Tomorrow is the Day...

   The light is getting brighter at the end of this tunnel.  Since March 27^th ,we have not been able to hold Carter.  We have not been able to soothe him when he cried out in pain, rock him when he was restless at night or pick him up when he looked at me with his arms up in the air.  Thank God this part of the journey will come to an end tomorrow.  We will finally be able to hold him!  He has laid completely flat on his back since March 27^th.  To say that we are excited is an understatement.  He still has a LONG road ahead of him, but we are slowly making progress.  There have been a few changes.  Due to how agitated Carter has been the past few days, they have decided to take him to the O.R. tomorrow and completely sedate him.  He is scheduled to go to the Operating Room at 9 am.  They will remove his external fixators, the traction and wraps that are on his legs now.  They will cast his legs from his thighs to his toes and will place a bar in between them to keep him from opening is legs.  The procedure should only last an hour or two and should be one of his easiest trips to the operating room.

Our Orthopedic Doctor told us that they rarely have to cast patients like Carter, and they have not actually had to do it in about 5 years.  We have also been told that Carter has had one of the longest PICU stays that anyone can remember for a child with his condition.  I have actually been doing all of Carter’s care because the nurses down here do not have much experience with this surgery this far along in the recovery stage.  After talking with one of Carter’s nurses about how much he has been through in his short life, she asked if I ever wondered why all of this has happened to Carter.  He has one of the worst birth defects that you can be born with and still be compatible with life. He always has multiple complications with each surgery.  She was surprised when I told her No.  I never question why all of this has to happen to him.  It is not my place to question, and I honestly know God has a plan for all of his pain.  It is my responsibility to make sure I am living out God’s will for our family.  I am not going to say that is has been easy.  Watching your child suffer and knowing there is nothing you can do to help them is the most helpless feeling in the world.  We have breaking points, melt downs and crying sessions often, but we know it is all for a bigger purpose.  The good word says, "Be strong and courageous. Do not fear or be in dread of them, for it is the Lord your God who goes with you. He will not leave you or forsake you.” Deuteronomy 31:6.  We learned early on that the only way we would make it through all of this would be to rely and fully trust in God’s word.  We know that Carter still has a LONG way to go and our hearts were almost pulled out of our chest today when we were told he could easily spend another 6 weeks in the PICU.  It all depends on how well Carter does with the weaning process.  He has a lot of strong medications to come off of.  Please pray Carter’s procedures go well tomorrow and for him to tolerate the withdrawal process.  I hope my next post is full of pictures of Brandon and I holding and loving all over Carter!  As always… To Him be the Glory!!!

Day 4 was a busy day! I did not get a picture! :(