Big Time
"Well, we aren't bored."
Lately this has become the little catch phrase Jonny and I throw back and forth to each other in moments where...
.... we are at a lakehouse with both kids and 25 college students for the weekend Madison decides that is the perfect time to start potty trianing.
.... we play doctor and take off the second round of (horrifyingly stinky) casts to reveal all 20 digits!!
... I'm juggling two little kids in and out of the car for doctor and therapy appointments with "friendly" strangers telling me to put shoes on my son's feet. (right. ok. 'cause it's just that easy... Just so you know, I can't wait to have that experience. For now, socks-will-do-just-fine-thank-you-very-much.)
... we get a phone call and all the sudden we have a December 1st surgery scheduled for Nathan back in Dallas.
... we spend hours on the phone trying to line up a round of shots to increase Nathan's blood volume before December 1st because of the amount of blood he will lose during that surgery.
So yes, the casts came off last Sunday and as of today we are done with the bandages! Here's a pic from breakfast this morning...
As you can guess - Nathan was exatatic to have his casts off! He was a crazy man wiggling his hands and bending his legs! He's so motivated to grab things and he's also trying really hard to crawl! I can't tell you how much joy it brings to watch him moving and developing.
December 1st will be the biggest surgery yet. In this surgery, they will be cutting away part of his skull and reshaping it so that his brain will have room to continue to grow and develop safely. As you can guess, the risk factor is more significant than with the surgery on the hands and feet. Nathan will be in ICU for at least 2 days after surgery so that he can be monitored closely as the swelling moves from around his brain down through his airways.
There are actually a lot of things to prayed over specifically - along with our hearts - as we prepare for this surgery just 2 weeks from today.
1) For all the insurance contracts to get into place before surgery. There will be a neurosurgeon working alongside Dr. Fearon for this procedure who needs to be added to our insurance. It should work just fine - we just need to to work quickly....
2) For traveling details and safety.
3) For the surgery itself and the recovery to be "uneventful" and for Nathan to come out of all of it well.
4) Seriously, for Jonny and I. We are hopeful that after this surgery there could be a surgery break - maybe even for a few years! But sometimes this in and out of surgery mode and all that it entails is just a little lame. And this surgery is a big one. "They say" more dangerous than the surgery is the recovery (again, swollen airways.) After every hospitalization and round of anesthesia, Nathan takes a solid two weeks or more to get back on track. It totally screws up his digestive system which means lots of puking in the day and night as well as just a cranky and hungry kid. It also takes us back several steps with his oral eating (as opposed to the feeding tube.) Also, this surgery will change the shape of Nathan's head, maybe face some. I'm not exactly sure what to predict on this one but... All I know is I love today's face.
Thanks again for keeping up with and caring for us!
Lately this has become the little catch phrase Jonny and I throw back and forth to each other in moments where...
.... we are at a lakehouse with both kids and 25 college students for the weekend Madison decides that is the perfect time to start potty trianing.
.... we play doctor and take off the second round of (horrifyingly stinky) casts to reveal all 20 digits!!
... I'm juggling two little kids in and out of the car for doctor and therapy appointments with "friendly" strangers telling me to put shoes on my son's feet. (right. ok. 'cause it's just that easy... Just so you know, I can't wait to have that experience. For now, socks-will-do-just-fine-thank-you-very-much.)
... we get a phone call and all the sudden we have a December 1st surgery scheduled for Nathan back in Dallas.
... we spend hours on the phone trying to line up a round of shots to increase Nathan's blood volume before December 1st because of the amount of blood he will lose during that surgery.
So yes, the casts came off last Sunday and as of today we are done with the bandages! Here's a pic from breakfast this morning...
As you can guess - Nathan was exatatic to have his casts off! He was a crazy man wiggling his hands and bending his legs! He's so motivated to grab things and he's also trying really hard to crawl! I can't tell you how much joy it brings to watch him moving and developing.
December 1st will be the biggest surgery yet. In this surgery, they will be cutting away part of his skull and reshaping it so that his brain will have room to continue to grow and develop safely. As you can guess, the risk factor is more significant than with the surgery on the hands and feet. Nathan will be in ICU for at least 2 days after surgery so that he can be monitored closely as the swelling moves from around his brain down through his airways.
There are actually a lot of things to prayed over specifically - along with our hearts - as we prepare for this surgery just 2 weeks from today.
1) For all the insurance contracts to get into place before surgery. There will be a neurosurgeon working alongside Dr. Fearon for this procedure who needs to be added to our insurance. It should work just fine - we just need to to work quickly....
2) For traveling details and safety.
3) For the surgery itself and the recovery to be "uneventful" and for Nathan to come out of all of it well.
4) Seriously, for Jonny and I. We are hopeful that after this surgery there could be a surgery break - maybe even for a few years! But sometimes this in and out of surgery mode and all that it entails is just a little lame. And this surgery is a big one. "They say" more dangerous than the surgery is the recovery (again, swollen airways.) After every hospitalization and round of anesthesia, Nathan takes a solid two weeks or more to get back on track. It totally screws up his digestive system which means lots of puking in the day and night as well as just a cranky and hungry kid. It also takes us back several steps with his oral eating (as opposed to the feeding tube.) Also, this surgery will change the shape of Nathan's head, maybe face some. I'm not exactly sure what to predict on this one but... All I know is I love today's face.
Thanks again for keeping up with and caring for us!
We will certainly be keeping you Jonny and little Nathan bathed in prayer for a speedy and healthy recovery for. It will be a very Merry Christmas for all of you!
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