Easy Rider!

Thank you to the Hawleys and the Dodge City Ambucks Organization for this awesome trike Sam received.  As you can see he loves it!!

Book Fair Parade

These pics were taken at the Book Fair parade in October.  

King Sam

King Sam is feeling well today.  

We returned home about an hour ago.  Sam is doing remarkably well- better than any of his other surgeries.  He wore his crown and superman cape to the hospital.  At one point he said,  "I'm a king; I have to be brave."  He was.  Thank you again.  Kristin

In surgery again..

Sam is currently in surgery again.    He has recovered almost completely from his hip surgery. Sam likes to tell people that he got "new hips. "   A few weeks after his surgery he touched his heels and said, "what are these? " I told him and he said, "Oh--cool- have those always been there? " Since his hip surgery, Sam sits upright and  can for the first time in his life touch his feet.  From our perspective the change is dramatic.   

After Sam's hip surgery, we hit the road.   In the past two months the kid has been in Tennessee, Indiana, Michigan, Colorado, Wyoming, South Dakota, Nebraska, Missouri, Georgia, South Carolina and North Carolina.  And of course Kansas.   It has been crazy and awesome. 

In Tenenssee we were able to visit with Gytis and Wyatt, two boys adopted from Sam's orphanage in Lithuania.   Together with Gytis, Wyatt, and their moms, Sam and I traveled to Michigan for Bethany's Internatinal Adoption Festival.   There we were able to visit with Egla and Elona - the Lithuanian lawyer and social worker that worked with us while we were.  The Lithuanian team travels back to the US only once every 8-9 years, so it was a real treat to have this time with them.    The whole experience was yet another reminder of how our gracious God magnificently orchestrated  the adoption and reunion of these three boys.  

As a family we attended an OCF Retreat in Colorado and then drove up to see Mount Rushmore.  After seeing MT Rushmore, Sam exclaimed, "Oh that is really cool!" He proceeded to "compliment me":  "Mom,  your knee looks just like George Washington's head on the mountain."  Thank you Sam.  

Sam and I also spent a week at the beach in NC.  

They just called - Sam is in recovery- more later--K

Surgery TOMORRW

Well ....once again  I've waited to the last minute to update our blog--the point that we really need your prayers--Sam has another surgery--TOMORROW - his fifth surgery in the last year.  

This should be out-patient but they might keep Sam over night just to monitor him.  This  surgery  is to repair an undescended testicle and to help stop reflux into his kidneys.   So really this is no big deal but I'm a little nervous...

Sam continues to be a champ.  Last Sunday, he explained his upcoming surgery - the problem, the fix and of course the anatomy - in great detail - to most of his 2ND Grade Sunday School class and again later that day to an audience of about 15 at the library.   

 

We've had a most amazing summer.  I will write more about that tomorrow--it will give me something to do during his surgery.  

I end this blog with my simple but sincere expression of gratitude to all of you who follow Sam's story and remember him in your prayers.  You bless us more than you can ever know.~ K

last pic

Pics from DW in DEC

The parades were his favorite...

is home

Sam is still doing well.  The pain meds manage his pain well and we have lowered the dose so he isn't quite so loopy--His creativity has not suffered; as I type, he is reclined on the couch, in his new Pharaoh hat, without a shirt because, "everyone knows Pharaohs DO NOT wear t-shirts, mama!!"   He is hard at work creating me a "girl Pharaoh hat"...  It is so good to have this fun kid home again..   thank you K

11- pm

We got home from the hospital a couple of hours ago.  Sam is sleeping on the couch- The pain meds work very well but make him a bit loopey---his last words before he fell asleep were, "hunk-a-hunka burning love".  (See Chip's post last night.)  On the topic of meds--we had a scare --as we drove into our tiny village of  Leavenworth tonight we drove to our regular pharmacy ...CLOSED!!!  Every other pharmacy we called was also closed.  After a little panic attack on my part (we have no pain meds for Sam)  our friend Joy saved the day (THANK YOU!!!)   by locating a 24 our pharmacy in Kansas City----so that is where Chip is at this late hour.  I think sam is on the road to recovery--THANK YOU All!!

3:30 PM

Another good day-Up in the chair a few times-not without pain but not the intensity that it was initially--We may even go home tonight.  We are all tired and ready to be home.  Thank you again and AGAIN for your prayers ad support!!  WE Love you!! K

9:32 PM Very Good Day

We had a hunka-hunka, burnin' good day!  Chip here.  Sam and I just finished watching Lilo and Stitch.  The closing song to the movie is "Burning Love," by my fellow Mississippian, Elvis.  Yep, Kristin is trusting me to stay with Sambo tonight at the hospital - "The inmates are running the asylum!!!"  

Sam had a very good day.  They cut him loose from all his IV's, monitoring stuff and the catheter.  He felt better as the day went on.  With Phys. Therapy's help, we transferred him out of the bed and into his wheelchair - twice.  The first time the pain was acute when we moved him from the chair back to the bed.  The second time we put him in the chair was much less painful, even when we moved him back to the bed.  Those are huge steps forward.  

