Lorenzo Giovanni

Lorenzo Giovanni
Born February 22, 2011

Thursday, December 15, 2011

Holiday Season






Is Lorenzo's first christmas.... I'm excited and yes a bit sad, is been a very hard few weeks with so much going on... I'm blessed to have my mom's help and presence here in OKC.. can't even imagine how sad i will be when she leaves... OT & PT are great, The children's Center is really a wonderful place to be... but is so overwhelming and my glass is more than full emotionally, soon my break will arrive.... for now, i will keep on swimming...

Saturday, November 26, 2011

Lorenzo's Busy schedule..

Monday-- Pediatrician Checkup
Tuesday-- Occupational Therapy
Wednesday-- Sooner Start Early Intervention
Thursday-- Physical Therapy & Eye Doctor
Friday-- Genetics Appointment Round three....

Any questions??? In between i'm still the mom to three wonderful kids and i should breath and feed myself... Ready set go

Wednesday, November 9, 2011

Early Intervention

After my so waited meeting with Sooner Start, after two hours of talking and 2 physical therapist doing all type of test on Lorenzo, the good news they don't think his case of Hypotonia is as severe as other cases, he can roll over, hold objects in both hands, smile, lift head & body when in the ground, eat, drink from cup, and when he is in the water will attempt the movements to crawl... & started saying once in a while Mama... with all that said, my journey ahead in the next 3 years ahead is going to be hard, but somehow I know treating my family at somehow "normal" will guide me in the road ahead... I'm focusing on finding special bath chair, and carseat for Lorenzo right now and working very hard probably the hardest i ever worked on keeping my kids in the right track at school, and dedicating each breath to them and getting lorenzo moving... I think the day i see him take his first steps i could breath..... The weeks ahead touring Bethany Children Center, Special Care Daycare in OKC, and J.D. Macarthy Center in Norman....
By keeping my sanity and bring the extra cash, found myself a JOB... lets see how that goes...

I'm beyond excitement for my mom to be here in the next few weeks (I miss her dearly), and the holidays ahead... i want to remember the good times ahead, and focus on what i have in my hands now, and my reality.. better than wishing and hoping for what i don't have right now... Sometimes you need life to slap you a few times to see what is important... Trust me I been slapped a few times now.... Good day everyone!!

Saturday, November 5, 2011

BOO is Halloween!!

My sweet baby boy


Lorenzo's First Picnic


Lorenzo's First Halloween







I adore my mom & she adores me


my sophie is my favorite toy

I'm eating in a big boy chair










I love to play...






















Lorenzo is 8 months now

Is been a while, you can imagine how busy my life is these days... We moved to small town USA, absolutely love it, my kids are happy, i'm very blessed to be in a more comfortable home for my kids and specially lorenzo, a one story home will make his days way easier if he someday will walk... As today we still got no respond in his condition, I stopped concentrating looking for the reason or cause of this hypotonia, and focusing in what i can do to accept it and move forward... Everyday for me is a challenge Lorenzo still won't sit or hold his head, won't crawl, won't talk, he is very alert and interact with his siblings... everyday activities are double the work with a child with special needs..... My back is showing signs of how hard it is to carry such a heavy baby all the time and is time to start looking into special equipment.... and all i see is $$$$ expenses are off the roof....

We are attending physical therapy and Occupational therapy, (finally after 7 months of waiting, sooner start is coming to our home starting Monday) waiting to attend the Bethany Children's Center for children with special needs... Also, hoping Lorenzo can start attending Mother's day out at Special care...

In the emotional level i'm still learning to deal with the comments of random people, who will ask why my baby won't hold his head etc... or the fact that my baby won't do what other children do at his age... Went shopping for christmas and of course i'm standing in the toy aisle having complete meltdown all my baby will get for christmas may be a rattle because he won't be able to play with age appropriate toys... I'm thankful for the support of everyone around us and of course the special friends that make my days easier with the calls and pull me up when all i want to do is cry and feel sorry for myself... and I live each day dreaming of the day, i can see lorenzo walk or just don't look like a rag doll.... but for now each day is a miracle for me and i'm thankful for my kids each day....


Thursday, June 23, 2011

in the last few weeks...

