Well, it is official, Garrett goes under the knife again on June 20th. This will be his 3rd heart surgery and second bypass surgery. I dread the day with all my soul, but also know it needs to be done and I can't wait to get it over with.
The good news is that after this surgery all his blood will be flowing in one direction. So, for the first time in his life all the blood going out to the body will be oxygenated.
Please keep him in your prayers!
For those who missed the first two surgeries, Garrett is my 3 year old son (almost 4). He was born with half a heart. You can read about it if you want on his caringbridge page: http://www.caringbridge.org/visit/garrettjones/mystory
Prayers going up for the good Lord to guide the surgeon's hands and to protect and keep Garrett safe through it all.
:pray: :pray: :pray: :pray: :pray: :pray:
Winterhawk1960
Prayers for continued good results and God's gentle hand guiding it all.
To quote a smart li'l girl raised by God-fearing parents: "But, the bestest doctor of all is God!" Katie Jones (7 years old)
Prayers for His Will to be done and that His perfect Will be for Garrett to sail through this and march on into old age being a ferverant witness to His Glory, Grace and Healing.
Don't borrow worry from tomorrow, for tomorrow will have it's own.
Keep the Son in your eyes, Hoss.
Prayers sent for Garrett, Can only imagine how hard it must be for you. Prayers sent and fingers crossed.
I will renew my prayer book with you request. Thanks for reminding us about this. I am prsying that he will someday be on here telling us about his first bow kill. If the Lord lets us stay here that long that is. Lord your will be done in this family as they stand on their faith in the fact that you have our back as we stand looking forward in every area of our lives. Thank you for where Garrett has come from and where he is going from here. Amen.......Dusty
Praying for Garrett & you and family as well. My 16 month old son Clayton was born with Down Syndrome and we faced alot of uncertainity as well. But the one thing we can all be certain of is that our Father in Heaven made Garrett for a purpose, Garrett is special in God's eyes and God will always take care of him. God Bless
Prayers from us my friend!
Prayers for strength of faith and body for all involved.
I hope the outcome was positive.
Prayers from here for G. Man and family..
Please keep us up on him...
I just want you to know that I pray for your little boy every day. I was in your shoes six years ago. I have a grand daughter that was born with HLS, same thing Garret has I think. I was in a position to spend all my time with her as she went through these procedures and I also took her to the St. Lewis Childrens then on to Houston Childrens for a month, looking for answers. I mostly wanted you to know that at times it seems impossible but keep going and put your faith in GOD. My grand daughter is now a very happy eight year old with no problems to speak of and she is the most precious thing in my life. These kids that go through this kind of thing are very very special, touched by GOD. If you ever need to talk to somebody thats been there, PM me and I will call. Good luck and GOD BLESS you all.
Haven't heard any updates, Chip, so searched this one out and thought I'd bring it up again.
Prayers continue for you all as the time draws closer.
Keep the Son in your eyes!
Still here and praying for ya'll too. Lord in your time and ways bless this family and grow Garrett into a strong man of God so he can tell others of your grace. Amen .......Dusty
We go in tomorrow for Garrett's Pre-Op appt and our meeting with the surgeon. My wife has really been stressing over keeping him healthy. She almost had a nervous breakdown today when our 8 year old daughter (who has been complaining about a sore throat) got mad at Garrett and spit a mouth full of water on him. She said she started crying uncontrollably. What's funny is later she was driving with Garrett in the car and asked him how she sounded earlier. She said he just made a pitful crying sound "waaahaahaaa".
While she has been worrying about that part the surgery has really started weighing on me. Please pray for both of us to know his peace and strength. I know I need more of it right now.
As always pray for Garrett, his surgeon and staff, and his big sisters.
thanks!
I'm praying the lord's hand will guide the surgeons and that the Lord will use Garrett as a continued example of Gods love. I pray that your family's burden will be eased, in the name of his holy son Jesus we pray.
All went well with Garrett's Pre-Admission Testing today. He did great until the nurse stuck the needle in his arm to draw blood. Ouch! Thankfully that was the very last thing to be done. He fell asleep in the car almost immediately and slept all the way home.
A friend asked Suzie on the way home if she felt a big relief of getting through today. She immediately said "No!", there was just a shift to worrying about Monday.
