Our Journey thru JDM and Life!: FaceTime and Skype in 2012

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)-

Tuesday, January 3, 2012

FaceTime and Skype in 2012

So technology in communicating with Friends and Family is taking on some new dimension for our Family :)

The boys have been extremely busy e-mailing with Family and Friends and it has been a most wonderful teaching tool.

THANK YOU to all of you who have been so wonderful about helping the boys do this and it has been an amazing teaching tool. We entered this event at the end of school each day when the boys get to see if they have e-mail and then have to read and answer them. Great reading and typing skills are now added to our classroom. Also working on online etiquette is a great education as well.

Now for a couple days the boys have also taken off to talking on FaceTime and on Skype with dear Friends from Chicago. Right now they have been chatting for almost an hour.

Thank You to G and E, and their Mom for having the patience to do this with Connor and Alexander. This is another great teaching tool to learn how to communicate online.

The biggest Challenge I believe for little ones to learn online communications is by proving the safest haven possible and all of you that are taking the time for Connor & Alexander are being such Angels about this.

Thank You!

The one part I have to work on with the boys is the fact when I tell them time is up and they have to finish a conversation the response should NOT be for them to tell the person they are talking to: 'By I have to go' and hang up - no warning at all to a quick ending of the conversation to the other person. Funny, but I guess it means they take what I say very serious. Next time I have to tell them they get a minute to finish their talks ;)

Hugs,

R A C A