Update 3/28/2013

Sweet little Carter had a long night and day. The anathesia started wearing off and he wanted to get up and be held. He reached up to me and tried to pull up on me. I am positive that if he could have gotten a good grip, he would have pulled himself up. He woke up about every hour to two hours. Sometimes crying out in pain and sometimes making sure Brandon or I was sitting at his bedside. We took shifts sleeping in a chair beside his bed holding his hand all night. They increased his Valium, morphine and his Narcan(it helps with itching caused by the morphine). The increase has really seemed to help and he has rested a good bit today.  This afternoon he woke up extremely irritable only an hour after receiving Valium.  We could not get his heart rate to stay below the 200's and his oxygen saturation was staying around 90% (his oxygen saturation is NEVER under 97%).  I took his temperature and he had a 102 fever.  The nurse gave him Stadol, Tylenol and put him on a little oxygen.  The medication lasted for about and hour in a half and then he was back up miserable.  Thankfully, it was time for his Valium. She just gave him his Valium and we are waiting on the Doctor to decide what he is going to do.  He already has lab work ordered at midnight tonight to make sure his blood counts are ok. I imagine they will check to make sure he is not getting an infection, too. 

Today before all of this occurred, Carter's nurse taught us how to do pin care. Pin care is cleaning around the rods and pushing back any skin that may be trying to grow around the rods going into his pelvic bone(part of his external fixators). It is an extremely painful procedure, but our little tough guy did great today. He only cried during the beginning when the dressing had to be removed. I was amazed at how great he did. He hardly budged. They also added more weight to Carter's traction today. The traction has made me more nervous than anything. There are weights hanging off the end of the bed that are connected to the braces that are wrapped from his toes to his thighs. They hang right where everyone walks. If they are adjusted too quickly they could cause Carter's hips to come out of socket. Thankfully everyone has paid close attention and made sure not to get to close to them.

Carter has really been a trooper through all of this. The highlight of last night was when they allowed me to put Carter's blankets and pillow from home on his bed.  When I was done he smiled really big with his little eyes still closed.  Hopefully, we will get the fever figured out and manage his pain well tonight. Thank you all so much for all of your prayers and sweet words.  They have truly made all of this so much easier. Please keep them coming! As always...To Him be the Glory!

His sweet little legs wrapped and in traction. His left leg is much more swollen than the right and he has not moved his toes on his left foot much. We are praying once we get his pain under control he will start moving them a little. 

He gives strength to the weary and increases the power of the weak.

Isaiah 40:29