Our Journey thru JDM and Life!: Day 15 at Home .. In Memory

Timeline from first symptom to diagnosis

Our son Connor was diagnosed with JDM in January of 2010 and here is a bit of a timeline to show you how this diagnosis was reached...

Towards the end of November 2009, Connor mentioned some pain in his right foot. We found a Plantar Wart and began treating it. We went on vacation in Germany were he mentioned a pain in his knee's, to feeling in his own words, pain 'inside his legs'. By the time we got home on December 9, he needed to be carried almost everywhere. By the end of December he was unable to feed himself, dress himself, sit up or down, lay down and of course walk. Here is a list of tests he went through between December 10 to December 28, 2009

X-ray of his Hips

MRI of his spine

X-ray of his chest

CAT Scan of his brain

CAT Scan of his chest

MRI of his chest

MRI of his hips

Numerous Blood Work

Spinal Tap

and we finished with a Muscle Biopsy

There were many speculations of what might be causing Connor so much pain and one of them was Gullian Barre Syndrom (GBS) due to his first symptoms showing up within a few days of his H1N1 Flu Shot.

The final Diagnosis came on January 11, 2010

-Juvenile Dermatomyositis (JDM)-

Saturday, April 3, 2010

Day 15 at Home .. In Memory

Tonight I will try to keep it short and sweet.

Five years ago we were staying at the Markul Apartments in Khabarovsk, Russia, waiting for the 10 days to be up that we were required to stay after the court hearing. We new we were heading for Moscow on April 8 and then landing in LAX April 10 or 11. We loved spending time in Russia with our brand new additions to our family, Connor and Alexander, but we were anxious to make it home as fast as possible because Ron's Mom and my beautiful Mother In-Law, Connie, was not doing well and we were told she had only a few more days to go.

As it happened our dream of her meeting our boys did not come true as we got a call this day, April 3, 2005 .. five years ago that she has passed away. Here we were at a point in our life's making the happiest memories thousand of miles away while faced with the heartbreak of loosing a woman that was exceptional, loving, caring, funny and smart.

I so hope she is able to see us and the boys from Heaven and how I wish she was here now to give me the wisdom I knew she has. She was a devout Catholic, never doubting and always trusting in the Pope who she loved. So we all thought as a family what a coincidence that he would pass away just one day prior to her ...

We Love and Miss You so much!

Hugs,

R A C A