Carson's abdomen has been much more distended in the last few days. As a result, they took a chest x-ray this morning. The good news is that his bowel does not appear to be distended or have a lot of extra air in it. Unfortunately, it does show that his liver is quite a bit larger than it should be. They will be doing an ultrasound tomorrow looking for any abnormalities. There isn't any really good explanation for why it is so much bigger in the last few days. He is receiving nutrition via his veins and that is much harder on the liver, but it has been a pretty rapid increase in size. The doctors are somewhat concerned it may be issues with some of the malignant cells of his tumor spreading to his liver. This is the worse case scenario and hopefully not an issue, but we just were asking for prayers for wisdom for the doctors reading the ultrasound and healing of his liver. Hopefully, it is just from all the drugs and nutrition he is receiving and will go away on its own. The ultrasound is tomorrow around noon and then if necessary, they will schedule a CT Scan later but hopefully this won't be an issue.
On a positive note: Carson is up to 6 mL of breast milk every hour and pooping a lot better...go Carson! We all celebrated his first really good poop this morning. :) Because he is getting more food, his color has been a lot better too. He is also moving so much better in his neck than a week ago and we are so thankful for that. Also, your prayers have been appreciated so much for his comfort and God holding him while he was agitated as they took him off pain medication. He seems to be much calmer today and yesterday and we are hoping this is a trend it the right direction. :) He hasn't received any medications other than for his nutrition and to prevent reflux of his food since last Friday. Praise the Lord!
Kellen continues to do very well.
Posted by Sarah
Sunday, November 27, 2011
Saturday, November 26, 2011
update for today
Everything is about the same with the boys today. We took a break from the hospital to go to the state football game and it was AWESOME!!! Way to go Logan-Rogersville---state champs!!! We didn't get to dress up the boys in Wildcat garb, but someday we will. Although, Preston has made sure we understand they are going to be Bearcats. :)
Kellen is cruising along and doing great. Carson had to go back up on his ventilator settings. He needed a little more help than we thought, but it may be all that turkey Liz ate, making him sleepy and wanting a day off. :) He is up to 5 mL of breastmilk every hour on his feeding so that is wonderful. He looks absolutely amazing and so much better than a week ago. We are so thankful.
Thank you so much for your prayers and we are just continuing to pray for healing for Carson's neck, ability to breathe on his own, swallow, and protect his airway. We hope you have a wonderful rest of your Thanksgiving weekend!
Kellen is cruising along and doing great. Carson had to go back up on his ventilator settings. He needed a little more help than we thought, but it may be all that turkey Liz ate, making him sleepy and wanting a day off. :) He is up to 5 mL of breastmilk every hour on his feeding so that is wonderful. He looks absolutely amazing and so much better than a week ago. We are so thankful.
Thank you so much for your prayers and we are just continuing to pray for healing for Carson's neck, ability to breathe on his own, swallow, and protect his airway. We hope you have a wonderful rest of your Thanksgiving weekend!
Posted by Sarah
Friday, November 25, 2011
reflections from Grandma Francie
As I sit here with Carson and Kellen...and everything is quiet, I wanted to share some of what I have felt these last couple of days.
Yesterday, on Thanksgiving, my cup truly runneth over with gratitude to God. When I first walked into the room, Dave and Sandy were there with their precious grandboys. Dave was watching over Carson and Sandy was holding Kellen. What a beautiful moment to have all four grandparents, Preston and Liz, and Carson and Kellen in one room.
Then, last night, the seven of us (Doug, Francie, Sarah, Elizabeth & Preston, Joshua, James) were in the room with Carson and Kellen. From my perspective, it was a PERFECT ending to an amazing Thanksgiving Day. There was so much love in this room that I could almost physically touch it. Elizabeth was holding Carson's hands, calming him, because he had been more agitated due to the withdrawal process of coming off some of his meds. It melted my heart to see her talk so gently to her son. Then it was James' turn to hold Kellen. Joshua was standing close by, beaming from ear to ear. Oh my, words cannot describe that sight. I am smiling as I try to put it into words. I can only imagine the fun Uncle Joshua and Uncle James will have when they take Carson and Kellen for a weekend adventure. :)
Then we got to witness Preston and Elizabeth give Kellen his first tub bath. Wow, did that bring back memories...especially when Kellen pooped in the bath water. Preston and Elizabeth were soooo calm throughout. THEN it was it was time for Carson's very first sponge bath from Preston and Elizabeth. And I watched in awe, thinking of where Carson had come in these last two weeks. There is nothing impossible with God!!!!
