Nighty Night

Modern medicine is advancing faster than I can keep up (almost). 

Based on a referral from the ASD center (after Gehrig was diagnosed with PDD-NOS), Gehrig participated in an overnight sleep study. We were told that the sleep medicine department was decked out like the Hilton.  They weren't kidding!   Gehrig was thrilled to play the PS2 while they hooked him all up.  Once he was assured that it was all tape and conductive adhesive, no "pokies", he was very relaxed.

 Though these pictures make him look all pitiful, he was quite comfortable.  We had spent the entire day at the beach (on purpose) and he was all tuckered out.  Even with all these probes stuck to him, he was conked out by 8:20!  We would have stayed asleep the entire night, if they hadn't forgotten to turn off the alarm on the monitor.  At about 1:30 am, when he rolled over and pulled his breathing sensor off his face, the alarm went off like he had stopped breathing.  Of course, he hadn't, it just couldn't sense it.  Once that was hooked back up and secured again - it was back to sleep for me.  He never woke up all the way!

The results were that he has border-line sleep apnea: he experiences many sleep disrupting arousal's during the night.  We are still trying to figure out what this means, how much it affects him and how to remedy it for him.  For starters, the easy fix: we've increased his iron - it's very low and causes his legs to move alot in his sleep.  In addition, he breaths a lot through his mouth.  The doctor recommends some serious orthodontia care for lower and upper widening and possibly surgery to remove his adenoids and tonsils, after visits with an allergist and Ear/Nose/Throat specialist.  G doesn't know all this - he has enough to worry about starting 4th grade soon.  All he knows is he got some new Lego's out of it!

In the meantime, we are just trying to let it all sink in and go the least invasive route.  Of course, we want the best for our kids, but there is only so much health insurance will pay for.  It's like this:

You need a car to get to work (assuming the bus won't get you there).

Of course, everyone would agree, the Bentley would be the best ride for the job.

However, your pocketbook tells another story:

The Ford will get you there just as well!

Suddenly I have the urge to sing Cee Lo Green's "Forget You".  "I'm sorry, I can't afford a Ferrari..."