surgery pictures...

please know that I spared you the gruesome pics with the wrap off and during surgery...you can thank me later...

cheese...

Camilla has gotten to where she will do a really 'cheesy' grin when you snap a picture and say 'cheese' - here she is 'cheesing' it with Dr. Blount(neurosurgeon) and Gigi(his nurse practioner)at her last check-up. **I'm trying to get the blog up-to-date, pictures and all, and I think I finally figured out the problem I was having uploading pictures so hopefully I will get caught up and back to posting regularly :)

and the verdict is...

We spent yesterday at Children's for Camilla to undergo a 2hr EEG, her first since surgery, to determine what is now going on in that pretty little head! It was very difficult to hook her up for this test (as usual) and we had to use a papoose board for only the second time ever. Once she was hooked up though she was calm and happy even smiling and laughing to pass the time. After the test we saw Dr. Kim who gave us the results. The verdict: there is still spiking in the right parietal lobe. Are we upset at all by this news? Heck NO! We still have not seen any seizures and Dr. Kim stressed that this activity could very well dissipate by her 6 month EEG. Realistically we know that any abnormal activity is not good news but we don't really put our hope in EEG's now do we? "My hope is in you Lord, all the day long. I won't be shaken by draught or storm..." Anyone else like that song too? I plan to do a very detailed update tonight to brag on all the great things going on with Camilla right now! "For I know the plans I have for you," declares the Lord "plans to prosper you and not to harm you. Plans to give you hope and a future." Jeremiah 29:11

Run/Walk/Roll a 5K for Camilla

I just wanted to let everyone know that some sweet people at our church have gotten together and are hosting a 5K for Camilla this Saturday, May 19th. Registration begins at the Demopolis City Landing at 7:00am with the 5K and Kids Fun Run beginning at 9:00am. The entry fee is $20 and includes a t-shirt. If you need more information or would like to participate or volunteer you can leave me a message here or email me at kelleyjsmith@yahoo.com Thanks to everyone involved and Camilla can't wait to be there and cheer everyone on!

quick update-

Bear with me - I've been trying to update the blog for four or five days now with some pictures and I'm having some space 'issues' with blogger. Hopefully I will have that resolved soon and will be able to post the slideshow from surgery and do a thorough update on how Camilla has been doing. For now I hope you'll settle for a quick update - she's GREAT! No seizures so far and the only real 'issue' we are dealing with at this time is the fits that she is having daily. These are 'I'm not getting what I want' and/or 'I can't talk to you to make you understand what it is I want/need/is hurting me' fits and since she is approaching 70 lbs., is very tall for her age and is stronger than most adults I know it is becoming increasingly difficult to deal with her during these fits. Please pray for this specifically - pray for her frustration, all of our understanding, physical and mental strength for Brandon and I and for us to find an effective way to deal with her when these fits arise (which has been 2-3 times daily for the last several weeks.) Hoping for a detailed update soon and pictures! Oh and Happy Birthday to Crosby - he turns 2 tomorrow:)

hope...

Hope...wasn't it too perfect that our Sunday school lesson was entitled 'A Living Hope' this past Sunday. The words from Max Lucado just seemed to jump off of the page, "It may be just a coincidence that 'hope' and 'cope' rhyme, but it's a happy coincidence. If we can't see beyond our immediate circumstances in life, the outlook quickly turns to a shade of despair." My hope is in you Lord and I thank you for the promise of "...hope and a future..." I am so full of hope for Camilla and her future. She is doing GREAT! She is eating and sleeping well and seems to have regained most of her strength and ALL of her silliness :) We have not seen any seizures and we are very thankful for the last 16 seizure-free days (the record for her was when she was on the Ketogenic diet and went 3 months seizure-free...she was 1yo). Her incision seems to be healing well and so far we don't seem to be having the 'scabbing' issues that we had with her last surgery. We go for her first checkup with Dr. Blount tomorrow and will see what he has to say about how it is healing. We are still having to clean the wound twice daily. As for her progress in other areas: she seems to be processing language faster; she seems to be saying some new sounds-especially vowell sounds; she has picked up 3 new signs and will do them when prompted - thank you, please and more; she is showing some progress in potty training - PRAISE GOD for every accomplishment large or small :) Overall, like I said before, Camilla is doing GREAT. She has only had one day of not feeling very well since we have been home from the hospital and after some Tylenol she perked up quite a bit. I remain AMAZED at how well she has done through this whole process-she is such a trooper! We visited her school yesterday and she was thrilled to see her friends and teachers again - we will find out tomorrow when she can return to school. I want to thank EVERYONE for the outpouring of love and support, we are overwhelmed with the kindness that has been shown to our family. Specific prayer requests include: healthy healing for her incision and strength and patience for all during cleanings; no seizures; tantrums to disappear; delevopment; and for our entire family as we live and share Camilla's story for the glory of God. "For I know the plans I have for you" declares the Lord, "plans to prosper you and not to harm you. Plans to give you HOPE and a future." Jeremiah 29:11

...from whom all blessings flow...

PRAISE GOD! Camilla is doing GREAT! PRAISE GOD! Who would have ever guessed that this time last week my 'baby angel' was lying in Children's hospital with a blood clot on her brain, not able to do much more than sleep and her doctors were using words like 'urgent', 'serious', and 'in trouble' to describe her situation. Not to mention too, that she was facing a major surgery the following day. Imagine that it hasn't even been a week since removing part of her brain and today, here we are, at home and she has been riding the golf cart, riding in her wagon, coloring with sidewalk chalk and even went to a resturant to eat Mexican food (one of her favs)yesterday. I will try to video her tomorrow and post some of the different things she is keeping herself busy with these days but it is absolutely AMAZING! God continues to have his hand on Camilla and so far we have seen no seizures, an amazing calm and lots of smiles. She is loving wearing hats but feels of her head often and then looks at me to say 'WHERE IS MY HAIR?' Camilla's appetite has returned fully (another praise) and she is no longer on ANY pain meds (even Tylenol or Motrin) just her regular assortment of anti seizure meds (which FYI she would have to be seizure free for at least one year before they would consider weaning some of those). Right now the only real daily challenge (besides healing and resting in general)is that we have to clean her incision twice a day with soap and water and considering the problems we had with scabbing-over (prevents new skin growth and increases chances for infection) with the Corpus Callosotomy incision we are having to be very thorough and diligent with our cleanings. Last time they almost took her back to the OR to remove scabs after about five weeks and we certainly DO NOT want to find ourselves anywhere near that situation again. So please pray for her comfort and patience during these cleanings and our strong stomaches and arms that have to hold her down and scrub :( Let me say again and again, thank you ALL for all of the prayers that have carried us through this time, they have been felt in a very real way. Thank you too for all of the gifts, cards, donations, food, messages, bracelets, t-shirts, texts, videos, songs, verses, etc... that have found us during these last few weeks. Even though we have not been able to respond to each gesture immediately, please know that each and every one seems to reach us at just the right moment to provide a smile or encouragement - whatever the case may be. What wonderful people we have been blessed to share our lives with - that would reach out to us during this difficult time in our lives - some we have known forever and some we are just meeting through this process. THANK YOU ALL for the blessings of your kindness. We continue to hold on to our hope and know that HIS perfect WILL will be done - whatever is to come 'it is well'. "For I know the plans I have for you" declares the Lord, "plans to prosper you and not to harm you. Plans to give you hope and a future." Jeremiah 29:11