I continue to pray blessings on ALL those who have prayed sooo faithfully for my grandsons and for Preston and Elizabeth. They have truly been the recipients of God's Divine Mercy, Love and Grace.
And I am a very grateful Grandma. :)
After Kellen's bath, it was Aunt Sarah's time to hold him...and more love flowed. :) Grandpa Doug even got to take his turn holding Carson's hands to soothe him. He is still a natural with children; especially his grandchildren. I just wish everyone could have seen the LOVE on each of their faces as they looked at these two precious lil' souls our Lord has blessed us with.
So, this evening, as I held Carson's hands and prayed over him and as I held Kellen for some time and prayed my chaplet of Divine Mercy, words REALLY cannot describe the feelings deep within.
I continue to pray blessings on ALL those who have prayed sooo faithfully for my grandsons and for Preston and Elizabeth. They have truly been the recipients of God's Divine Mercy, Love and Grace.
And I am a very grateful Grandma. :)
More exciting news!
We hope all of you had a wonderful Thanksgiving yesterday. We have very good news today!
Preston and Liz got to give Kellen his first bath in water last night. Kellen certainly showed us he has really good lungs (screaming his indignation that no one saved him from the unpleasant experience) but did great. He was so precious and the Bunch part of his family got to be here to watch the experience. Then, Preston and Liz gave Carson a sponge bath and Carson did really well. Liz also did physical therapy for Carson before the bath and he did great. The prayers for loosening his muscles in his neck have been answered. Carson is getting his neck almost all the way over to the right which he was unable to do a few days ago!
This morning Carson's weight was about 4 lbs 6 or 7 oz and Kellen's was 4 lbs 10 oz. They both are doing well. Kellen continues to do well with his feeds and just needs a little more strength to get it all down from a bottle. Carson still gets agitated at times, but is doing much better from that standpoint. They have stopped his Fentanyl (pain med) and he only gets it if he has an episode where it appears from his vital signs that he is having pain. He has only gotten one dose since yesterday morning. He also continues to be weaned from his ventilator and is getting closer to the day when he won't need it any longer. They think in the next week or two, he will come off his ventilator. Carson is getting 4 mL of breast milk every hour and has tolerated that well. He is pooping a little more so we are really happy with that! They believe once he gets closer to full feeds all of his body systems will function better. Also, Preston was able to hold his firstborn son today for the first time. YEAH!!!
We are just so thankful for such positive news on Thanksgiving weekend. Thank you to all of you for your prayers and support. We pray for a blessed weekend for you. In addition, we might add... GO Logan-Rogersville at the state football championships tomorrow! :)
Please continue to pray for healing for Carson in his ability to swallow, protect his airway, breathe on his own, and have protection from infection. They have noted more immature white blood cells and were a little concerned about infection. They drew blood cultures and we will be watching, but so far so good.
Preston and Liz got to give Kellen his first bath in water last night. Kellen certainly showed us he has really good lungs (screaming his indignation that no one saved him from the unpleasant experience) but did great. He was so precious and the Bunch part of his family got to be here to watch the experience. Then, Preston and Liz gave Carson a sponge bath and Carson did really well. Liz also did physical therapy for Carson before the bath and he did great. The prayers for loosening his muscles in his neck have been answered. Carson is getting his neck almost all the way over to the right which he was unable to do a few days ago!