Not sure he really knows what is going on. They went through a little storybook with him today about how the doctor is going to look at his heart. Not sure how much he took in since he was working real hard on chewing a tootsie roll.
The procedure involves rerouting the blood coming in from the lower half of his body so it goes directly to his lungs. Since there is no pump pushing the blood into his lungs it is just passively flowing in and it will take a while for his body to adjust. He may have some stomach upset and other issues while his body adjusts.
He also has moderate leakage in his heart valves. Since he only has the one pump and set of valves it is important to keep these functioning well. The surgeon may add some type of ring to the valves that will help them function more efficiently. I should have more details on this on Monday.
Garrett will be the surgeon's second procedure of the day, which means his procedure probably won't start until late morning. We don't have to be there until 9:30am. Cardiac nurse said most of these patients are in the hospital for 2 weeks and 50% go home with their chest tubes still in place.
Thanks for your prayers!
Continued and renewed prayers for Wonderful Garrett!
May God's own hand rest on all involved, bring peace to you and your family.
Lord in your Mercy...
Keep the Son in your eyes, Chip!
:pray: :pray: :pray:
May the good Lord keep his angles on their ever present watch over young Garrett - and his parents.
Hang in there, Chip. It must be so scarey.
Amazing what these docs can do these days, huh, Chip?
The longer you have Garrett to enjoy, the tougher this has to be to "let go/let God".
I struggle with similar issues on a much smaller scale, but I can relate to how it's hard to "trust and walk in faith" at times. We want to do more ourselves to help... :)
Peace and blessings on you all. Remember, the bestest doctor of all is God! :)
Prayers for the procedure to go well and Garrett to do his own amazing adjustments and marvel the docs.
Go in peace... praise be to God!
Thanks, everyone!
I'm in better shape today, as far as my mindset goes. I am sure everyone's prayers are helping!
I will be lifting ya'll up and am waiting to see your report of how Garrett is doing. Lord please hold them close so that they can hear your heart beating for them. Lord please be with Garrett today and hold his hand as he goes thru this procedure. Father I stand on my faith in you that all will be well. Father you already know the end and it has not caught you off guard. Please stand with his Mama and Daddy as the await the results and still their hearts. I ask all this in your name.......Amen. God bless you and yours and God bless Garrett.......Dusty
Keeping him in mind and heart all day.
Continued prayers from here..
Prayer for your whole family. God's comfort and healing.
Thanks, everyone! We are all checked in and waiting. Surgeon's first case is running a lot longer than expected so we have been pushed back to at least 1pm.
He is in surgery. Nurse said he went to sleep just fine. Should get a report in about an hour. Surgery should take 4-5 hours.
Oh, buddy... hang in there Chip and Mrs. Chip!
We're praying and pulling for you and especially for li'l Fighter!
Lord in your Mercy, hear our prayers...
C'mon Garrett! Prayers for you all at this challenging time.
Got second report. Surgeon is still working through the scar tissue created from previous surgeries.
At the last report they had put him on the bypass machine and were about to start the bypass.
Praise God!
He is off the bypass machine. Everything went well! They just have to place the chest drains and close him up. It will probably be 8pm or so before we get to see him in the ICU.
Well, it's 8:30 here so hopefully, you can see him soon!
Thank you, Jesus, for Garrett coming thru "one more time"... and Lord, knowing his parents, Garrett will grow to testify for you the rest of his life! Amen.
Praise God indeed, Chip...Praise God indeed!!!
Thank you lord, and we pray the next few weeks go by quickly and smooooooothly.
Good News! We're all wanting a report when you have a moment but know we are praying hard for complete restoration.
He is in ICU and starting to wake up some. Everything has gone really well so far. Please pray for him to be calm when he wakes up!
He just got a little morphine. He is hating the tube down his throat! Hopefully that will come out soon!
He is draining a lot so they are going to give him some platelets to help with the blood loss.
Garrett is still draining a lot. As long as it continues at this pace they will not pull the air tube. They started him on some blood and he got a fever, so they have slowed it down some.
He had a few big collaterals they had to cut which is why he is bleeding so much.
Keep praying for our little buddy
Prayers to the Bestest Doctor of all
Chip,
I sit here at work, tears welling up, unable to imagine what you're going thru as I read this.
