The "More Later"

I haven't mentioned anything about this yet (or maybe I have, I can't always remember). . . maybe it was in an attempt to wait until we knew more, maybe it was being afraid of what it would turn out to be, and maybe it was because I thought it might go away. For whatever reason, I'm finally getting around to it.

For the past 4 months, Braeden has been having very bad headaches. It started one time at home when he complained of his head hurting. After a few times of that happening, I started to pay a little more attention. I took him seriously because he would lay on the couch and tell everyone not to scream or yell or make loud noises cause his head hurt really bad. I noticed that he had taken time out from playing in order to go lay down, very unusual. I still just thought he was having a few headaches, no big deal.

Then school started, and it started happening at school. After the 3rd time the school nurse called me with Braeden in her office, and having talked with his teacher about when and where the headaches are happening, I called his doctor and got him an appointment for that afternoon.

I picked him up from school, and when he climbed into the back I said, "Braeden, Mommy is SOOOO sorry that your head keeps hurting!" He burst into tears and said, "It hurts REALLY bad, Mommy."

Back before my brother knew about his own brain tumor, he was having really bad headaches, very often, was set to go in for his MRI and then got sick and was throwing up. They sped up the process for him and come to find out, he had a brain tumor. His type of tumor was a tumor that they nickname "the kid's tumor." It's often found in kids, and they think that my brother may have had it either since birth, or since he was very young.

On the way to the doctor, Braeden was trying to be tough, but would occasionally yell out and cry from the pain of his headache. We were almost there when all of a sudden, he started throwing up in the backseat. Up until that point, I was concerned, but not scared. That sent me over the edge. Maybe an overreaction? I wasn't sure what to think. I'm not one to overreact when it comes to things, I usually take the "tough it out" approach, but this one had me!

The boys' doctor checked him all out. That didn't really settle me, though, because what can you really tell by listening to him breathing, checking his ears and looking in his eyes with the dinky little eye tool that "non" eye doctors have? He looked good, everything looked fine and the consensus was that we were going to monitor his headaches . . . when they happen, how long they last, if Tylenol helps, etc. and re-evaluate at his 5 year check-up, which happens to be tomorrow. Since his last appointment (one month ago), he's had 3 major headaches, all with characteristics of migraines. Sensitivity to light, sound, sudden bursts of extreme pain, etc...

I know how medicine works, or at least I should. You rule out the minor things that could be causing it, and work from there. For some reason when it's your own child, it makes you want them to just do the MRI and rule out the MAJOR things and then work from there.

So, that's our story, up to this point. I guess I could have just written tomorrow, but I had some time this morning and thought I would "fill everyone in."