I cried in my shower, the only place that i feel alone in my house this days... The noise level in my home and the anxiety is slowly killing me inside, there is no room to breath.... I wanted to leave him and run away. I wanted to take my three kids and go back to my calendar, my perfect organize world, i wanted to take that disney cruise so bad, spend summer at the beach, go back to my days as a family of 5, our beautiful bond and I wanted to run like hell. I wanted to be pregnant again. I wanted to be pregnant so bad. I wanted it to be the afternoon he was born again...when I was happy and excited and when I wore the white and blue hospital nightgown knowing joy was to come. I wanted to go back. I wanted to go back. I wanted to go back. so bad... I dream of that day, what if i went back on that February 22, and Lorenzo wouldn't be born sick, what if i had one more day of that perfect pregnancy days, the illusion of holding a healthy baby, after all i went thru with tristan.

I moaned in pain and through it all, this little breath of heaven needed me. I cried while I held him. I cried as each doctor just look at me, and you know there is something wrong with your baby and just don't know what is it. I cried at physical therapist when i was told to be ready to have a walker in my future because lorenzo is behind and probably will be behind in his development, I cried over my garden because i know this home won't work for me any longer... i cried over his 4 months old check up and of course my wonderful pediatrician just hold me tight and said we won't start cereal, because he can't hold his head and we just can't feed him right now, we will talk again about that in the six month checkup, i cried over the millions times sofia tells me mom we need of those for lorenzo to get in the pool knowing he just can't use it, I cried over my mom moving away, the only interaction i had at home during the day, i cried over the fact that the plan i had for my future and my kids is somehow upside down and we need a new one.... so YES I CRIED, I CRIED, I CRIED...

but then the sun came up and with it,

HOPE & ACCEPTANCE.... and changes.....the future will be somehow different in many levels to everyone in our family, we will do things different than before & somehow i know it will work out exactly the way it should...

in the last few weeks....

this is my favorite :)


















My Christening










Summer is here :)









First major storm










lots of testing... :(










Saturday, May 14, 2011

scare of the unknown

I waited so long for somehow genetic results to tell me something... to walk in that room and be hit in my face with some huge medical term and then swallow it and have a plan and move on... But that wasn't the case... I described my morning like in a cloud, i haven't slept since may 3rd, i got ready, took my blessed rosary from my hometown church,my grandmother's ring to feel home close to my home, worn my waterproof mascara, took my anxiety pills and follow the yellow brick road to OU children's... and the waiting started.... 1 hour went by, 2 hours went by, not to mention missing my other children's gymnastics awards, they were so excited about, and my husband complaining of how much work he was missing... it got to the point that i just wanted to leave that room and my life, pick up my kids and just go home... and the door opened...

The moment the dr. walked in without opening his mouth I knew there was no answer, he went over the long list and talk and talk and talk... at that point i space out, spinal tap, more blood test, urine test... my biggest fear of not been genetic and having to do with his brain... so he examined lorenzo, and found that his Spleen was swollen, something maybe caused by infection etc.. so there we start one more stressful road.... for the last few days, i watched lorenzo experience maybe seizures, but lets be honest my house is not a spa retreat is noisy, is crazy, so.... i thought he got scared or stress... but after physical therapy last tuesday and the Dr. at genetics both saw it and is in fact seizures... ONE MORE OPEN DOOR with no answer.... so maybe this is happening since birth? maybe this is causing the hiponotia? maybe he got epiletsy? I don't know I'm exhausted, and some how need to manage to act and keep it together for the sanity of my family.... so next step.. first i need to videotape an episode of the seizures to show neurologist on monday's Appointment.... follow by visiting the lab and do all this blood work, and somehow still be a monday with three kids at school & the last week of school.... not to mention finish painting this room, and the normal weekend activities...

FYI, when your 11 weeks old baby does have a binder with all his medical records, that can't be normal... so here we go one more week... but he still is a sweet baby, sleeps the night, eats, talks like a sweet baby :) God Bless him!!