Your last post was 2:30am EDST. All I can do is to continue to pray that those bleeders have clotted over and sealed up, that Garrett is resting easy and not fighting the tube and that God's angels are surrounding li'l Guy and all of you who wait anxiously.
"LIve as your prayers are already answered" is one of those growth areas for me personally, but I will share the thought regardless.
Prayers for God's perfect Will and His peace to be on you all while HE heals Garrett from the inside out!
Lord in your mercy...
I just got back to his room after getting a little rest.
After I left last night he woke up enough and the bleeding slowed enough to remove his ventilator. Thank you, Lord!
He hasn't eaten anything since 11pm Sunday night and it will be at least another hour or so.
As always, thanks for your prayers!
Doc,
As usual, your words hit home! Thanks for the reminder that he knows my prayers before I have even asked!
I am back on duty while Suzie gets a break.
He got his first sip of apple juice a few minutes ago! Probably the best tasting sip he has ever had! He is sleeping again.
Just saw the cardiologist and surgeon. He looks really good! His heart rate is a little low, but they are not concerned.
They are going to start removing more tubes! Which is always a good thing!
The lower half of his body will be swollen due to the bypass. The blood coming up directly to the lungs now is only moving passively because there is no pump to push it. His body will have to adjust. In the meantime he may have an upset stomach and pain.
As always, thanks for your prayers!
Praying for progress and strength. Built in HIS image, the human body is an amazing work of art. With good medicine's help, its ability to heal is incredible.
things have progressed quickly! Garrett was moved to the floor from ICu about 20 minutes ago. Everyone (nurses and doctors) are amazed that he is playing the DS and out of the ICU less than 24 hours after his surgery. All I can say is Thank You, Lord!
QuoteOriginally posted by Hooked:
All I can say is Thank You, Lord!
and that right there, Chip, is one wonderful mouthful that brings joy to His ears and heart!
Thank you, Jesus! Lord please continue to watch over li'l Garrett. You must have great things in store for this li'l tyke as your hand has been so obvious in his short life and we pray will continue to be present in spades!
Lord in your Mercy!
Just tried to take Garrett for his first walk. Doctor said it is important to get him moving around. Unfortunately, the pain was too much. He didn't cry or complain, But you could tell from the look on his face he was hurting.
Got him back in bed with his DS, so he's happy again!
Doctors just came by again. He has some fluid on his right lung and his oxygen saturation is down some. It is important we get him up and moving. It will help alleviate some of the congestion he has in his lower body.
He's sleeping right now.
Got him up to go to the potty and to get him to walk some. The little guy hasn't complained or cried once about pain. So, when he started crying and saying "it hurts"! We knew it must be pretty bad! Got him back in bed and he went to sleep.
They tell us these symptoms are normal for what he had done and to be expected. Still hard to see him go through it!
We are also being told that day 2 is usually a lot harder because of soreness and the swelling in his lower body.
Oh, Chip... :(
Gotta be hard to do what is right knowing he doesn't understand.
Only suggestion is to explain it as best you can and somehow, it seems even infants "get it" when language isn't yet that strong...
Keep Katie's sage 7 yr old advice in mind and get the li'l tyke moving!
Prayers with you for Garrett's recovery and for you guys to have strength and faith in what needs done!
Hard to read this one without getting the keyboard wet with tears. I will pray that everything continues to go well with Garrett and for all of you!
Just threw up for the fourth time today. Seems like anytime he gets moved some or gets some orals meds the nurses have to change the sheets.
A lot of debate/discussion over why. Could just be from the procedure, from the anesthesia, or because his stomach is just empty. Probably a combo. He's in a lot of pain sometimes too.
Hoping he will get some rest now as he just got some morphine!
Come On, Garrett! Your family is in our prayers constantly.
Lord in a time like this where can we turn but to You. Who else can help us so help this family according to Your loving mercy, kindness, and grace.
