Friday, December 10, 2010

The Boy You Once Were

Surgery today. Went well. It's interesting. Every time I see your surgeons I have this overwhelming feeling of gratitude. I am terribly grateful for your doctors and nurses. The love and care and concern they show you is unlike anything I have ever seen. Today, before you went to surgery your nurse, Stephanie, was giving the anesthesiologists all the info they needed to take care of you in surgery. Watching her was like watching a little mother. It was like she was your mother and she was sending you away and needed to make sure those taking care of her child were fully capable. It didn't bother me. It was a wonderful. I truly believe that when you are in her care you mean to world to her and she would do just about anything to keep you safe and healthy. I have a new found respect and understanding of the health care profession. As for your surgeons. . .I have a tender spot for them. They saved you! And they continue to do things for you to heal you and put you back together to be the boy you once were (with some added scars and experience). I think they love you. On whatever level. I see their concern for you and their need to "fix" you. One of your resident surgeons, Nate (the one that we first spoke with last Friday night, and has been helping with all of your surgeries), came back tonight and watched your numbers, made suggestions, fixed your tube that is sucking out the contents of your tummy. Showed some extra care and concern. They are doing a darn good job. At least, from my limited understanding. So, here is what they said about the surgery:
  • They put your belly back together. They only sewed up your fascia. It goes skin, fat, fascia, muscle, tummy. By leaving your skin and fat open it allows the wound to heal from the bottom up and lessens the risk of infection. If they were to close you all the way they were pretty sure you would develop an infection under the skin. It should take several weeks for it to heal. They didn't see any signs of infection or dead tissue. So, they don't plan on you having any more surgery for another 6-8 weeks. Then you will come back and have another surgery to put your small intestine back together and probably get your appendix out. The surgeons feel that it would be good to take this out because all it could do is confuse us to your symptoms. And, if at some point, you would need to have it taken out it would only further damage the areas they have been working on this week. You will have to stay in the hospital for another 5-7 days, after your future surgery, so they can monitor your digestive process.
  • They also took about 4 oz of fluid off your right lung. There was a sack of fluid between your lung and rib cage that was causing pressure and making it harder to breathe. They removed it with ease.
You seem to be doing well now. Having some problems with blood pressure and heart rate, but doctors are on top of it. So, we have hope that we are getting closer to seeing you, who you were. I miss you. I miss you like crazy. That has been hard. Aunt Ali set up music and a slide show on the blog today. She showed me it this morning and I cried. I cried harder than I have yet. I saw pictures of you before all this and I ache for that little boy. But as some of the lyrics in one of the songs say "Don't you know the hardest part is over?" I think and hope that is true for us. That little by little, day by day I will see more of you. And then, someday, you will be home with us and as Lance said "we will be a family again."

I love you, little man!

6 comments:

  1. I'm so glad they're taking good care of Will - and taking care of you too. I hope you will have a home health nurse when you take Will home. They can help you learn to do all of the things for Will that he will need for a while. And they know what to watch for to make sure he's progressing as he should.
    I'm so glad he's doing better and that Will has had such good care.

    ReplyDelete
  2. Wow, the work you and Ali have done on the blog is awesome! I love the slide show and the music selections are so poignant you can't help but be moved by them.

    This is the best news ever to know that William has had his last surgery for awhile. I am so glad that things went well.

    I know just what you mean when you talk about the love you feel for those helping Will, and you're right, they do love him...who wouldn't love that little guy!?!

    I'm so excited for you to be in a place of positively looking forward to, as Lance would say, "being a family again". =) Love you!

    ReplyDelete
  3. I remember watching one of our PICU nurses get her jacket and backpack on and head out the door and was just so moved. It's hard to explain but I was just in awe of her. She'd done so much for us and I knew that after she walked out the door, she would just look like a normal person and no one who saw her would know what amazing things she had done for us. I was so appreciative of Thomas' nurses and I am thankful for your competent, caring nurses too.
    Becca (Zumba)

    ReplyDelete
  4. It must be really crowded in Will's hospital room...you may not be able to see us Betsy, but we women of the E ward are there with you! We are ready and waiting to help in any way possible. Ali did a wonderful job explaining things in church today. We love you and are here for you! Kim Souders

    ReplyDelete
  5. We love you little Will! You have such an amazing family. Your parents are so loving and faithful - it's still hard to believe that you are probably visiting with Jesus and grandpa Hancock and angels right now - you lucky boy. We can't wait for you to tell us all about it! Love you little guy!!!

    ReplyDelete
  6. Hi Will - I'm a friend of your Grandma Minta, and she just told me about your sickness, and that your mommy has been writing about it. I know I don't know you, or your family, but I have tears streaming down my face as I read about this hard, hard journey you're going through. I had little boys once, and now I have little grandsons, and I can imagine [only too vividly, hence the tears] how incredibly frightening this has been for everyone who loves you.

    I'm only halfway through the story of Will Power, and will read the rest, but I had to take a minute to say how the love in your family shines through the words, and that I am sending all the mommy-love and nana-love in my heart to you and all the people who love you, little Will.

    A big hug for you, Little Man.

    Lee Anne French

    ReplyDelete