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Hello my name is Cambria Mahan and I am a mommy to the greatest little baby boy there is. I am also a wife, go to school (college) full time, and work in the hospital full time. On February 6, 2015 my son Gabriel was born and was and is still the greatest blessing there is.
When I was pregnant I had some complications such as gestational diabetes and had low amniotic fluid that made me have to go and get checked on 2-3 times a week including being on a diet to make sure that my sugars were good so that Gabriel would be a healthy baby when he arrived. These appointments led me to have to be monitored to check contractions as well as how many times that Gabriel would move and ultrasounds that measured the amniotic fluids that were around Gabriel. There was a point that the fluids were so low that the doctor almost wanted to admit me to the hospital until Gabriel made his appearance. Finally, due to these complications I had to stop working take my vacation during my maternity leave so that I had the money to pay for my bills and got an induce date of when my little pride and joy would be here.
February 6th came and I was so nervous. Headed to the hospital with my mom (Meme) and my grandma (Nanny) we stopped at McDonalds and got some breakfast and then arrived to start the process of having little Gabriel. I got all the admission stuff done and the doctor gave me my epidural, started the induction medicine, and broke my water. I wasn’t feeling anything except the fact that I was allergic to the epidural and they had to turn in off where I was allowed to push the button if I was in pain. After pushing at a 3, 5, and at the end, Gabriel finally made his appearance in to this world. Those first moments with him were the best moments I have ever experienced. I couldn’t believe that I was a mommy and that god trusted me to be a parent to this human that I grew in my belly for 38 weeks. Everything went great in the hospital and we got to go home 2 days later.
The first month of Gabriel’s life was difficult. Trying to be there whenever he needed me and learning to be a mommy. I think something like this comes naturally but it is scary at first taking care of yourself as well as a baby that doesn’t talk or anything. There was a lot that I had to learn and I am still learning things to this day. When Gabriel was 4 weeks old I had to take him to the hospital because he had an episode that reminded me someone that was choking and it sounded like he was gasping for air. When we, meaning my mom and I, took Gabriel to the hospital he was admitted in to be on an apnea machine to be monitored. There were no episodes there that night so they diagnosed him with acid reflex. As a parent as well as a biology major I didn’t think that it was this but I was going to go along with the doctor to see if what they said was really going to work and if this is the right diagnosis. As time went on he got better but then there was something else that the doctor as well as my family noticed. Gabriel’s head size was bigger than his body. The percentile and size of his head was changing so I wanted some type of testing done. The doctor told me that he thought that Gabriel was doing fine and he doesn’t think that he needed any testing but just because I wanted it he would schedule an MRI. In December we had the MRI and the results showed that Gabriel had a mild case of Chiari malformation and some fluid on the brain which they called aqua duct syndrome. They told me not to worry about it that they were going to send me to a neuro surgeon and that they would be able to check things out and watch these things that they found in the MRI. In January we went to see the surgeon and I didn’t like him at all. He had terrible manners that were not professional at all and made me feel very uncomfortable like he didn’t care about what was going on. After thinking about it, talking with family and friends, and researching some of these diseases I decided that I wanted a second opinion on the findings on Gabriel. I called Gabriel’s doctor and told him that I wanted a second opinion and that second opinion place was going to be the children’s hospital in st Louis Missouri.
Finally march 9-11 2016 me and my mom took Gabriel to see a neurologist in st Louis at the children’s hospital. They wanted to know all the information about Gabriel since he was born and everything that I have noticed such as him banging his head on the floor, hitting himself, crying wanting back massages, never wanting to be alone, covering his eyes, etc. Since I was already there I asked them if there was anything that they could do so we could get started on Gabriel’s condition and they said yes they wanted me to meet with a neuro surgeon the next morning. I was scared and still am about everything that is going on with my baby. This is scary for any mother to have to go through with their baby. The next morning, we went to the surgeon and he said that we needed to worry about this that Gabriel has binomial hydrocephalus which is fluid that is making up for space on the outside of his brain because genetically his skull is larger than is brain. They explained to me that this could go away at the age of 2 if his brain grew but they aren’t for sure. They also told me that Gabriel has another case of hydrocephalus that is fluid that is in the center of his brain. This is something that is more serious because this can be due to pressure and making Gabriel due things that he is doing like banging his head. If this was to keep building up fluid than Gabriel would have to have a shunt and that is a tube that goes in his head and drains to his stomach. One last thing is that he has a little bubble on the back of his head which again they told me not to worry about and it happens to be something with the veins and arteries and if it was to bleed he would have to have surgery. All of these things that Springfield doctors told me not to worry about is actually something to worry about with my baby. In 6-8 weeks we have to go back to have a MRI on his head to check the fluid to see what the next step is and a Cat scan to see what is going on with that bubble that is on the back of his head.
This trip was the first trip that we have taken and it was very costly and I need some help. This money would be going for a car to rent to make sure that we made it there safely, gas, food, hotel rooms, and any other expenses that we have to have or run into on the way. I would greatly appreciate it if I could get some help since we are going to have to go on a regular bases. I just want my baby to have the best care and doctors that are provided here in Missouri. This means so much to me. I try my best to do everything that I can but it is hard when I am a mom, wife, full time worker, and full time student which doesn’t count everything else I have to do on a day to day bases. I ask for this amount since it is going to be an ongoing thing but anything would help!!!