The doc showed us X-Rays of Sam's hips.  He's going to set off metal detectors, but the outward product, his new hips, look great.  Sam's morale is high.  Kristin will finally get some sleep.  And as I look at this suddenly energized kid, I'm missing the sleepy effect of the morphine.  I think I got him too worked up with my dancin' and singin' along with the King.  

"I'm just a hunka-hunka, burnin' love, I'm just a hunka-hunka, burnin' love..."  

7:35 am

Quick update- good night- less pain when we move him-some sleep for both of us-wonderful nursing staff-no word yet re casts-more later

6:45 pm

Today was better than yesterday.  They changed him to a morphine pump that he controls. This has helped, but he still has intense pain anytime we move him.  He has not yet gotten out of bed so we just shift his weight in the bed. Even this little movement is, as he put it "so very, very painful."  (That will break a mama's heart.)  They did a blood transfusion this afternoon and he looks better --good color, alert, watching tv,...  The DR said that he will revisit the spica cast idea tomorrow -as Sam might need the extra stability after all.   Thank you again for your prayers and support...K

8 am

Rough night with vomiting and pain but Sam is awake and watching Disney Playhouse right now.  He has a low grade temp 100.5 at last read but the DR says that is not unusual.   We so appreciate your prayers and kind words of encouragement...It doesn't "take a village" ..It takes the body of Christ!!! K 

no casts

PS-The DR did NOT have to cast him --NO hip spica casts--That would have been miserable for all...

8:30 pm

It's about 8:30pm here--(regardless of what time this post may indicate below)- Sam is resting comfortably now.  The nausea came but seems to have passed for now.  He only seems to hurt when we move him, which of course we must do every hour.  He is a champ. Just a little while ago I took his picture with Lilly - his stuffed dog- -our little camera ham cheezed it up just long enough for me to snap the pic.  Pray for a good night rest for the little guy and for his back --to NOT get pressure sores.  blessings--   K

We are in the room

We are in a room and Sam is sleeping.  We have to wake him every 45 minutes to check his back and reposition him.  When we move him it is painful but no nausea this time, which is a huge blessing.  There is a single day bed and a recliner in here so theoretically we could both spend the night.  However , Chip will probably go home tonight to check on Lilly and catch a few zzz there before returning tomorrow morning.  Without traffic, the hospital is about an hour from our house.  Thanks for your prayers...K

Out of surgery

Sam is out of surgery.  The Dr said that he does have some pain, which is a bad and good thing--bad for obvious reasons but good b-c he will be less likely to move in a way that damages his hips. We will go see him in a few minutes --now according to the DR one big goal/concern/prayer request is to make sure he doesn't get breakdown on his back.  Thanks for your prayers--K

random pics..

Some pics from the last few weeks.

Pharoah Sam is my favorite.  He came home one day and announced that he "needed a Pharoah hat"...

So far so good...

The nurse called a few minutes ago and said that everything was going well and that they started on his right hip about 45 minutes ago.  Thanks for your prayers--K

hip surgery

They just took Sam to surgery.  For those of you who don't know,  the purpose of this surgery is to improve mobility in Sam's hips.    Sam was a trooper- no tears, cracking the staff up.   He took his little stuffed dog, Lilly with him, because he didn't "want HER to be afraid".

Recently we were talking about fear.  I asked him if he had ever prayed to God when he was afraid in Lithuania.  He replied, "OH NO (with Sam it is never just yes or just no) ..OH NO, mama, I did not know God back then!"  

We have our computer , so we will update this blog through out the day.  They expect the surgery to last three to five hours.  Recovery will be 3-7 days in the hospital.  He may or may not have hip spika casts....

Please pray---K

A Dragon named Sam

Thank you for pestering me to continue this blog. It is a great privilege to journal this amazing journey. The last few months have been a blurr- We went to Disney World, celebrated Christmas and moved to Kansas (burr!--It's cold!)

In November Sam penned this little story- which we used as part of our Christmas letter this year.

“Once up time there was a Dragon named Sam. Sam the Dragon did not like mamas and he did not like daddys and he did not like no bode. But one day he herd sumthing. He herd God wisper Sam I love you and evry thing chanjed.” Sam Huey Nov 2007

The part B --or actually the Part A to Sam's dragon story ---we learned from the another family who met Sam in Lithuania. They were at his orphanage to adopt their son, Wyatt. Sam asked this couple to also take him. It broke their hearts to tell Sam that they could not. Sam was furious; he told them that he hated Mamas and Daddys and then, Sam spit at them! Sam's health deteriorated and he actually refused to eat for a while. To see our happy, extroverted, energetic, chatterbox now, you could never imagine that he was such a depressed and angry little guy.

And now the Part C --On our trip "out west" (to Kansas) we stopped in Tennessee and had an amazing reunion with this family and another family who also adopted from the same orphanage. To see how God has worked in these children's lives and in all of our lives through them is truly overwhelming. We watched them laugh and play and we are still in awe at God's work.

We continue to covet your prayers.. Kristin