Meet my younger nephew, Danny.
He is three and a half years old. He is an amazingly cute and funny kid.
Update: Little had changed when I went to sleep last night, but I'll talk with people this morning & hopefully update with news, in the next couple of hours.
THANK YOU to everyone who has posted a good wish to Danny or our family, or didn't post and sent that wish. I responded to most posts last night (tried to do them all, but sometimes I miss). This morning, I'm running behind schedule, so I'll have some catching up to do on responding to posts. But thank you.
This is Danny with his big brother, Eddie, who is nearly 9.
One of the funniest things to watch is Danny running after Eddie in his little stilted Frankenstein run, yelling, "Edddddddddddddiieeeeeeee!"
The reason why I'm writing today is because Danny is in the hospital, and we're all slightly freaked out. No.
We're all pretty darned freaked out.
He's been ill for the last three days, and off and on for longer than that. But today, he didn't want to stand. And his tummy hurt. Damn tummy pain.
He's at Loyola Hospital, and he's been seen by countless doctors, and a neurologist - or he's waiting for the neurologist. I forget which. His legs are very weak. But he has feeling, which he told the doctor who pinched his big toe. Apparently, he's got some swelling around his spinal cord.
That's what we know. Next to nothing. Except that he's staying at the hospital with his mommy (my sister) tonight, and seeing more doctors and having more tests in the morning.
It's good he has his mommy with him, because - as he told her last time we were all together, "You make me giggle, mommy."
I'd appreciate it if you kept Danny in your thoughts tonight - and if you're inclined to pray, in your prayers as well.
You'll make him giggle, too.
UPDATE TWO - WEDNESDAY NIGHT: I visited Danny today. He was kind of grumpy - I'd be, too, if I'd not been allowed to eat at all yesterday or today... The doctors were still deciding whether to do a spinal tap.
They decided that in the afternoon, and it is completed. They are looking for all the usual suspects, I guess - I imagine Lyme Disease & others - they really didn't say.
He is diagnosed with Acute Transverse Myelitis, and being treated with steroid IV. He hides from the mean people in white coats who poke and prod and ask dumb questions and high five him. (He woke from his nap, calling out, "No fives! No fives!")
He was extremely happy after the spinal tap... because he got Goldfish and Macaroni and Cheese (tasteeeeee), and oreos (which fly like frisbees), with juice.
Very happy.
He wants to go home, though.
I will create a new diary after spinal tap results are known.