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

Home at last

Praise God.  Friday afternoon we rec'd the OK from our ortho to travel North.  We arrived home here in Virgina last night (Sunday).  We were welcomed by a gaggle of children in our driveway, all happy to see Sam.  And extrovert Sam was oh so happy to see them.  So now we wait for Sam's back to heal so that we can have hip surgery.. We've said it so many times before, and it continues to be true; we couldn't do this without the prayers of you Saints..THANK YOU!!!!  K

ER and Ortho visit

Swe are still fighting this UTI, but a late night visit the ER resolved some very painful tummy issues so Sam is eating, drinking, and overall feeling much better. We did recieve some frustrating news at our ortho visit yesterday; Sam's back is not healing as well as we had hoped. The Dr recommends a back brace and warned that we will likely need to wait longer than three months for hip surgery. (Sam's back must be healed before we can have hip surgery.) To bring you up to date, Sam will require hip surgery in order to sit upright again because now his back and hips are both straight. He's like a little board which is uncomfortable and frustrating, but as we keep reminding ourselves (and him), this is only a temporary (4-5 months) situation. Prayers always appreciated..K

UTI..

Although Sam's back is doing better, he is now fighting a nasty urinary track infection (MRSA) that he can't seem to kick. He is taking heavy antibiotics and feels pretty yucky. He has spiked a temp a couple of times, but so far we have been able to get it down and avoid the ER. Chip leaves today for DC. We are still in Columbus, with my parents. Prayers appreciated...

Home--sort of...

Sam was discharged from the hospital late Tuesday afternoon. He contracted a urinary track infection for which he is receiving antibiotics, but we still thought he would do better at home. So far, we were right. We are at my parents home (in Columbus) and my mother (Super Gmother that she is) is thrilled to cook anything Sam thinks he might consider eating. The threat of another IV has kept Sam drinking enough to stay hydrated. (Compared the trauma his body has endured, an IV is minor, but it still packs a punch to his psyche.) So all and all, we are rocking along. Maybe not rocking..

Ironically and sadly, Dr Devito, the gifted doctor who performed Sam's surgery, was in a cycling accident and broke his neck a few days ago. According to his office, he is expected to make a full recovery but he wont be practicing anytime soon. Please remember him in your prayers.

Many of you have asked how Isa is doing with all of this turmoil. She has been staying with my sister and her two teenage cousins. She has spent a good bit of time with them over the past year so it was a very comfortable setting for her. Our family was reunited yesterday. Although not overly concerned about Sam, Isa seemed genuinely happy to see me and Chip. Don't get me wrong, Isa doesn't bear Sam any ill will, but she doesn't comprehend/believe the magnitude his surgery. As she put it (describing a wealthy family in Colombia), "Fancy doctors tell reech (rich) people stuff so dey (they) have drama like tv." Isa is not (usually) into drama. She has a grit-your-teeth-and-bear-it-kind of philosophy and she respects mental and physical toughness. considering her background, this isn't surprising. So as you pray for Sam, please remember Isa. Her scars are not so visible, but they are still just as disabling...

Thank you for all the emails of encouragement and, as always, we thank you for your prayers. We couldn't walk this path without you.

blessings, K