Baby Ethan Update - 3/10/09

Hello all, it's that time again!

Please pray for our little guy tomorrow, he has another bowel surgery scheduled for the morning. Earlier this week we had an upper G.I. done where they found a blockage in his bowels. They are not sure if the blockage is a meconium blockage, or scar tissue from his resection surgery a long time ago. If it is scar tissue, they will have to cut it out and resect him again. They will also more than likely be pulling his g-tube for good, also they are going to be doing another bronchoscopy with culture.

The reason they want to take his g-tube out is becuase this hospital does not believe in g-tubes in a patient so young. Instead, they will go with an NG-tube if necessary. If you remember, it is the same tube that Baby R had so much trouble with at Deaconess. The reason I say if necessary is because the doctors are all thinking that if we can fix this blockage, it will solve all our problems. It will make his belly swelling decrease, it should cause him to want to start eating, and it will give him more formed poops. Also this would fix his liver problems as long as his liver is not too far damaged already.

Also, from his very first surgery, is surgeon gave him what is called a Nissen Fundoplication. In lames terms, it means that they stiched his stomache to his diaphragm. This would mean that he would never have acid problems, and would make it very difficult for him to throw up. From the sounds of things, we fear that they are threatening to remove his Nissen wholly because this hospital does not believe in them altogether.

When we say, "does not believe in them" please know that what they tell us is that it is hospital policy for them not to do these things. We don't know why they won't do them, and moreover why they would "undo" these surgeries.

Well, it's late and they are calling us at like 6:00am to tell us the plan for tomorrow. So we will let you all know shortly how the surgery went.

Talk to you all soon!

- Kip, Tia, Riley, and Baby E -