I am still lifting ya'll up here too. Lord please continue to lay close to Garrett when he is resting and when he is up Lord take his pain away. Lord you can communicate with Garrett better then we can so please help him understand what is happening in his little body. Lord you are always in control and always right on time with your help and healing. Father hold Mama and Daddy and sister close to your heart as well. I lift them up to you and as always ask that your will not mine be done. i beleive you and your word when you say that the prayers of a rightous man avalith much and that we should cast our cares upon you because you care for us. I am only rightous thru you Lord but do ask for healing all around here in this family. Father you know what it feels like to watch a son suffer and I thank you for allowing it, but I ask for peace here in this family as Garrett continues to improve. I love you Father because you first loved me. I ask these things in you Holy Name, Amen.......God bless you and your.......Dusty
This morning started off the way yesterday ended, with Suzie hollering for the bedside bucket. He looks like he feels better, but still hasn't eaten anything. We think the problem is his stomach is empty, so any oral meds make him throw up. He just won't eat. The procedure he had done does cause stomach upset but the problem is compounded because he won't eat.
Please pray for Super Garrett to get hungry! And Eat!
Thanks!
Just had a big moment and hopefully a good sign of things to come! He just had his first bowel movement since before the surgery. He also walked back to his bed. Looked more like a penguin waddling along with all the tubes, wires, and drains, but we will take it! Praise God!
Hoping his appetite will improve and he will be able to keep some food down now! Keep those prayers coming!
Still having trouble with keeping stuff down. They are trying to get him off the morphine IV med, but he can't keep any oral meds down. If we could just get him eating then maybe he Wouldn't throw them up immediately.
Prayers sent!
Gut-wrenching times for you and the family, Chip. :(
We ache with you!
REading back thru your posts, it almost seems like all that stuff about what's to be expected from this one, might be happening...but in spades.
Having followed other surgeries with your posts, they went so swimmingly well, this likely seems such a let down.
He's a tough li'l hombre'. May God's Grace shine on you all and bring Garrett some healing and peace for you all!
Lord in your mercy...
Ok...I've been checkin this thread about every 2 hrs all day...
makes me nervous when Chip goes silent...
My hope and prayer is that Garrett is up and about, eating, poopin and grinning between med bouts and Pappy is just eating it up like cotton candy!
C'mon, Garrett! C'mon, Jesus...
Lord in your Mercy...
Sorry for the lack of updates today. I had to leave the Hosp for awhile for work and my wife was busy by herself.
He is making progress. Still tough to get him to eat and still throwing up, but he is acting more like himself. He went down to the playroom for awhile today and played on the Wii. He no longer just gives you that blank morphine induced stare, but actually is talking some.
Brought him some balloons and a donut when I came back today. They don't care what he eats, just that he starts eating something. He was excited to get it but hasnt taken a bite yet. He did take a few bites of a grill cheese sandwich!
They are talking about possibly removing his chest drains tomorrow. This is huge because 50% of kids with this procedure go home with them still in place.
Even without the drains, he won't go home until he shows he is eating, peeing, and pooping. He also has to get off all the IVs and Oxygen. Which means keeping down his oral meds.
Praise God for the progress he has made. Please pray for us at 9pm central, as they have to draw blood and needles and Garrett do not get along! About the only time he cries is when he sees needles. They dre blood earlier to day and had to stick him 3 times!
Garrett lost his IV so they just placed another. No fun for me and his Mom to hear him scream! I honestly think he is screaming in anticipation of the pain he thinks might be coming, not what he is actually feeling.
The good news is they placed the IV and drew the blood they needed at the same time.
Garrett just provided a little comic relief. As he stood there trying to pee but with nothing happening he said, "it's not working!"' then a few minutes later "come on...I hate my p_nus!"
He never did pee, but he did just take his longest walk!
Reading your stories, Chip, is some of the most heart-wrenching things I've done in a while...
Not a bad thing...just that I get so emotional, trying to imagine what you're going thru.
I think you hit it over the fence last page where you gave praise for what progress Garrett is making. Like I said, he kicked butt so much other times, this is likely so awful to go thru, but maybe more like most???
That is so funny about him trying to whiz and couldn't...had the same issue after my recent surgery... young and old! Oye! :eek:
C'mon, Li'l guy, eat, drink, pee and poo up a storm for em so they get ya on home!
Prayers for continued improvement, strength for all and peace that passes all understanding!
Lord in your Mercy...
Well, they are sending G back to the ICU.
His chest x-ray this morning showed a lot more fluid on his right lung. He's not peeing and not draining much. His lower abdomen is swollen. The doctors said they are just being hyper vigilante and they can monitor him more closely down there.