Thank you and God bless!!
Cambria Mahan
When I was pregnant I had some complications such as gestational diabetes and had low amniotic fluid that made me have to go and get checked on 2-3 times a week including being on a diet to make sure that my sugars were good so that Gabriel would be a healthy baby when he arrived. These appointments led me to have to be monitored to check contractions as well as how many times that Gabriel would move and ultrasounds that measured the amniotic fluids that were around Gabriel. There was a point that the fluids were so low that the doctor almost wanted to admit me to the hospital until Gabriel made his appearance. Finally, due to these complications I had to stop working take my vacation during my maternity leave so that I had the money to pay for my bills and got an induce date of when my little pride and joy would be here.
February 6th came and I was so nervous. Headed to the hospital with my mom (Meme) and my grandma (Nanny) we stopped at McDonalds and got some breakfast and then arrived to start the process of having little Gabriel. I got all the admission stuff done and the doctor gave me my epidural, started the induction medicine, and broke my water. I wasn’t feeling anything except the fact that I was allergic to the epidural and they had to turn in off where I was allowed to push the button if I was in pain. After pushing at a 3, 5, and at the end, Gabriel finally made his appearance in to this world. Those first moments with him were the best moments I have ever experienced. I couldn’t believe that I was a mommy and that god trusted me to be a parent to this human that I grew in my belly for 38 weeks. Everything went great in the hospital and we got to go home 2 days later.
The first month of Gabriel’s life was difficult. Trying to be there whenever he needed me and learning to be a mommy. I think something like this comes naturally but it is scary at first taking care of yourself as well as a baby that doesn’t talk or anything. There was a lot that I had to learn and I am still learning things to this day. When Gabriel was 4 weeks old I had to take him to the hospital because he had an episode that reminded me someone that was choking and it sounded like he was gasping for air. When we, meaning my mom and I, took Gabriel to the hospital he was admitted in to be on an apnea machine to be monitored. There were no episodes there that night so they diagnosed him with acid reflex. As a parent as well as a biology major I didn’t think that it was this but I was going to go along with the doctor to see if what they said was really going to work and if this is the right diagnosis. As time went on he got better but then there was something else that the doctor as well as my family noticed. Gabriel’s head size was bigger than his body. The percentile and size of his head was changing so I wanted some type of testing done. The doctor told me that he thought that Gabriel was doing fine and he doesn’t think that he needed any testing but just because I wanted it he would schedule an MRI. In December we had the MRI and the results showed that Gabriel had a mild case of Chiari malformation and some fluid on the brain which they called aqua duct syndrome. They told me not to worry about it that they were going to send me to a neuro surgeon and that they would be able to check things out and watch these things that they found in the MRI. In January we went to see the surgeon and I didn’t like him at all. He had terrible manners that were not professional at all and made me feel very uncomfortable like he didn’t care about what was going on. After thinking about it, talking with family and friends, and researching some of these diseases I decided that I wanted a second opinion on the findings on Gabriel. I called Gabriel’s doctor and told him that I wanted a second opinion and that second opinion place was going to be the children’s hospital in st Louis Missouri.
Finally march 9-11 2016 me and my mom took Gabriel to see a neurologist in st Louis at the children’s hospital. They wanted to know all the information about Gabriel since he was born and everything that I have noticed such as him banging his head on the floor, hitting himself, crying wanting back massages, never wanting to be alone, covering his eyes, etc. Since I was already there I asked them if there was anything that they could do so we could get started on Gabriel’s condition and they said yes they wanted me to meet with a neuro surgeon the next morning. I was scared and still am about everything that is going on with my baby. This is scary for any mother to have to go through with their baby. The next morning, we went to the surgeon and he said that we needed to worry about this that Gabriel has binomial hydrocephalus which is fluid that is making up for space on the outside of his brain because genetically his skull is larger than is brain. They explained to me that this could go away at the age of 2 if his brain grew but they aren’t for sure. They also told me that Gabriel has another case of hydrocephalus that is fluid that is in the center of his brain. This is something that is more serious because this can be due to pressure and making Gabriel due things that he is doing like banging his head. If this was to keep building up fluid than Gabriel would have to have a shunt and that is a tube that goes in his head and drains to his stomach. One last thing is that he has a little bubble on the back of his head which again they told me not to worry about and it happens to be something with the veins and arteries and if it was to bleed he would have to have surgery. All of these things that Springfield doctors told me not to worry about is actually something to worry about with my baby. In 6-8 weeks we have to go back to have a MRI on his head to check the fluid to see what the next step is and a Cat scan to see what is going on with that bubble that is on the back of his head.
This trip was the first trip that we have taken and it was very costly and I need some help. This money would be going for a car to rent to make sure that we made it there safely, gas, food, hotel rooms, and any other expenses that we have to have or run into on the way. I would greatly appreciate it if I could get some help since we are going to have to go on a regular bases. I just want my baby to have the best care and doctors that are provided here in Missouri. This means so much to me. I try my best to do everything that I can but it is hard when I am a mom, wife, full time worker, and full time student which doesn’t count everything else I have to do on a day to day bases. I ask for this amount since it is going to be an ongoing thing but anything would help!!!
Thank you and God bless!!
Cambria Mahan