Another surgery date... hopefully the last.

More news today.   Both the CV surgeon who performed Jadon's two heart surgeries, and the general surgeon came to see Jadon and it has been decided to move ahead with the two surgeries that Jadon was originally scheduled to get in early May.  The G-tube will allow us to get enough calories into Jadon to promote growth and development while the fundoplication (basically wrapping the top little section of the stomach around the esophagus to create a sphincter) should help control Jadon's reflux and regurgitation.  The OR has been booked for September 2.  If all goes well (and unfortunately given his track record that is a big big IF) Jadon should be able to come home a couple weeks after surgery.  We are so looking forward to that day!

Meanwhile Jadon is still not sleeping much st night but has beenough much happier the last few days.  He is more engaged Austin and trying harder and enjoying physio once again!  Now we have 2 weeks to get him as healthy and as strong as possible before the next surgery.

It's not all smiles and chuckles!

Some days just look like this.

One of the not so good days at physio!

 Jadon has not been feeling himself lately.   He has a urinary tract infection and has been fighting fevers,  nausea and overall malaise.   We aren't sure if some of his discomfort is due to too rapid a wean of his narcotics.   He has been quite grumpy and we don't see much of his happy smiley self.   The biggest challenge we have faced is his seemingly impossibility of getting a regular night's sleep.  Jadon sleeps fitfully and is often awake more than ten times a night.  Obviously this leads to lack of sleep for whichever of Sara or I will are with him for the given night.  The lack of sleep is wearing on us and some days we feel just like Jadon looks in the above photo.

Tonight we are trying something new.  We have a regular bed and I will be co-sleeping with Jadon.  Hopefully this is a key to some rest for all involved!  Please pray that he starts to sleep as we are getting exhausted.

Jadon and I will attempt to share this bed!

Any way you say it... it's a long long time!

Half a year.  6 months.  26 weeks. 182 days.  It's been a long long time.  When we arrived in the hospital early in the morning of Feb 11 we were anticipating one surgery and a stay of 10 to 14 days. If things got a bit complicated due to Jadon's multiple issues, maybe stretching on to 3 weeks.  Boy were we wrong!   Here we are half a year later still in the hospital.

Jadon has had:
6 surgeries:
     - original Tetrology of Fallot repair
     - diaphragm plication
     - CABG (coronary artery bi-pass graft)
     - 3 irrigation and debridement surgeries (where they reopened his chest to cut out infected
        tissue)
5 days on ECMO
10+ weeks on a ventilator
8 intubations
1 Vascular access catheter
3 vacuum dressings
1  chest irrigation system
20+ sternal wound dressing changes and repacking
8 chest tubes
4  arterial lines
1 PICC line
1 internal jugular central line
15+ IVs
35 54 (nurse counted today) different medications
3 CT scans of his chest
1 PET scan of his heart
1 nuclear med MUGA scan,
1 cardiac catheter lab procedure
2 MRIs
countless echocardiograms, ECGs, ultrasounds, and xrays

What a trooper! BIG Hero

We are not done yet.   Jadon's chest wound has finally closed up.   He is slowly gaining strength.   The biggest challenge is still getting him enough nutrition. He is eating some, but his main source is still through IV TPN (total parental nutrition) and lipids.   At this stage, he will have to come home with IV nutrition or alternatively get the G-tube and fundoplication surgery that he was originally scheduled for early May.  As the medical staff makes a decision, we are still praying that his food intake will increase enough to do without either of the above.

 It has been a long and arduous journey.  Yet through strength not our own,  through the power of prayer,  support of our family and friends,  here we are.   It is only by God's grace and the support of those walking this journey along with us, that we are still smiling.  Big thanks.

Hospital Family Selfie!

More Steps in the Right Direction!

This has been a good weekend for Jadon.  His sleeping has improved.  It's funny how your perspective changes.  If someone asks us if Jadon has a good night, we will cheerfully say yes as long as:

1.  he only wakes two or three times between bedtime around 9:00pm and wake-up time

2.  he stays awake for less than 1.5 hours during his one long wake-up time (around 2 am)

3.  he sleeps in past 5 am

So, did Jadon have a good night last night?  Yes, yes he did!

Jadon sleeping soundly during a nap.  What a sweetie!

Jadon has made a lot of progress with his feeding.  He is eating more on an almost daily basis.  His main food is a smoothie combo of some sort of nutritional supplement drink thickened with an apple/pear/apricot sauce or some yoghurt.  He is also starting to eat some 'real' food.  We are now calorie counting in hopes that he will be able to compeletely get off the TPN and lipids (IV nutrition).  This would make life so much simpler and more enjoyable!

Jadon's sternal wound is also progressing well.  On Friday we had a consult with Plastic Surgery who recommended a muscle flap graft - basically cutting through the skin and muscle above the sternum (the stuff that just healed) and pulling across some of the pectoral muscles on top of the sternum.  If the sternal bone (or what is left of it) needs work done, that would be done as well.  Given that the two surgeries invloving cutting Jadon's sternum have both led to a huge fungal infection, Sara and I are (understandably in our books!) hesistant in moving forward.  The CV surgeion suggested going in for anothe debridement procedure to see if that would help first.  If not, the muscle flap graft surgery will remain an option.  So, Sunday late morning we made a quick trip back to the CCU for the debridement.  They scraped away the dead tissue and stimulated the fresh tissue to promote blood flow and, consequently, healing.  The wound looked better than anticipated and does not go all the way through.  We are looking forward to the dressing change this afternoon to see what progress has been made!

Meanwhile, Jadon is more and more himself.  He is smiling more and particularly likes when things fall or make a noise.  The last few days he has even been sitting up on his own onve again!

One of his favourite pastimes,,, washing his frogs!