Crank up those prayers!
They are not putting in another chest drain yet, though that is a possibility. They believe the back up of blood into his lower abdomen from his bypass surgery is causing his problems with nausea and congestion in his right lung. So they are doing some things to really try to get those fluids moving better. We have to get him up and about which will help also. They are going to get him off the narcotics too.
Garrett just performed admirably to avoid having another foley catheter placement. They came in the room to place it and I asked for one more chance to pee. He came through and avoided some major discomfort!
Go, Garrett, Go Garrett! No, Really...GO BOY!
Whiz up a storm and make your own fluid drain, li'l Dude!
Sounds like a roller coaster from Hades!
:(
Keep the Son in your eyes!
Gonna knock on wood, but he is peeing and has walked up and down the hall a few times. Hasn't thrown up either. He is off the morphine. All good steps!
Thank you, Lord!
Still needs to eat and continue progress.
They are going to do a CT scan of his chest tomorrow. Please pray that it has cleared alot, otherwise he may need another chest drain inserted! If that doesn't work the last resort would be to open him back up and clean him out.
Praying for a successful surgery and for Garrett's speedy recovery...
Thank you, Chip, for allowing us to share this burden in such a small way...
Dawned on me that what you're going thru gives us a taste of what God must've felt watching what we did to HIS Son...
Prayers continue for Him to step in and continue the miracle of God's healing as in times before with Garrett!
Lord in your Mercy...
G had a pretty good night. Threw up a few times, but otherwise good. Suzie just went to the Ronald Mcdonald room to get some rest. She stayed with him all night.
He has become a major mommy's boy which makes it hard on Suzie to get any rest. He won't take his medicine without her here and he begs for her whenever a nurse messes with him.
He just did a good walk down the hall! But he still won't eat much if anything. He ate one grape and a sip of choc milk before dozing off.
Sounds like his chest x-ray looked better this morning! So still praying there will be no need for the CT and chest tube. Thank you, God!
Sounds like slow and steady improvements are starting to happen, thats fantastic. White coat syndrome...can be kind of tough like you say but cant say as I can blame him. Hang in there,Garrett will be home and playing soon.
Thanks for keeping us updated, Chip.
If I threw up every time I ate, I'd quit eating too! But I can stand to loose some weight... I'll swallow ping-pong balls or anything to keep from throwing up! :( Garrett has my full empathy!
You, my friend, have much, much more. You and Suzie. While it's hard on kids and scary, they're way more resilient than us parent folk.
We wear down faster and stay down longer.
Keep trusting in the "bestest doctor" and praying for His will... I'm told and have seen that is when the "peace that passess all understanding" goes active the most.
Easy to type and still (for me) a blister to live, but felt compelled to throw it out there by way of encouragement.
Prayers continue.
Keep the Son in your eyes!
Another good day with progress. He walked the halls a few times, ate more than he has since the surgery (though it consisted of potato chips, an Oreo, an ice cream bar, a few grapes, and a fe bit of a banana), and has held down some oral meds.
If his chest x-ray looks good in the morning, we will most likely be moved back to the floor. We have mixed feelings on leaving the ICU. It is great because it means he is improving, but they monitor him so much better in the ICU.
Praise the Lord for his progress! And please keep praying for his continued improvement.
I will have to work tomorrow so expect an update in the morning, but probably not another until the evening.
Prayers are being answerd...can you imagin how he will feel in a few days when these complications clear up? For the first time in his young life he will have oxygenated blood flowing. What a blessing this little boy is and will be. These kids are very special I'm tellin ya! GOD BLESS
QuoteOriginally posted by 4dogs:
Prayers are being answerd...can you imagin how he will feel in a few days when these complications clear up? For the first time in his young life he will have oxygenated blood flowing. What a blessing this little boy is and will be. These kids are very special I'm tellin ya! GOD BLESS
Mark,
There is no doubt about that! He has been special from the start, but I am a bit prejudiced. We have been a little worried about getting him fully recovered! He was already as busy as any 3 year old and now they keep telling us he will have more energy! yikes!
Met a nurse on the floor the other day who had the same series of surgeries. She is now 23.
chip
We made quite a scene in the PICU today.
