Emily's MRI on Sunday came back unchanged...meaning that it looks exactly the same as it did last time which was abnormal. This is good though because, it means nothing has gotten any worse!
What did it look like last time?
Before a person is born, usually during the second trimester of pregnancy, the neurons begin their migration from the water filled cavities where the origniate, to their final spot somewhere in the cortex of the brain. The cortex is the part of the brain that processes...everything. Learning, memory, perception etc. A normal MRI shows that these neurons have migrated completely. An abnormal one, such is the case with Emily's shows that some of the neurons did not make the journey and are just floating around in limbo.
In most cases this causes severe impairments, such as mental retardation, severe behavioral concerns, poor muscle tone, and failure to thrive and grow.
In Emily's case, the only apparent results are the seizures and behavioral concerns.
For a more "official description" click here.
As you can see by these descriptions and as I have said before, the fact that Emily is only affected by seizures (which who knows about those seeing as she had a completely normal EEG)and behavioral concerns is nothing short of a miracle.
Anyway, YAY for good news!
just between you and me, this is what I study. She is one lucky kid!
ReplyDeleteNot to mention cute and smart, too.