Monday, May 9, 2011

A big puzzle


Lorenzo is 11 weeks today, he weights 14lbs & is 24 inches long.... big "healthy" boy.
I have waited 9 weeks or so, for genetic results, and finally the date is here, friday, i must confess that at this point i don't think it will make a difference to know what is wrong with my child... My mother's instinct tells me there is something odd about him, besides the hipotonia... I had watch lorenzo all day long, and he seems to be experiencing seizures episodes, on top of everything else with the low tone...
My life this days is non stop running around with the kids and of course non stop dr. appointments with Lorenzo, even my dentist called & sadly there is not even 1 hour of time for me to go see him... i feel like i'm still trying to catch up, all i want is "normal" but is hard to tell what "normal" is this days for me... I went home the place that makes everything else fall into place, i felt at peace... I described going home like a breath of fresh air, is my language, my food, my people, and there is the ocean, what somehow balance my emotions and keeps me calm.. i'm glad i did, because i was at the edge... i couldn't focus, my patience was so low, now i am better.... starting to fill the bottle of emotions again... so here i go in two days, genetics answers, maybe that will give me at least a few pieces of this puzzle...

Tuesday, April 19, 2011

8 weeks old...



Lorenzo is 8 weeks today... can't believe how fast time is going... We started to do more things at physical therapy and hopefully he will continue to improve somehow, it is very hard to sit there at watch... His therapist is a great person and i know he sees right thru me somehow and in someways he works on my mental health also, as we worked on Lorenzo's exercises... We are anxious for genetics results, and May doesn't seem to be here fast enough... Even so I know genetics won't change a thing at this point, there is no magic pill, or magic medicine that will cause my sweet baby to don't have this and be somehow "normal". I'm a pretty much a ROBOT, no emotions, everything is going to the "deal with you later" cup, and i must confess is getting full(so don't be surprise if i just snap out of it to put myself together soon)... All my energy is going towards my garden, renovating my kitchen, kids activities, working out, cooking, cleaning, ... so, if you are reading this and ask how my baby is doing (he is the same), i will probably give you a very cold high energy respond, because the true is I haven't deal with absolutely nothing about my feelings since he was born... soon enough everything will caught up with me and somehow acceptance and understanding will make me see the path i shall follow... as today all i see is TO DO List, i will continue to exhaust myself till my brain stops thinking...

Tuesday, April 12, 2011

7 weeks old

Is Hard to Believe Lorenzo is only 7 weeks old, I feel like is been a lifetime... Last night he slept 6 hours straight, Lets hope this is a new routine, i need to rest... I must confessed feeling physically and emotional exhausted is taking a toll on me and somehow I must find a way to overcome all of this...
Yesterday was our first Physical Therapy section, i was a little nervous and didn't know what to expect, with an open mind and heart my little koala and I arrived to one more unknown experience... Our first appointment was great, i learn about a whole community of children with Hypotonia, low tone and too much tone, watched a video of a little girl who is currently 7 years old who started physical therapy at 8 weeks old, and today she is a cheerleader, very active, "normal" kid. I'm looking forward to meet with parents with hypotonic children and learn more about this "symptom" yes, it is a symptom not a illness or disease, the doctor confirmed that his legs and arms are both in great shape, and we need to work on the trunk of his body and head control. I learn a few exercises to do at home, till our next appointment next monday, so far we are only meeting once a week, after Lorenzo is three months old, we will start our two days a week section....

so what does it take? PATIENCE!!! I'm going to learn somehow to deal with the waiting game, because this is what is all about... everyday is going to be a challenge, every step Lorenzo takes is going to be a milestone, due to hard work of his part, me & the entire family... there is no plan or expectation.... so here we go dealing with the unknown...

Thursday, April 7, 2011

Running against the clock...