Garrett didn't want to walk, he wanted momma to carry him! So, as cruel as it sounds, Momma was the carrot we dangled in front of him. He was practically running down the hallway and screaming "Mommy! Hold you! Hold you!". Every once in awhile he would get frustrated and just sit down. It was all our nurse could to keep up with him dragging his oxygen tank and I was running along side him trying to make sure he didn't fall.
All the other nurses were watching and half laughing because of the sight, but half crying too because they felt so sorry for him!
Thank you Lord for giving us the knowledge to do these kind of things. You have made our bodys to a well oiled machine but when things go wrong with it you have given us the knowledge to fix it too. Lord al good and perfrct gifts come form you and again we have wittnessed this in Garrett's life as well as his families. Please continue healing all around in this family. Please give Mama a good rest and give Daddy the knowledge to handle Garrett's needs today. I love you and praise you this day. It is in your name that I ask these things.......Amen.......Dusty
Beautiful prayer and so spot on, Dusty.
Doesn't sound cruel to me, Chip, to do whatever it takes to get that boy well. He's too young to make knowlegeable decisions, and that is why God gave him such good parents.
I had the privilage of a few good years parenting my ex-wife's infant son and in those wonderful/painful years, I learned how puny my best efforts could be, how helpless one really is when a child hurts and just a little how God may have felt sending His Son to take on our sins. Parenting is a powerful experience.
Thank you Lord for equipping those you call like Chip and Suzie. Strengthen them and keep them while you continue your miracle of healing in li'l Garrett!
Thank you for alowing us to share in some small way by uplifting this family and others.
We already know our prayers are answered and your perfect Will is at work in the lives of those who call on your name. Amen and amen.
I just got back to the hospital. The good news is they moved Garrett to the floor because he has improved so much, the bad news is they moved Garrett to the floor when he gets monitored much better in the PICU.
He is definitely feeling better, but still needs improvement in many areas. He is low on potassium and is having to take some through his IV and orally. His appetite has returned and we are trying to get him to eat lots of bananas.
He blew out his IV again and had to have another placed, glad I wasn't here for that! They also had to draw blood. Anything with needles causes a scene.
Thank you, Lord, for all the progress!
please pray for continued progress!
I'm 52 years old and a 100% Mama's boy. I remember thinking at one time in my life when I was young, that this was a bad thing. But I know how Garrett feels about his Mama as well as many here do. He loves you Chip but Mama is the one who can fix it all just by her touch and soft kisses. Daddy's just don't have that just right touch of a Mama. Thank God for Mama's past, present and future and praise God that Garrett can run. I guess we need to be praying that God will give you the speed to keep up with him. LOL!.......Dusty
Praises for the improvement.
Peace over the continued concerns and strength for them to be "turned over"
Prayers for continued headling for the li'l guy and for his folks to find rest and recuperation in the hours, days, & weeks to come.
QuoteOriginally posted by Rookie@51:
I'm 52 years old and a 100% Mama's boy. I remember thinking at one time in my life when I was young, that this was a bad thing. But I know how Garrett feels about his Mama as well as many here do. He loves you Chip but Mama is the one who can fix it all just by her touch and soft kisses. Daddy's just don't have that just right touch of a Mama. Thank God for Mama's past, present and future and praise God that Garrett can run. I guess we need to be praying that God will give you the speed to keep up with him. LOL!.......Dusty
Ya, I know! I am the same way. My Dad was definitely not one to go to for sympathy, but Mom could always make me feel better!
Garret wants me when it is play time though!
Looks like I will be heading home for the night, drive to St Louis tomorrow for work, then to Des Moines, and back on Friday. Hopefully, Garrett will be home by the time I get back in town! I hate not to be here to bring him home, but I still have to pay the bills.
He had a great day! Still working on getting more fluid out of his chest, have to ween him off the oxygen, etc.
They removed the dressing on his chest today. He is starting to get upset anytime a nurse touches him, like he expects there to be pain!
Thanks again for all the prayers! But please don't stop them yet!
Won't stop praying for you, Suzie, the girls or li'l Fartblossom Garrett till he's carrying Pappy's treestands for him! :)
Garrett will be so happy to get home, he might just forgive his Daddy for being off making moola to keep grub in the fridge!
