Some news about Philip

I never posted it but some of you know that Philip has some health issues. We discovered he has a brain tumor. It is not what they call a "bad tumor". They did additional tests on Philip. They discovered the tumor is not doing anything. Right now they will just watch it. If it grows in the next 5 or 6 months they will remove it. They did find out Philip has a very low level of a stress hormone called Cortisol. I read the following about this problem...

problems for the low reactors. They have more trouble paying attention and their low cortisol levels seem to be associated with a failure of behavioral inhibitions. Many attention-deficit-hyperactivity-disorder children (ADHD) have unusually low cortisol levels.15,16

and I also read this...

Consistently low salivary levels of the stress hormone cortisol in boys aged 7 to 12 are associated with early onset and persistence of extremely aggressive behavior report researchers from the University of Chicago in the Archives of General Psychiatry.

So maybe we have found some key to helping our son. I am sorry I didn't post anything earlier about Philips tumor. I just did not want to shock or worry anyone until we had more to say. We basically found the tumor the same week Juergen lost his mother to brain tumors. We tried not to get too worried, but we are parents. We will need to continue the tests, but I'm hopeful that we may find help for our son. Thank you for your prayers.

Oh, I also just read...
The drug Ritalin may reduce the symptoms of many ADHD children by elevating cortisol levels. Ritalin is not the best treatment, but it could help.

Comments

caring for the garden said…

So are you/they proposing that Philip take the same drug (ritylin) as Thomas? I know Philip actually wanted to take it and thought these tests were for ATD. Maybe he (Philip) had the right answer - at least a stop gap answer - all along.

7:58 PM

Amy said…

I am so glad you finally got some answers! I hope that they will be able to help his ADHD. I know that would help your stress level!! Prayers for him still that his tumor doesn't grow and he stays healthy!!

11:00 PM

chicken coop idea

Why not start with an IBC and cut a hole for the door? You could build closed laying boxes into it, and something for the chickens to roost on. Put some straw or saw dust on the floor. You could add vents to the side for air. If it sat inside a chicken run that you can walk into, the chickens could be safe, dry and happy. I have an extra IBC. Maybe this could be my chicken house? I bet I could even plant the outside of it with mud and grass for extra insulation and good looks.

Reading Kingdom

I am very happy to review the Reading Kingdom. This is an online program that uses a variety of methods to teach reading. I decided to share this product with my adopted granddaughter Ruth. Reading kingdom uses a six skills integrative method Ruth only just began to use the program. She is only 3 years old and cannot use the program without help. But her mom says that she can already recognize words like girl and kids when they are shown on the screen. Sylvia wrote that she loves the repetition of the words in the program . That Ruth is memorizing the words she sees. She will be able to use it for an entire year. But I expect her to become a very good reader. And what a great gift to give to any child! She will have a lifetime love for books. Sylvia also works with teenage mothers in Uganda. And many of these women have never attended school. So she plans to use these ideas to h...

Happy Birthday to Jessica

Today Nicole and I took Jessica shopping. She turns 22 years old tomorrow. She has grown over the past year. She now likes her disabled workshop. And she has begun to learn to write again on the computer. It is a slow process, but maybe she can write independently in the next 5 years. Her teacher is wonderful. We are very blessed to have her help! If I stopped and thought about what Jessica might be doing if she was healthy, it could break my heart. Birthdays should be happy, but when your child is disabled it's always bitter sweet. Bitter because of the milestones that were never met, and sweet because of the person that is still very valuable and wonderful. But I'm sure everyone feels bitter sweet about something in your life. Life is never only sweet. For me it is much better to fix my eyes on what is there and let go of what I hoped for...what every parent hopes for. Jess bought a new book, 3 DVD's and a Fanta. I also took her to McDonalds because that is ...

The Heymann Family Journal

Search This Blog