Today was one of those days that you don't seem to get caught up... I feel exhausted, kids slept in, it was picture day and the meltdown in the morning almost throw me over the edge, not to mention the "new" routine my older boy does at drop off, he just starts this screaming fit, and runs away... and yes i am the mom that just walks away, he literally is fine in 5 seconds... Well now is 9:05 a.m.... Me & Lorenzo are heading to Children's Hospital, after 32 minutes of trying to find were to park, and trying to understand the new construction, we finally found the valet parking and yes we are in the building, and I must confess, tax money, grants, whatever it is funding this place, looks like is doing a great job, new building looks awesome... so.. i'm happy & impress, Lorenzo and i keep following the yellow brick road to cardiologist in the third floor... and then just like the house that felt into the wicked witch, the desk lady saids those famous words, I'm sorry we don't have appointments for today, so can it be? again? miss communication? i thought i called two days ago to confirm.. am i going crazy?... But no it wasn't me, the cardiologist works in both hospitals, and today been thursday, he is working at Mercy... so somehow i must get my car back, drive all the way there and make it on time... it is 9:50 a.m. already.... sooooo here i am again in the tornado of stress and anxiety... drove to mercy, in lights speed... found the office, check in been aware i am 32 minutes late... and now i sit and wait, and wait some more, and some more...exactly 2 1/2 hours...
Lorenzo had an EKG, and an echocardiogram, both thank god seem normal, the doctor was great and even so the stress of watching your baby with all of this wires and stuff, really gets to you, after that kind of morning and feeling physically and emotional exhausted.... when he said i don't need to see him till 6 months from now... the tears of joy, starting to fall down my face...and of course i get the look of OMG this mom is over the edge from the nurses, but who cares...
What is the next step? the big ones, Neurologist & Genetics both in MAY.... now lets get physical therapist started.... so i get the impression long day on the phone tomorrow... I wish i had an easy button for all of this... :)

Tuesday, April 5, 2011

Six weeks old today...


At Lorenzo's checkup today he weight 11lbs, 3 ounces, and he is 23 1/2 inches long. His Pediatrician thinks he is improving by been more active, alert, holding his head for a few seconds and moving his head towards voice, he is responding to light and sound... His lower body feels more toned that his upper body, something we already knew, he is grabbing stronger with this hands, but the trunk of this body still is very low tone... She described Lorenzo to me like a tree, still got roots & leaves, but the trunk of the tree needs to be strong enough to support it.... So yes, it killed me inside.... we talked about our future appointments, cardiologist is coming up this thursday, Neurologist & Genetics, in May... She doesn't want me to wait any longer on sooner start for physical therapy, she's referring me to a private physical therapist, ASAP... we are aware that our insurance won't cover all of this, so i am hoping is not more than we can chew right now, our medical expenses are getting off the roof... she recommended for us to use both private & the sooner care people at home, if they ever decide to show up... In a more personal aspect she recommend it for me to include & get a little help with Lorenzo, support for appointments, bath time, etc... she thinks i'm consumed by all of this, by been non stop with him, alone soaking all of this & i know she is right, but how can you? my life was already a nut house, so you can imagine now... I get the impression my next 6 months are going to be pretty insane and guess what is around the corner? SUMMER!! and yes I love summer, but the thought of four kids at home but no place to go, and non stop doctor visits is freaking me out a little... Did i mention no flying for Lorenzo till he is 6 months... (a bitter sweet for me, because i can't wait to go home, my soul literally aches)... but as least we can drive somewhere... that is also something she recommended to spend time as a family, doing fun things to keep our stress a little in the low side.. she believes this stress and anxiety is hurting the other kids too... so lets work on keeping it together, better said than done, right?...

Monday, April 4, 2011

Physical Therapy... Headache


I've had a migraine must of the day, from dealing with insurance company, calling sooner start, doctors.... Is been almost three weeks of non stop calling to sooner start, the place we were referred to by NICU and pediatrician... finally they called back last thursday, I missed their call today and took me 4 hours to finally talk to someone, i can't believe it will take around 3 weeks to evaluate Lorenzo and to get him started... Do I sound like a neurotic mother? Lorenzo needs it and everyday we loose time... I thought the main goal is to help him? so, why everything takes so long?... I work at home with him for an hour a day in a few exercises, he is getting more active and even started lifting his head from side to side, from tummy time (6 weeks old).... I just feel he needs more... Looking forward to our Appointment tomorrow with our pediatrician, I got a list of questions this time... I hope we get neurologist & cardiologist visits schedule.... geez I'm exhausted...

Sunday, April 3, 2011

dust is settle...


we are starting life over again... this week feels a bit like I'm alive & surprisingly skinny... LOL Tristan's finally is potty trained, he got his huge big loud chuck e cheese bday party, my house is cleaned, laundry is done, my garden is nice and blooming, our routine is coming together... I'm feeling more at ease talking about this whole situation, not sure if is the hour at gymnastics with such great supporting moms, or the extreme google action i do at night and the so positive stories over this whole hypotonia thing... all I know... life goes on... we are still waiting, we got no answers, and a long road ahead or an eternal road.. who knows... all i know is life goes on... weddings, bday parties, fairs... i know somewhere there is a reason for all this... do i see it right now? no..... this is the reason i made this BLOG!! Here comes another week...

