Health is Wealth

Here I go, apologizing again. I've had a few distractions from posting; namely, my 10 month old and his killer laugh. :-D There have been many days when I just couldn't peel myself away long enough to make a blog post. I know you'll all forgive me, especially those for whom an entire blog post about a breast pump is just incomprehensible.

Anyway, I am just dedicating this post to gratitude for Sam's fantastic health. I mean, he has gotten a few ear and sinus infections...but he goes to day care. Those toys are like little Petri dishes, and all the kids lick them. How could he avoid illness altogether? I didn't go to day care and had more ear infections by 10 months than he has had. (Looks like the breast pump has earned a whole blog post!)

Down syndrome can be accompanied by a higher risk of all kinds of health problems: cardiac abnormalities at birth, hearing and visual impairments, duodenal atresia, Hirschsprung disease, infantile spasms, and leukemia (just to name a few). Sam did have some heart problems at birth that are now resolved without surgery. But to have our biggest problem right now be spitting up and a perpetually runny nose? We are so blessed!

The odds, however, are stacked against Sam's being healthy forever. The likelihood of his ending up with *some* medical disorder are overwhelming. Autism occurs in 10-15% of children with DS. Infantile spasm/seizure rates are about the same. Half of people with DS have a cardiac abnormality. Early onset dementia is almost a given. How long can we stave off illness, and when it comes, which will it be? The chances that Sam will not be affected by any major health issue, seem extremely slim.

All I can do for today is thank God for what he's already blessed us with, continue to pray for Sam's good health (and my own), and be vigilant for any possible issues. But the waiting is just so hard.