't have it, would never know unless they just happen to have an MRI one day because of a stroke or something and just accidentally find out. they lead perfectly normal functioning lives. however, it can cause developmental delays. there is also another part of the brain (i don't know what it's technical name is or what it really does) that the doctor referred to as a "curtain." normally there is one curtain, cooper has two and there is fluid between them. this is the same situation as the corpus collosum - people don't even know they have this until they accidentally find it one day. they function normally; again, however, it can cause developmental delays. the solution for this...physical therapy, which he has been in for 6 weeks now.

the neurologist is going to be sending us to a neurosurgeon to evaluate the plates in cooper's skull to make sure they are not fusing together too soon. she also wants us to see a geneticist to further investigate stuff (that i don't completely understand).

we have been very encouraged by our physical therapist. she is very pleased with his improvements over the last 6 weeks and is confident that he will only continue to improve.

t and i consider this appointment to have been a good appointment. even though he has these "abnormalities" there is no doubt in our minds that he will be successful with his development. i know that he will walk and talk and run and play. i feel very confident and at peace with those truths. cooper is going to have to work harder than most babies to get off the ground (literally), but i'm so pumped to see what these trials will do for him as a person...as a man. i love knowing that he will be able to look back one day and have a testimony about how he overcame adversity and accomplished what doctor's thought he wouldn't. i'm encouraged every time i hear a story about a child doing just that. the faith, the strength, the will and determination of a child is amazing and like nothing else. what a pure and perfect image of God. how exciting to know that he was created in His image...that he was perfectly put together and has a perfect purpose. how exciting to know that he will touch so many lives with his life and his story and his strength. he has already blown me out of the water with his strength and his continued happiness. he has been such a trooper the past few weeks as he has gone through all these test, and i am inspired by him. this time has been a blessing to walk through, especially being able to walk through them with my amazing husband. it has made us stronger as individuals and as one. we have learned and better understand how to truly walk in faith. what joy i get out of this. i rejoice in what the Lord has done. our son is perfect and the Lord didn't forget anything when he formed him. i'm just pumped about the days to come and about all the times i know this little man will blow us away with his victories! i'm honored and thankful and blessed to be his mother.

1 chronicles 22 was a chapter i've found a lot of peace in, especially verses 9, 11-13, and 18. i just wanted to share that...

thank you all for your prayers and support. we truly appreciate all of you and are blessed to have you in our lives. we will keep you posted on what is going on with cooper. thank you again!

"WOO HOO!!"

**See 1 Chronicles 22 below...