Laryngotracheal Separation Surgery - Day 5
Nathaniel has improved by leaps and bounds since the third day post surgery. He's playing with trucks, working on language, and roaming the halls pushing and pulling a wagon. Opps! It is not so quiet around here anymore. We're even back to taking hospital selfies. (Boy, do I have a lot of hospital selfies with this kid.) Tomorrow morning early (6:30) the doctors will change his tracheostomy tube for the first time. If you happen to be a Saturday morning early riser - pray for us. Rich and I both need to be present to learn new care. We will see the incision and new stoma for the first time. We have been through many surgeries as parents; it never gets easy to see a fresh surgical wound on a small child. Afterwards Rich and I will each demonstrate our ability to care for the stoma and change his trach tube. If we do this tomorrow, Nathaniel will be discharge. The discharge is two days earlier than doctors told us to anticipate - a sign of how quickly he has recovered in the last couple days.
Laryngotracheal Separation Surgery - Day 3
There have been a few post surgery issues to cope with that have made recovery not fun. No complications, just not fun. Nathaniel's IV needed restarted; I have decided though I strong description, 'hate' is how I feel about the word occluded when it flashes from an IV machine. Nathaniel has also had some difficulty with voiding and has needed multiple catheterizations. Hopefully these minor issues will continue to improve.
We learned last week that our friend, Maverick, was traveling to Cincinnati and having surgery this week too. Maverick and Nathaniel were featured in a St. Louis Post Dispatch last spring when we met doing trach training for first responders. Maverick's room is four away from Nathaniel's room, and he came by this morning to share some toys. It was good to see Nathaniel smile during the visit.
Laryngotracheal Separation Surgery Day 1
We arrived in Cincinnati yesterday afternoon, and Nathaniel had Laryngotracheal Separation surgery today at Cincinnati Children's Hospital.
An Index to Posts on Nathaniel
Last May our daughter suggested that I put together an list or index for blog posts about Nathaniel. When she tells people that she has seven brothers, that the youngest is three years old and the oldest is thirty-three years old, she gets a lot of questions. She likes to send the curious to my blog for information about Nathaniel.
"But where should they start to read, Mom? And how do they find specific posts?"
I have been working on this list since that conversation. The process of compiling and specifically having it completed today, the second anniversary of Nathaniel's adoption, has been a special gift to myself. It was good to reflect on where we have been, what life has been like for Nathaniel and our family, and how God has been faithful through it all. After spending hours rereading these old posts I must add my AMEN to Jason Johnson's words tucked in a recent blog post, "foster care and adoption are not just the process by which we may change a child’s life but also the means through which God will radically transform ours."
No Talker Outside Today - SNOW!
We are having fun with a snow today! We had a little dusting about a week ago, but today was our first playable snow. This homeschool mom does not allow snow days. I save them up for spring fever days - those first days of spring that are so beautiful one can not possibly stay indoors and do school. So after my normal morning meeting with Josiah, Nathaniel and I headed outdoors.
Nathaniel first insisted on exploring the snow mittenless. That, and our entire outdoor experience, last less than two minutes. That smile faded quickly into many tears. We found a different pair of mittens that he seemed to like better than the first I tried, and went out again. The experience went much better the second time.
How Hope Yields Joy
Four years ago this month, I wrote a three part blog series on the cost of homeschooling. It makes sense that I wrote that series in January. January is when I start to think about the next school year.
For almost two decades now, we've deposited that spring (IRS) check in a special savings account earmarked for school costs. Some years we haven't needed all of it, some years we have. Many years, the doldrums of winter were chased away by browsing curriculum catalogs, comparing programs, making wish lists, and dreaming of next year's fun. The Cost of Homeschooling, Part 1
Three Ways to Help Our Family as Airway Surgery Approaches
Nathaniel's airway surgery is about a month away. Now that Christmas and New Year's is over, it seems close. We wanted to share our plans and the needs our family has as the date approaches.
Both Rich and I will go to Cincinnati for the surgery. We have been told to expect a five hour surgery and for Nathaniel to spend a week in the Critical Airway ICU afterwards. Nathaniel will have a new stoma and possibly medical new care routines that we will learn before his discharge. We have been asked to stay in the Cincinnati area for a second week to be close to the surgeon and hospital in the event of complications. There are three different ways you can help our family now.
The Year Baby Jesus Had a Tracheostomy
A friend sent me this photo on Christmas Eve. "Baby Jesus has a trach this year," her text said.
Doll baby Jesus' mother is six-year old Maggie. Maggie's mother is a medic who spends her days training first responders in tracheostomy emergencies. Maggie's grandmother is a Sunday School director. Maggie's grandfather had a trach. Blend it all together and it is logical that when a baby was needed for the Family Service nativity at church that Maggie's trached baby doll was cast for the leading role.
The baby wrapped in swaddling clothes and lying in the feeding trough had a tracheostomy.
The Plan for Airway Surgery
About a month ago, I offered my layman's understanding on the functions of the larynx - it provides a passageway for breathing, it protects the lungs, it contains the vocal cords aiding in sound production, and it helps with eating. I mentioned in that post that having all four functions is not possible for Nathaniel. Tests during our last trip to Cincinnati Children's showed that Nathaniel still aspirates - his airway is unprotected - and that condition is unlikely to change with more time. The news we received in November was more brutal than hearing all four functions of the larynx could not be saved. Because Nathaniel's airway is not protected, it is not in his best interest to restore any larynx function.