Friday, April 1, 2011

all you need is friendship...

after weeks of just texting my best friend, because somehow i knew the moment we talked, i will have to stop with the "smart talk & BS" and just say it how it is and what the heck is going on... we talked & I must confessed a 2-3 hour conversation in the phone doesn't even described how much i miss her, and my hometown and my friends & loved ones... the ones that just by looking at you know without words, your pain... and will continue to text you, or email you, even so you don't reply, because somehow they know you are there, and need them.... this is when the wonderful phrase "there is no place like home' comes to fully effect in my life...

Thursday, March 24, 2011

Thank you lord for sunglasses....

we must follow up with neurologist, eye doctor, cardiologist, and the biggest of all GENETICS... so today was our Eye doctor appointment... it was a very special room, full with special needs children.... I must confess i wasn't ready for this at all... maybe today was the day I realize maybe this is my child's future... After sitting sobbing by myself with my sunglasses on, and my so full of energy facebook upgrades (my only social interaction this days), Lorenzo went thru his checkup and i was relieved he didn't want to see us till he was a year old... I couldn't leave that office fast enough....

Friday, March 18, 2011

neverending appointments...

I'm grateful for my Pediatrician.... I must confess she is amazing, very supportive and it was a very overwhelming visit..Lorenzo does have mild hypotonia... So what is Hypotonia? I'm sick of the term ragged doll, floppy baby, noodle baby... Maybe this is why i don't want to see anyone or anyone to come visit, i'm not sure if i can handle it right now... is enough with my five year old telling me 24 millions time a day, Lorenzo's arms feel like he is death? or my oldest daughter wondering if we will ever go in that disney cruise, if we don't know if Lorenzo will be able to swim or walk...
So what is Hypotonia?

Hypotonia is a state of low muscle tone[1] (the amount of tension or resistance to movement in a muscle), often involving reduced muscle strength. Hypotonia is not a specific medical disorder, but a potential manifestation of many different diseases and disorders that affectmotor nerve control by the brain or muscle strength. Recognizing hypotonia, even in early infancy, is usually relatively straightforward, butdiagnosing the underlying cause can be difficult and often unsuccessful. The long-term effects of hypotonia on a child's development and later life depend primarily on the severity of the muscle weakness and the nature of the cause. Some disorders have a specific treatment but the principal treatment for most hypotonia of idiopathic or neurologic cause is physical therapy and/or occupational therapy to help the person compensate for the neuromuscular disability.

Hypotonia is a condition that can be helped with early intervention...


Thursday, March 17, 2011

Happy St. Patrick's Day!



The luck of the Irish.... first day at home... I can finally breath (for a while at least).. four kids at home during spring break, alone, tired, depressed... is a lot to handle....

Wednesday, March 16, 2011

can it be? we are really going home?


Happy News...we are going home.... sad news... still no answers... Lorenzo is three weeks old... can't believe his first three weeks of life he spend in NICU... such an important time, is it normal i sadly don't even feel like i just had a baby.... :(

Monday, March 14, 2011

so much brain power in one room....


Monday, finally arrived.... this place is a circus so many doctors.... so many questions at once... i'm overwhelmed and tired.... Lorenzo since arriving at children's hospital breathing normal, no IV, No eating tube, eats 100cc, no problem.... nurses asked if i wanted to bring items to keep him alert, bouncer, mobile, etc... i must admit it feels weird to bring those items here to NICU, but I got a little excited to feel normal and do normal things with my baby, like sitting in a bouncer chair... I just want to be home... I miss my life.... this is getting old.... and i feel like i leave this hell, for another arriving home is dealing with all the meltdowns, crying, all the questions, messages, school work... etc. I thank god for family, the great friends and community that helped us thru this.... i can't even remember to eat this days.... so cooking, cleaning, is totally out of the game... and i'm so worry about my kids, is like we are still in this cloud.... just floating away....

Sunday, March 13, 2011

so many first missed...


I'm still here.... looking at a "normal" baby the biggest happiest one in the whole darn floor, i'm frustrated and still no answers... Communication here is not good, the place feels cold and nurses seem so harsh.... Belly button fell off a week ago, the stress has caused my milk production to almost be gone, and now his first bath at NICU.... what day is it?

