Happy Thanksgiving!

Happy Thanksgiving!!!

Today we have so much to be thankful for  Most of all Brandon and I are thankful for our sweet little gift Carter.  He has blessed our lives and taught us so much. We are extremely thankful to be home for Thanksgiving.  Since my last post Carter has been discharged from the shospital.  He is is receiving his nutrition through his IV an also a feeding tube that goes down his nosse into his tummy.  He is still receiving IV antibiotics.  He is still struggling to tolerate his feeding through his feeding tube, although, he has not vomited the past two days.  This is a big improvement!  We are going to continually work on feeding him through his feeding tube and try to get rid of the IV nutrition.  We are praying that time will heal Carter's intestines and he will soon be able to toelrate his feedings.

After speaking with our surgeon at Johns Hopkins, we were informed that he will need around 3-5% of Carter's intestine to perform his bladder closure.  This is a huge problem.  The past few surgeries  have  required all of Carter's intestine to be used.  Brandon and I are at a standstill right now.  We have prayed about it the past few days and feel that right now we will leave Carter's bowels how they are.  Alhthough, Carter is currently not tolerating his feedings his intestines are otherwise stable.  Carter has been through so much the past few months and we feel like he needs a chance to heal.  Carter was diagnosed with "Failure to Thrive" during his last hospital admission.  Brandon and I both feel that he has had so many surgeries the past few months he needs a break and a chance to thrive.  We have decided it will be best to allow our surgeon at Johns Hopkins determine the amount of bowel he will need and then we will look at making repairs to his intestines, after his bladder closure.  Our surgeon at Johns Hopkins will not proceede with any surgeries until Carter is thriving and gaining weight.  Our "plan" or should I say goal is to have Carter thriving by late May.  This will allow Carter to have his big surgery in late May.  Please continue to pray for Carter.  Please pray that Carter will begin to tolerate his feedings and gain weight.