We have been home a week and Sam is doing really well.  He is only able to sit upright a couple times a day and only for a few minutes each time, but we will gradually begin to build that up over the next few weeks.  This is the first time he has ever been able to sit upright with a straight back.  He looks so tall and handsome, and, as he put it, he feels "like a prince".  We are so very happy with the result and as always grateful for your prayers.  K

We had a very good day here at the hospital.  Sam continues to have minimal pain.  He developed a little pressure area, which we are monitoring, but if that continues to improve, we will go home tomorrow.    After this surgery,  the kids are usually in a body casts for several weeks.  Because of Sam's decreased sensation, the MDs opted not to cast him.  Especially after this pressure area, I am convinced that this was the right decision.  However, the down side is that he will be in bed for the next two weeks.  In spite of this Sam has been a champ and his spirits are great.  I believe this is in part due to the prayers of you saints.

During Sam's surgery, the OR nurse called to update me on his condition.  After the update, she relayed the following to me:  In the OR before they put Sam under he was talking to everyone and asked how many boys and girls were in the room.  After someone gave him the count, he said, "good we got em beat, boys!"  He then asked this nurse her name.  After she told him, Sam said, "that is such a pretty name."  Finally, he started to doze, but twice before he went under he yelled, " Hey people! Over here! I'm not asleep yet!"

Thanks again! K

So here we are again..sitting in the hospital after one of Sam's surgeries.  He had hip (major surgery) and kidney reflux (minor surgery) performed last WED.  The hip surgery was to increase hip mobility so that Sam could sit upright.   (He had no hip movement before surgery.) Sam tolerated the surgery very well and the hip surgery appears to be a great success.  His pain, which was excruciating after his last hip surgery 2008), has been extremely well controlled.  We spent the first two nights post surgery in Pediatric Intensive Care, but moved to a regular room last night.  The kidney reflux part of the surgery was, as the MD put it, "about a 50% fix".  Overall, we are very pleased and so very, very thankful that Sam's pain has been so much less than before.  His biggest pain today was the IV.

I apologize for lack og posts since the surgery, but this is truly the first time I've had access to the internet.  We are at The New Walter Reed at Bethesda Navy Hospital.  I just discovered that we can get a decent signal on the ward above ours.  I don't even have phone reception except in a few places in the hospital.  Now that I have found this little secret signal, I will post daily.  .

We hope to go home on Monday.  I'm tired. Thanks for your prayers.  K