I just wanted to add a quick update about Weston's surgery.
It was scheduled for 10:30 on Thursday. Ryan had taken the day off and we were planning to be there about an hour before. They called us at about eight that morning and said they were going to take him down to surgery sooner than expected. We weren't able to get up there before so I think they took him in around nine or nine fifteen. We left Carter with Ryan's parents (thank you!!!) and waited in the surgery waiting room until about 11. Dr. Black came and found us and told us the surgery had gone very well.
He told us he had connected the bowel by putting in about one hundred stitches. He measured the length of his bowel and it had grown from 27 cm to 45 cm and at least 40 cm is required for him to be off TPN. His small intestines are about the size of my pointer finger. Dr. Black said he was very optimistic about Weston's recovery and said he may come home as soon as mid May. So we've witnessed another miracle with Weston's bowel growth. The Lord never ceases to amaze me!
Weston's intestines should start functioning again 5-10 days after the surgery which is when they'll start feeding him and he'll be up to full feeds 10-20 days after that. I'm not sure how everything will go with continuous feeds versus oral feeds and bottle feeds versus breastfeeding but we're just along for the ride! So much of it depends on him.
I was able to go see him again last night. He is a little swollen but not as bad as last time. After the first surgery he looked like a completely different baby! He has had very little pain medication. I was there at nine last night and he hadn't had any since 6 am yesterday. He is still really sleepy from the anesthesia but was still fairly responsive when I touched him. I did his cares (took his temperature, changed his diaper, measured his belly, and gave him a light sponge bath). We had a little incident when we tried to weigh him. The respiratory therapist came in to help move him because he's still on a ventilator. We had to try several times because of all the chords and on the third time he started choking. Poor baby! So we put him back, let him recover, and didn't worry about it for last night. He weighed 7 lb 8 oz the night before his surgery.
4 comments:
I am just amazed and grateful for these 2 miracles still, and I know I always will be. I'm sure it's humbling for you as their mother, but with everything that's gone on the past few months, these little babies have helped my testimony grow. Thanks for being such a great example Sarah.... Love you :)
I'm always amazed everytime I read your blog--you two are such strong parents and it's a miracle what the Lord has done for those two little boys. We'll keep praying for your family and thanks for the updates, Sarah!
sarah, you and ryan are amazing parents. seriously. i am so glad that your boys are getting better.
You don't know me--our husbands were friends in high school. But I heard through my husband that you and Ryan had twin preemies, so I did a little bit of stalking (hehe) and I just read your whole story! WOW! You've been through so much, and you're still in the middle of it! You seem like such a strong little family, and you were totally meant to be the parents of your sweet little boys!
Our son was born at 27 weeks and spent 100 days in the hospital, so we can relate. He's now 17.5 months old and doing great! Like Weston, Caleb has bilateral grade II brain bleeds (almost grade III) but shows no effects of it. Such miracles!
I hope you don't mind if I keep following your story. I can't wait for the day that you get to hold both of your little boys at once!
Post a Comment