Friday, May 19, 2006

what's next?

It has been that long since the last entry I'm not too sure where to start. We are not sure what is around the corner for Ethan.

Ears - Ethan had his hearing tested again. It has improved somewhat but is still not optimal. He has normal hearing in his right ear but moderate loss in his left. The ENT people have referred us to 'Australian hearing'. He may require a hearing aid for his left ear.

Heart - A cardiac catheter was done a few weeks ago. The cardiologist will present Ethan's case to the surgeons and get back to us. He appears to be bluer than usual but that may be his colour until the end of winter!

Lungs - His asthma has been all over the shop. It now appears to be triggered by activity as well as cold air and ill health. Sometimes the puffer is needed every couple of hours and he doesn't go anywhere without it.

It is now hard to know what is asthma and lung and what is cardiac. He is trying to do more but is very limited due to these factors.

Kidneys - He has his oncology appointment including ultrasound and xrays in a few weeks. He also has his radiation oncologist appointment coming up.

Development - He is still enjoying kinder and early education. We are in the process of deciding what school/kinder/activities to enroll him in next year. Basically it all depends on his IQ. So we are in the process of signing consents and collating a history for the IQ testing.

Social - His kinder friends can now understand him and his actions. He has been very busy at kinder playing! He also went on junior camp with Challenge. This involved two busy days of fun and more fun. Challenge are amazing at what they can get done with the kids in two days.

Family - We have been on a family holiday to the gold coast. Ethan loves telling people about the planes and trains. We went to movieworld, seaworld, Australia zoo, and tropical fruit world. We all enjoyed the rides. Ethan loved the train rides and monorail. It was great to get away. A huge thank you to Challenge for making this happen!

Photos soon