Good Morning, 

We are setting out in a few hours to take my son to see a specialist about his sleep apnea. This cub is now 18 years old and has an apnea every 2-3 minutes which renders him half awake all night and half asleep all day. We've tried the CPAP but he doesn't tolerate it. The sleep studies show that he has a central apnea meaning brain based and he never really hits a REM cycle. However, he was born with something called Beckwith-Wiedemann Syndrome. Worth looking up for those who advocate EBF. Because while rare, children with it have anatomy that can interfere with nursing. In my son's case, it took us 4 months to determine that he was starving. Nursing only appeared to be working well and it wasn't until we supplemented that he started to thrive.  

Because of his anatomy, they feel his apnea can be stopped. If he has surgery, they think they can take the pressure off his airway. The hope is that relieving his airway will help him breathe and if he can breathe, they think his brain will get the hint and inch up to the point where he might get to REM sleep.

I ask for your prayers that I am doing the right thing as a mother. As I venture out, I realize that I have a very heavy heart over this.  We think we are so "super" as Mom's when we can juggle EVERYTHING. But you know, sometimes we load up our time and misplace our energy so we can avoid hurt and fear. This young man has been a gift to my family and there is nothing about his personality that I would ever change. This very night he had me laughing till I was welled up with tears. He asks the best questions and takes so much literally such as pulling your leg, not on the top of my head and where ARE your manners? 

Please God, let's get this guy some good quality zzz's... oh and I don't mind if the snoring stays. We're used to it by now :)

Love, 

Mama Goose