Not Our Forever Home...

We woke up yesterday morning to find room 22 empty.  By lunch the room was clean and ready for a new patient. Our hearts are so sad for the little boy in room 22’s family, but happy knowing he will spend the rest of his life without pain and suffering.  We will never see the family again, nor will we ever know their story.  All we can do is hope that they felt each and every prayer lifted for them by Carter’s Journey followers. The little boy's daddy told Brandon "I hope he passes peacefully. On his own." According to what very little we know, that is exactly what happened.Thankfully we know that this is not our forever home.  I can find happiness for the family knowing their little boy was greeted with open arms.

Carter’s intestines have continued to struggle. His vomiting has increased and the Doctor’s have decided to decrease all of Carter’s narcotics and increase his sedatives.  Narcotics slow your intestines, so hopefully by doing this they will start to speed up.  They also gave him a medication that helps reverse the side effects of Narcotics on your bowels.  It is a risky medication to receive, due to the high risk of bowel perforation.  Carter seemed to tolerate the medication well and has had increased output.  It has just not increased enough to be back to it’s normal amount.  We are praying with his new increased bowel regimen and lower dose of narcotics his bowels will start to speed up.  One of the many medications Carter has been receiving is Methadone.  They decreased it yesterday, and Carter started withdrawals again last night. This of course leads to itching, blinking, sweating and much more movement.  They increased the Dexmedetomidine three times and I think we are finally at a “happy place” with it.  This does keep us in the PICU longer, but at this point we just want Carter comfortable.  The Doctors and pain management team have come to the conclusion that we will be staying the majority of our stay in the PICU.  They are trying to make it as comfortable as possible.  We are completely content as long as Carter is comfortable and pain free.  We are praying the Dexmedetomidine will continue to keep Carter in his happy place and we can use the narcotics less frequently.  This will not only help his bowels right now, but will keep him from building more of a tolerance to the narcotics.  We then will have the narcotics to help him withdraw from the Dexmedetomidine when it is time for him to come out of traction and the fixators. 

We are trying experimental drugs and risky drugs with faith that they will help and have no long term side effects.  I have come to the conclusion that there is no need to worry, just have faith.  God has a plan.  The pain, the struggles and each tear that streams down Carter’s face is part of a bigger plan.  A bigger plan that was written long before he took his first breath.  A plan that was written before the little boy in room 22 took his first breath and his last here on earth.  Thankfully we know his first and eternal breath was pain free and he will never experience the pain of this world again. As always… To Him be the Glory!!!

But let me reveal to you a wonderful secret. We will not all die, but we will all be transformed! It will happen in a moment, in the blink of an eye, when the last trumpet is blown. For when the trumpet sounds, those who have died will be raised to live forever. And we who are living will also be transformed. For our dying bodies must be transformed into bodies that will never die; our mortal bodies must be transformed into immortal bodies.

Then, when our dying bodies have been transformed into bodies that will never die, this Scripture will be fulfilled:
"Death is swallowed up in victory.” 1 Corinthians 15:51-54