This morning Carson's weight was about 4 lbs 6 or 7 oz and Kellen's was 4 lbs 10 oz. They both are doing well. Kellen continues to do well with his feeds and just needs a little more strength to get it all down from a bottle. Carson still gets agitated at times, but is doing much better from that standpoint. They have stopped his Fentanyl (pain med) and he only gets it if he has an episode where it appears from his vital signs that he is having pain. He has only gotten one dose since yesterday morning. He also continues to be weaned from his ventilator and is getting closer to the day when he won't need it any longer. They think in the next week or two, he will come off his ventilator. Carson is getting 4 mL of breast milk every hour and has tolerated that well. He is pooping a little more so we are really happy with that! They believe once he gets closer to full feeds all of his body systems will function better. Also, Preston was able to hold his firstborn son today for the first time. YEAH!!!
We are just so thankful for such positive news on Thanksgiving weekend. Thank you to all of you for your prayers and support. We pray for a blessed weekend for you. In addition, we might add... GO Logan-Rogersville at the state football championships tomorrow! :)
Please continue to pray for healing for Carson in his ability to swallow, protect his airway, breathe on his own, and have protection from infection. They have noted more immature white blood cells and were a little concerned about infection. They drew blood cultures and we will be watching, but so far so good.
Posted by Sarah
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| Preston holding Carson for the first time! |
Thursday, November 24, 2011
Thanksgiving update
We have so much to be thankful for today! There are not enough words to describe our depth of thankfulness to God for the miracles and blessings He has given us in the last few weeks. We will be eternally grateful.
And thank you to each of you who have given all of us so much support, prayers, and love. Can you believe all that you have been a part of in just 2.5 short weeks? May God bless you and your loved ones more than you could ever imagine for being such an incredible blessing to our family during this time.
Carson is doing great! He is being taken off his pain medication and continues to wean off his ventilator. We are so proud of him. His feeds are being moved up to 2 mL per hour and he seems to be tolerating this well. Kellen is doing wonderful. The loving nurses at Cardinal Glennon decided to make Thanksgiving very special for us. Below you can see a picture of our little Indian and Pilgrim. :)
Many blessings to you and your family today and we hope it is an extra special day together!
Carson is doing great! He is being taken off his pain medication and continues to wean off his ventilator. We are so proud of him. His feeds are being moved up to 2 mL per hour and he seems to be tolerating this well. Kellen is doing wonderful. The loving nurses at Cardinal Glennon decided to make Thanksgiving very special for us. Below you can see a picture of our little Indian and Pilgrim. :)
Many blessings to you and your family today and we hope it is an extra special day together!
Posted by Sarah
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| Could this be any cuter? |
Wednesday, November 23, 2011
Exciting news!
Liz got to hold Carson for the first time today!!!
Carson was a little upset when they were moving him but as soon as Liz got him he settled right down. Preston was holding Kellen at the same time so they got their first family picture taken. And what a precious little family photo it is!
Carson is holding his own. He is on continuous feeds through his G-tube of 1 mL per hour. He has pooped twice which is an excellent sign that his GI system is working. Possibly the first time I have ever praised God for poop (particularly those who know my hospital stories understand how truly unusual this is for me...ha ha)! Carson is down on his ventilator to a respiratory rate of 30 and very little oxygen. We just have to keep praying for him to get off his ventilator so we can move forward on determining his function with swallowing.
Kellen is doing very well. He had some exciting news today too. He lost his umbilical cord and now has the most precious belly button. Hip hip hooray! He may be the second born but he beat Carson this time : )!
We hope you all will be blessed greatly this Thanksgiving! We want you to know we are thankful for each and every one of you and your prayers for Preston, Liz, Carson, and Kellen.
Have a wonderful time with family and friends tomorrow!
Posted by Sarah
Carson was a little upset when they were moving him but as soon as Liz got him he settled right down. Preston was holding Kellen at the same time so they got their first family picture taken. And what a precious little family photo it is!
Carson is holding his own. He is on continuous feeds through his G-tube of 1 mL per hour. He has pooped twice which is an excellent sign that his GI system is working. Possibly the first time I have ever praised God for poop (particularly those who know my hospital stories understand how truly unusual this is for me...ha ha)! Carson is down on his ventilator to a respiratory rate of 30 and very little oxygen. We just have to keep praying for him to get off his ventilator so we can move forward on determining his function with swallowing.
