Update

I will start this by saying I am frustrated and thankful all at the same time. I am thankful that they have found a reason for the cooper poisoning, I am frustrated because I hoped it would tie some of his issues together. It has not done that it has given us another issue.

We still have several more doctors appointments this week so we don’t know everything right now but here is what we do know. He has been diagnosed with Wilsons Disease. Wilson's disease is a rare inherited disorder that affects about one in 30,000 people worldwide. In Wilson's disease, the body is unable to excrete excess copper. Copper is found in most foods and most people get an excess of copper in their daily diet. Normally, the body releases copper into bile, a substance secreted by the liver, which helps in digestion and detoxification of the body.
In Wilson's disease, the copper is not released into the bile, but rather builds up in the liver. This causes progressive damage to the liver. Eventually, the copper is released into the bloodstream and deposits in other organs including the brain, kidneys and eyes (corneas). Without treatment, the disease may cause severe complications, including some that are life-threatening. The symptoms of Wilson's disease are highly variable and usually appear between the ages of 5- 35.

They did a blood test for levels of cerplasmin (copper protein) in the blood and an and an eye exam to look for Kayser-Fleischer rings. With proper diagnosis and treatment, the progress of the disease can be stopped and symptoms may improve. Drug therapy is usually continued for life. We will be using drugs called penicillamine and trientine that work by binding to copper and causing it to be excreted through the urine. They will be watching this process very closely making it necessary to travel more here. If continued damage occurs or this was not caught we would most definitely have to have a liver transplant. The doctor is hopeful they have caught it in time. Once the existing copper is removed from the body, he will be taking zinc to prevent it from reaccumulating along with a conjunction of medication therapy.

Like I said we have a lot more appointments and results to get. Specific prayer requests include Braden’s mental state as he deals with all of this, his physical state as there are still issues they don’t know why they are occurring, insurance company who is being completely unreasonable, that our travels here will be what he needs but not as often as they are currently stating it will be as I am not sure how we will be able to handle the amount of time they want us down here but know that whatever we have to do we will.