a brilliant scan

Guess what guys - today I had my MRI scan at Great Ormond Street. Before the scan I also saw the Endocrinologist's assistant at UCL for a chat, which was just to check everything was ok. But the main thing that I want to talk about is my scan. Usually I scream the place down when they do the contrast injection but today this is what happened: half way through the scan I came out of the machine as normal and they took off the tape which holds the cream in place. Then she said they would use the left hand for the injection. I gave her my hand, she wiped it clean and then squeezed it to bring up the vein. I took a moment to compose myself and then let her do the injection. I was thrilled how well it went! Lots of love, Sophie xx

Back to school!

Hi. Sorry I haven't blogged recently since I have just gone back to school. Now I have some time off to tell you how I'm getting on. First, I'm going to tell you about my birthday. It was a bit of a disaster because I woke up in the middle of the night to find balloons everywhere on my bedroom floor. Of course, I was meant to wake up in the morning and have a surprise but.... However, I had a great time going to The Cricketers and, of course, opening my presents. For my party I went to the cinema to watch the Bratz movie with five of my friends. I'm starting L2G this year, and it is turning out much better than last year. But sadly I'm still getting those headaches! Its odd really. We can't work out why I'm still getting them. But I'm having another MRI scan in a week's time which is a bit scary. Guess what? The first week we went back I was "Star of the week"! Love, SOPHIE XXX

summer update

Hello everyone, I'm sorry that I haven't updated my blog recently. I have been so busy having a nice time because it's the holidays! However, I have now some news about my vision and a chat with my consultant. In the past two weeks I have been to Great Ormond Street Hospital three times. First there was an electrograph eye test. What happens is that they put some gel on my head, which feels quite rough, then they attach electrodes all over my head. They test one eye at a time by covering the other with an eye-patch so that I look like a Pirate! While watching a film they interrupt with flashing black and white squares and I have to keep my eyes focused on a red dot in the middle of the screen. The flashing squares get smaller and smaller. The second trip was in order to chat to the Professor who operated on me, for which we were in The Royal London Homeopathic Hospital building (which is next door to GOSH). He was very happy to see me again and I was happy to see him too! He asked me how I was getting on and answered my worries over how my head was feeling. He said I could blame him for every sore thing because he did the operation! The third and most recent trip to GOSH (today!) was for a further eye test and chat with the ophthalmologists. The test was a Visual Field test where I have to lean into a machine called a Goldmann. I have copied some information about this test with a picture. Here it is:

• The Goldmann visual field is manually operated, unlike the Humphrey and Esterman tests which are computerised. The patient fixates on a target at the centre of the screen. Lights are presented to the patient by moving them in from the outside of the screen. The patient presses a button when they first see the light enter their field if vision. The size and brightness of the presented lights are changed in order to map out the sensitivity of the eye to different stimuli. The resulting chart produced from the Goldmann test is similar to a contour map of the sensitivity of the eye.

They said that the results from the two tests showed a slight improvement following my operation! I now do not have another MRI scan until September or maybe October, but I hope to post again soon! Thank you for all your posts. You have all been very kind. Love from Sophie xxx

Hello, sorry I haven't been writing recently. I haven't had much to report but now I do. I am feeling much better. Yesterday we went to the shops and I bought "Howl's moving castle" and an Enid Blyton book. Today I went for a short bicycle ride in the morning and had my face painted in the afternoon, although I should really be resting! Thank you so much for all your kind messages, Sophie xx

Home at last!

I'm finally home. Thanks for all your comments and support. I feel much perkier at home than I did in the hospital, probably because I have been walking on my legs more. My head is still a little swollen and I have to rest for a few days but it is really nice to be back home. Sophie xx

Sophie has had a good day following her op. The neuro-surgeons are fairly happy and she'll have another scan soon. She has asked me to say thank you for all your support, that her head hurts a little, and that she has taken lots of medicine today, mostly orally (a small miracle in itself!). She should be home early next week.

Thanks!

Hi! Thanks for all your comments! At the moment I am really SCARED!!!!!!! I know that doesn't sound good, so to make you laugh I have installed a picture of me pretending to kill my brother. It was Invaders Day at school, and I dressed up as a Viking! Until next time, Sophie xx