Kellen is doing very well. He had some exciting news today too. He lost his umbilical cord and now has the most precious belly button. Hip hip hooray! He may be the second born but he beat Carson this time : )!
We hope you all will be blessed greatly this Thanksgiving! We want you to know we are thankful for each and every one of you and your prayers for Preston, Liz, Carson, and Kellen.
Have a wonderful time with family and friends tomorrow!
Posted by Sarah
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| Clark Family of 4 please! |
Happy, happy, HAPPY Thanksgiving everyone!
Tuesday, November 22, 2011
update for today
Carson is through his surgery. Praises to Jesus, he did great! He actually had been able to wean down on his vent before surgery, but now that he is sedated, he is back up on his ventilator settings. But that is expected, and hopefully, he will wean soon. The surgeons placed a G-tube (a direct tube into his stomach) so if he needs long-term feeding, there will be access. They took out his IJs (intravenous lines) and this will allow him to do more physical therapy with his neck. Unfortunately, there is no access to draw blood so the poor little guy will have to have lots of heelsticks. It breaks our hearts, but he is so brave. His abdomen was distended, but they are hoping when he starts eating, he will resolve that on his own. He continues to be off a lot of medication and no longer gets Lasix, dopamine, nitric oxide, versed, and only one dose of hydrocortisone for his blood pressure and perfusion. He has fentanyl for pain and TPN/lipids for nutrition until he gets to eating better.
Liz said two of the anesthesiologists came down to get him for surgery, who had also been with him in his first surgery to remove the mass. They both were so touched by Carson, they each asked for pictures. We thought that was really precious and another way God is using Carson in this world. Carson was also held for the first time today. One of the nurses held him while ENT doctors looked at his trachea. They have refitted it and hopefully, it will not have any leaks. Liz and Preston saw him being held and were so happy. He did very well and actually his heartrate came down. It was really sweet. Liz and Preston have also discovered he really likes to have his head rubbed. What a sweet angel straight from Jesus! Gosh, my heart is just overflowing with love.
Kellen is doing great. He is up to 40 mL on his feeds. He continues to do well on some feeds taking it from a bottle, but then other feeds loses his energy and needs some assistance. We are just thankful he is doing as well as he is. Again, he is on no medications and gaining weight like a champ. Kellen weighs 4 lbs 6 oz and Carson weighs 4 lbs 12 oz.
For those who want specific prayer requests:
1) God to heal Carson's throat and allow him to be able to swallow and protect his airway. We will not be able to test this until he is off his ventilator so we are praying for him to wean off his ventilator quickly at this point.
2) That Jesus will continue to hold Carson when he has to go through painful heel sticks for blood work and physical therapy to move his neck. For Jesus to hold him in his arms, until his loving family gets the chance to hold him.
3) Carson does have some blood in his urine, prayer for healing of his tissues
4) Continued praises for all the miracles and ways Carson and Kellen have touched so many lives
Kellen is doing great. He is up to 40 mL on his feeds. He continues to do well on some feeds taking it from a bottle, but then other feeds loses his energy and needs some assistance. We are just thankful he is doing as well as he is. Again, he is on no medications and gaining weight like a champ. Kellen weighs 4 lbs 6 oz and Carson weighs 4 lbs 12 oz.
For those who want specific prayer requests:
1) God to heal Carson's throat and allow him to be able to swallow and protect his airway. We will not be able to test this until he is off his ventilator so we are praying for him to wean off his ventilator quickly at this point.
2) That Jesus will continue to hold Carson when he has to go through painful heel sticks for blood work and physical therapy to move his neck. For Jesus to hold him in his arms, until his loving family gets the chance to hold him.
3) Carson does have some blood in his urine, prayer for healing of his tissues
4) Continued praises for all the miracles and ways Carson and Kellen have touched so many lives
With love to all,
Sarah
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