in the news(!) and prayer requests for upcoming weeks

Kellen and Carson are EXCITED, because tomorrow they get to see each other for the first time since December!  Kellen is getting to go to the hospital for a media interview with Dr. Yang, Preston, Liz, and the boys. It is for a local news group in St. Louis.  Dr. Yang's interview is at 9:30 and then they will interview Preston and Liz. We will let everyone know if we can get a copy of the interview.

Carson is tolerating his Passy Muir valve very well and is making a lot more noise than he did in the beginning. He is up to 30 minutes three times a day with the valve. His neck is healing very well where it was irritated and they no longer have to do special dressing changes. They are not using the attachment to his trach anymore, because Carson did not seem to do as well as with the trach collar then, so we are back to the trach collar alone. 

He had blood work drawn today for the tumor marker labs. We do not have the results yet. All in all, still planning on Carson being discharged from the hospital 2-28-12.

Kellen is 23 inches and 11 lbs and 11 oz. Carson is 11 lbs. 4 oz. and I am not sure how long he is but is a little behind on length. 

Prayer requests:

1 in 5 babies who go home with a trach have a morbid event where CPR is required. Oftentimes, it is a result of the trach getting plugged off by mucus. If that happens, the baby cannot breathe and goes into respiratory and cardiac arrest if it is not corrected. We ask for all of your prayers for Carson to be protected from this and a variety of other possibilities that could result in serious adverse effects. Preston and Liz are the most prepared individuals I have ever seen, but of course, we hope it never comes to having to do CPR or emergently changing the trach. We pray for God's protection over Carson until he is fully healed and without his trach.

Preston and Liz have so many details to coordinate for Carson's care and I just ask for continued prayers for their strength and health in the coming weeks and months. We can all join in praying for peace and wisdom for them in the many details in the future.

We ask for prayer for competent and compassionate individuals in the home health agency that will be watching Carson, particularly at night, and that Liz and Preston will be able to trust them to care for Carson.

Thank you so much for joining us in prayer!!!

"Fight Tiger...Fight for old Mizzou...
Right behind you...everyone is with you."
Indeed we are little one!
(Carson, humming the first lines of the Mizzou fight song)

Kellen:  "Seriously?  I get to see Bro Bro?
That. Is. Awesome."