The Mitchells: August...

Friday, August 14, 2009

August...

It's almost halfway through August and I haven't been updating you...whomever you are. I always wonder how many people acutally read this blog and if I should keep it up. Sometimes I think it's easier to just keep up on my Facebook account. Thoughts? Opinions? Who all is out there in the Mitchell blogger world? Okay, enough about you...back to us, and what all we've been up to.

3 comments:

Anonymous said...: Andrea, I don't Facebook so how the heck am I gonna know what's going on with the Mitchells without your blog?? Selfishly, I will miss it if you stop blogging. I check on your family every couple of days and love reading your posts and checking out your pictures. If it's not demanding too much of what little free time you have...and trust me, with two little ones, I know that free time for you is precious....please hang in there. I love your posts! Kathy Greer; 10:58 PM
The Gebhardts said...: I am just now reading this but no, don't stop the blog! I love FB too but there is something about having all of your family memories and pictures in one place. It's like an online scrapbook. I started my blog when I was pregnant with James because I was inspired by your blog and how you updated everyone through it when you were expecting Ella!

Tiffany =); 4:24 PM
Maggie said...: I know what you mean. I question who reads mine anymore as well but i DO read yours still!!! Don't stop!; 9:22 AM

Post a Comment

Ella's Story

Elizabeth "Ella" Hope Mitchell was born on May 10, 2006 at 3:45pm...by 5am the following morning the whole world turned upside down. The doctors came in to inform us that while Ella had been resting in the Newborn Nursery, she began to have irregular breathing and seizures. It was touch and go for the next 3 days. We were told several times that she probably would not make it alive through the ordeal. She had contracted Group Beta Strep which had resulted in meningitis. Due to the seizures and the infection we had no idea what the long-term effects would be. After Ella spent a long and trying month in the NICU we came home to see where the effects of her illness had left us all.

A few months later, almost a year, we had an official long-term diagnosis...Ella has Cerebral Palsy. She is a happy and loving child. She struggles with physical delays, cognitive delays and all sorts of things that have come and go.

2-eye surgeries to correct lazy eye
3-EEG's to check for siezures
5-MRI/MRV/MRA to check actual brain damage
3-CT scans for brain stuff
1-G-button/feeding tube surgically put in (and then Ella removed herself)
10 (approx)-Swallow Studies
1-Scoliosis Study
2-Kidney Reflux tests
2-Upper GI tests
1-24 hr reflux test
8-hearing tests
countless UTI tests
seemingly a million developmental tests
a hand splint
bath chair
adaptive stroller/wheelchair
stander
gait trainer
AFO's

ha, not to mention all of the therapist...currently: OT 2X/week, PT 3X/week (2 land, 1 horse), ST 3X/week (2 oral motor, 1 speech), develomental 1X/week, vision 2x/month, and we are about to start ACCDAT camp.

As of 4/8/2009.