An Update on Damon

I told you several months ago that Damon was diagnosed with Attention Deficiency Disorder.  After spending several hundred hours online researching ADD and reading 20-30 books, I now consider myself an expert on the disorder.  ;)

Even with all the educators and doctors shoving medication down our throats, we decided not to medicate Damon since John and I weren't 100% that Damon had ADD.  And if he does have ADD, we don't feel it is so severe that he needs to be on an extremely dangerous drug.  He has had countless doctor appointments, several meetings with the school, we even tried a few holistic approaches, nothing that told us that he has ADD for sure.  So for the last several months I have been praying for answers and like a bolt of lighting, it hit me!  He needs to go back to the specialist that diagnosed him with a staph infection in his ear last year.  Remember that horrible ear infection that would not go away and all the painful shots he had to get?  Well one doctor found that it wasn't his eardrum that was infected it was the ear canal.  As soon as we figured that out, the infection cleared up pretty quickly and hasn't been back.

So while Damon was off-track for four weeks last month, we decided to take him back to that same doctor for a check-up.  He found that Damon still has large tonsils and adenoids (even when not ill) and probably isn't getting enough oxygen.  He recommended several tests to be done.  So we took him to get a physical with his Pediatrician.  He had to go to Primary Children's Hospital for an Echo Cardiogram to have his heart checked.  He stayed overnight in a Hospital for a Sleep Study.  And through it all, he has been so brave!  He said that "the doctors have been running experiments on him."

Now that the tests are all done, we know the following things:

• His heart is healthy.
• He has Obstructive Sleep Apnea.
• Mild Hypoxemia.
• And possibly Restless Leg Syndrome.

The Sleep Study indicated that he only sleeps about 441 minutes, waking-up 51 times during that period and staying awake for 162 of those minutes.  Meaning he is only getting about 279 minutes of sleep on average.  No wonder he has trouble focusing and seems sluggish during the day!  No wonder he gets migraines!  No wonder he complains of his legs aching!  No wonder he gets a little moody!  This has all just hit me like a ton of bricks!  I am so glad we didn't just medicate him and not find the root of the problem!

He is now scheduled for surgery on May 31st and the reason I am blogging this, is because we are asking for prayers.  We will take all the prayers we can, even if you are a stranger that has just stumble across this blog.  This tough little guy has been the bravest kid I know.  When I told him he needed surgery he said "will I have to miss school?"  and when I told him "yes" he said "OKAY!  I'll do it!"

So PLEASE pray for him.  I know that this surgery has to be done, but it is still really scary!  We are just hoping that there aren't any complications and that he recovers quickly.