We are home & Carson is back at it!

Surgery went well and we actually got to come back home last Friday. It was a long few days but was so nice (as always) to be back home. While Carson is still healing and there is some swelling...he is back to acting like his normal, happy, active self! Thank you for the many, many prayers!

So, on the surgery...the doctors felt confident in the surgery and said they were able to do all that they were hoping but time will tell because there was a lot of swelling (to be expected). We will have to wait for the swelling to resolve before the true results are seen. Great news...no stent was needed! So Carson is able to talk and we won't have to make any follow up trips to have the stent removed, etc. Actually, we won't go back for three months (and actually the next date is already set, Cinco de Mayo). The plan...in three months, have another scope and trial capping (plugging his trach) day and night for 48 hours. If that goes well, cap day and night for a couple months and then decannulate in July/August!!! Only scheduling hiccup...the latest that our next baby will be here is May 22nd (17 days after that May 5th appointment). But...we know that God has everything already planned out, so leaving all the details in his capable hands.

Carson did well with the surgery, as he gets older, he seems to get a little more nervous but he handled it all pretty well. There was a fair amount of pain initially when he coughed or moved his head (they had to make an incision on the left side of his neck) but that seemed to improve after a day or two also. Carson is truly our hero....he takes the cards he's dealt in stride and just keeps on going!

One of the verses in Jesus Calling, the day of his surgery, is one of my favorites and is just so true regarding Carson. He does it without knowing it but by just being him.

Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles. And let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us, fixing our eyes on Jesus, the pioneer and perfecter of faith. For the joy set before him he endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.

Hebrew 12:1-2

This was one of his first smiles after surgery : ) Precious, precious boy (with his bunny he got in pre op)!

Thank you again for the many prayers that have been said and will be said for Carson and our family. There are many details in the coming months with [hopefully] the last of Carson's surgeries before his trach can come out, for timing of our next precious boy's birth, with Kindergarten summer school (May-June), and the beginning of Kindergarten in August but I'm so thankful for the many answered prayers already!

February 23rd is here

This is going to be a short post because I am still working on packing but we are heading to Cincinnati tomorrow (Wednesday) for surgery that is scheduled for Thursday...I think I'm still holding my breath that it is all going to go through. Surgery is scheduled to begin at 7:30 am ET & they have the OR blocked for 4 hours for his case.

This is the plan for the surgery (from a prior post):
They will be doing a supraglottalplasty (basically removing tissue by his epiglottis), a vocal cord lateralization (actually its the false cord just above the vocal cord) and they may need to place a stent for a couple weeks to help his airway heal & remain open. The stent is a pain because Carson is not able to talk while it is in place and eating is much more difficult. It will require at least an overnight stay (maybe 2) but should not be anywhere near as invasive as his reconstructive surgeries.

So the little hiccup this time (hopefully not but maybe)...we noticed that the area right around Carson's trach stoma (opening around his trach) was more red, puffy, & tender on one side. What?!? He never has a problem with his stoma & this happens 3 days before surgery. I called & sent pictures this morning and they thought we could just wait until we got there & they would address it. Tonight (Tuesday night) it was even more red/puffy. I'll probably touch base with them again in the morning but either way we will want them to look at it just really praying that it doesn't affect the planned surgery. We want to get it done!

One praise...we were NOT going to have the Ronald McDonald House Wednesday night but I got a call today saying there was a cancellation and we could now check in tomorrow (Wednesday). The boys are pumped!! They were running around tonight cheering, "We are going to Cincinnati tomorrow!" "We get to go to the Ronald McDonald House!" Love them and love RMH!!

Thank you again for the many many prayers & thoughts! Hopefully I will be able to update that we did make it and they did go forward with the planned surgery AND that it was a SUCCESS!

Lots of love to all!

Rescheduled for February 23rd & RSV

Well, we have been the sick household for the past week and a half. Carson had a high fever for 4 days and now we are into occasional fevers, cough, and a nose that won't quit running. It is/was RSV...there were a few nights/days that I was pretty concerned and wondering if we needed to head to the hospital. But thankfully, we were able to battle it from home (with assistance of supplemental oxygen a couple nights). I am SO SO very thankful that Carson didn't catch this nasty virus when he was younger and I am so glad it reared its ugly head prior to surgery because it would have been awful trying to recover from surgery while fighting RSV.

Kellen was fine until this past Thursday when he started in with a cough and fever. Thankfully, his has been more mild. Temperatures are not quite so high so he has been able to carry on in a pretty normal fashion. And as of now, Preston and I have stayed healthy. But ugh, all I see is now how the flu is starting to become more prevalent.

Let me just tell you, if we happen to get the flu...I will be in a corner, crying! This past week and a half has been hard enough...staying at home, worrying about sick kids, taking care of sick kids, etc.

We did get the surgery rescheduled...it is now set for February 23rd. Let's just pray that Carson has recovered from RSV by then and does not become host to any new germs before then!