update #1 for today

Here is the situation. They have a wonderful staff of multidisciplinary doctors working on the best way to have a successful surgery and not result in life-threatening loss of blood or injury to nerves. The mass is more extensive than really anyone expected and not something that has really ever been seen before. There is not a lot of precedence so they are all working together to help Carson. As a result, Dr. Yang, the main surgeon is ready to perform surgery. However, several of the cardiologists feel it would be very beneficial to get an angiogram and consider clotting off certain arteries about 1 day before surgery to prevent major blood loss. As a result, they need special catheters to do this procedure and can only do it one day before surgery. It is not optimal to do any of the surgeries on the weekend, so we are left with waiting for Monday for the study an the surgery on Tuesday. Carson has held his own today but continues to struggle a great deal with swelling which results in increased fluid in his lungs, more work for his heart, and skin breakdown. Dr. Yang, Dr. Naguchi (the neonatologist), ENT doctors, plastic surgeons, cardiologists, and other surgeons consulted feel it is best to wait since he has stabilized. They are all keeping a very close eye on how he is doing and Dr. Yang says he is ready to go at any time if he makes a turn for the worse. Each surgeon has come by and talked to us and I am very impressed with their compassion, caring attitudes, and willingness to pitch in. I feel much more confident after talking to them than before when we were not sure why we were waiting.

Kellen is doing AMAZING!!! He is getting 10 ml of formula/breast milk (what Liz has been able to pump) every 3 hours and doing quite well. He is off oxygen and just has a little pressure through a nasal cannula to help him remember to breathe. Actually, they feel by morning he will not have any respiratory support he is doing so well. He also is off antibiotics and no signs of any infections. He opened his eyes and smiled and Mom and Dad today. We also got to put Kellen in Carson's bed with him for about 1 hour today and it was beautiful. I was completely impressed that they both had better oxygen saturations than they had all day when they were together. It was their first sleepover : )

Elizabeth is truly one of the strongest and bravest women I know and I couldn't be anymore proud. She has a huge incision but hasn't complained once and none of the surgeons can believe she is up walking let alone visiting her boys. She amazes me.

PRAYER REQUESTS:
1. Guidance for the surgeons to know when they need to do the surgery, God's skill and wisdom directing them in their procedures and ability to work as a group
2. Peace for Liz and Preston and continued healing
3. LOTS OF PEE from Carson
4. No infections and stable lung/heart function in Carson
5. Ability to make it to Tuesday for Carson
6. For the mass to not die anymore creating toxins circulating in Carson's blood
7. No serious nerve/muscle/brain injury from the surgery
8. MIRACLES

Posted by Sarah