Saturday, March 12, 2011

Tests, tests & more tests....


They ran so many tests on my sweet baby that they were a few times I stepped out of the room and fall to the ground in the halls of the hospital, because i couldn't take it anymore... the stress of been spring break and trying to juggle my other kids at home, i felt lost with no direction... and more than anything alone.... I'm very frustrated, all testing keep coming back normal... at this point we had MRI, EEG, ct scan, many blood tests, Echo cardiogram... you named it Lorenzo had it done....

Friday, March 11, 2011

leaving a place i loved and trust for answers...

My heart was broken as the doctors at NICU at Mercy, the hospital i loved and trust, told us they had no answers for us, they didn't know what was causing this high breathing, or the Mild Hypotonia... so we did what we were told to transferred to Children's Hospital, they had the specialist i needed... I'm still holding my breath under water, as my other children are falling apart, everyday i watched my middle child cried to sleep because she didn't understand why her brother wasn't home, my oldest show signs of mild depression and was falling behind in school, and my youngest totally went crazy acting up, the never ending phone calls, and messages.... somehow i needed to give answers to everyone when i had no idea or the doctors knew what is going on with my baby.... and off he went baby lorenzo 2 weeks old at the time, to a brand new hospital... All i remember is sitting in an empty hall, holding my baby's blanket for 3 hours and waiting... waiting... waiting...

Tuesday, March 1, 2011

Unexpectedly here we are again....


Lorenzo was transferred to NICU after birth due to tachypnea (rapid breathing). This is not uncommon amongst newborns, especially caesarian birthed males, and thankfully Lorenzo did not have any other respiratory complications. (likewise Tristan 4 years ago)
However at the six and eighteen hour marks after birth my son was reported with "seizure-like" episodes. No one is certain if he truly he had a seizure at those times or not...but it certainly opened the doors to many more tests...about this time Lorenzo, in addition to tachypnea and possible seizures, was diagnosed with hypotonia. This was a secondary, "non-acute" (i.e., not life threatening) condition and therefore wasn't dealt with. However it has come to play a huge role in our lives now - and a tremendous concern for our lives to come...will it be still, or have faded away?
Nevertheless Lorenzo's breathing improved. He had no recurrence of seizure episodes, and was eating well. So - after six days he was discharged home (with an alarm monitor to warn the entire neighborhood if his heart and/or respiratory rate dropped dangerously low). Six days old, Lorenzo came home....for six whole hours!
That same night I was awoken by a phone call....it was one of the NICU doctors, telling me something about coming back in; blood culture; tested positive for staph....YOU HAVE TO COME BACK TO THE NICU NOW! What? That woke me up....OK, repeat the story....the day before our discharge Lorenzo had a new blood culture done (to go along with all the other tests performed like CT scan, EEG, MRI, Echocardiagram, blood labs, etc.). This most recent blood culture had just turned positive at the lab for staph bacteria growth - meaning there was a chance that he had a staph infection in his bloodstream. This was a risk because Lorenzo had an umbilical IV while in the NICU. Oh, and if the infection as in his blood - he could be dead in 12 hours! So, this is where my sense of control fell apart, i described as been pulled into a massive wave and not been able to catch my breath...
Granted the doctor admitted that the chance of Lorenzo actually having contracted of staph infection was remote, but she didn't want to take that chance. Turns out, the timing was blessed. Soon after our re-admittance to the NICU, Lorenzo's respiratory rate exploded...tachypnea galore!
This is where our dramatic story went through a horrible boring phase....everyday - watching him breath....respirations would go from 50, to 135, 125, 40, 110, 70, 80, 90, 60...and back to 120. Everyday the same - breathing, breathing (the blood culture turned out to be a false positive due to skin contaminant). As we sat there in the NICU watching our son breathe, our minds began to wander and explore other concerns...hypotonia, and moreso, what is the underlying disease/disorder/cause of his hypotonia (and likewise tachyonea, pectus excavatum, etc.). Something nuerological, metabolic, or genetic?

Tuesday, February 22, 2011

He is here!!



Lorenzo Giovanni
Born at 3:36 p.m. February 22, 2011
9 lbs, 11 oz, 21 1/2 inches long