Just wait till he starts eating again... you'll have to get a part-time job to keep the shelves stocked! :)
What a glorious day that will be, eh, Chip.
Travel safe, Amigo! Keep the shiney side up and your mind on the road ahead.
Lord in your Mercy!
Father God, Your work is evident here in Garrett's life, his health, and his continued improvement. We praise you for Your wonderful miracles in his young life, for sustaining him through the surgeries, strengthening his weaknesses, preventing infections, and guiding the doctors' hands to Your will. You are the Creator, the Great Physician, and our God who loves us. Thank You Lord for what You have done! Amen.
I am speechless we will keep you in our prayers. You are a good father and a good man keep on praying and praising the Lord there is power in prayer God Bless
Postd by my wife today:
"Garrett's chest x-rays continue to improve with each day. The drainage from his blake drains have slowed down quite a bit. The doctors all say he looks clinically good. I am a little worried about the dark circles under his eyes and the sunken in look they have. I know his little body has been through so much. However, I have just noticed this change with him the last few days. The doctors reassure me that he is fine. He may be a little dehydrated because we are trying to pull the extra fluid off of his lungs still. He is finally eating somewhat better. Hopefully, this is just me being a worrying & exhausted mom. However, I do continually ask every doctor that comes in the room what they think. I have found that if you ask the same question to 15 different people, you will get 15 different answers. We still don't know when we will come home. Some say maybe the weekend. But, that is just a guess. Thank you for all of your prayers and love!
Chip had to go to St. Louis and Iowa for work. I know that is hard on him to leave Garrett. Thank you Chip for being such a great dad and husband. We love you!"
Just talked to Suzie and she said she is afraid to post positive stuff because then something happens. She mentioned above that she was worried about the way he looks and how tired he was today. Now he is running a low grade fever and his breathing rate is high. If his fever doesn't go away they will have to do labs (another needle stick) to see if there is an infection. This is similar to what happened before he ended up back inthe ICU. They also think he has popped his IV again because of all the pain he is in when they run anything through the IV.
We have made some great progress! Please pray that his fever goes away and we continue the progress!
Dear Suzie and Chip,
First, Suzie, don't fall prey to my silly way of viewing life that if you share something positive it will disappear. That is the devil's own hand at work. I grew up in that culture of germanic nonsense that to be happy was being ungodly...I fight it daily!
Praise each improvement for what it is. Doesn't mean there won't be setbacks as there will. They're rebuilding your baby's body one part at a time! Amazing! God provided the technology and skill for it to happen, but it's "against the grain" and there will be setbacks galore in the process.
What I notice (NOT having to watch that li'l child suffer or his parents reserves dwindle) is that there have been all these "setbacks" and returns to NICU, but with each down turn, Garrett comes back quicker and stronger each time.
The 15 different answers rather tie back to Chip's tag line...cause those 15 doctors are mere mortals and they don't truly know and can only make "educated guesses". ONly God knows and right now, He's asking...even demanding that you all go on Faith...which is believing in what cannot be seen nor proven.
If Garrett's poppin IV's he may get some infiltration which can cause some minor infection...
Prayers abound from us all to avert any more complications or set backs, but when they come, we all have to rally up and pray harder.
My prayers are now more for you two than Garrett.
God's got Garrett in the palm of his everlasting hand... but it's you who think, worry, and push yourselves that my prayers for peace and strength focus on at this time.
Keep the Son in your eyes!
Doc and others,
Thanks for the time you take to post words to help us feel better and boost our faith! Not that our faith needs boosting, but your words remind us sometimes where our thoughts should be.
Garrett just had his chest drains removed. I listened by phone, not fun. He crashed when they removed his drains after his first surgery, so it is a high stress moment for mom and dad. Well...and for Garrett too! He was not happy at all!
The next step is they are taking him down for x-rays. But the next several hours are important. When he crashed after his first surgery, It happened immediately when the drains were pulled. It is caused by air getting in the chest cavity and applying so much pressure that the lungs can't inflate. Typically, if this is going to happen it is a gradual thing that happens after several hours. Please pray it wont happen!
Also, Garrett still has a fever (over 101). They did blood work and his white blood cell count is way up, so something is going on. Please pray for this to improve also.
Such a roller coaster ride! We keep moving forward but with lots of ups and downs.
Thank you, Lord, for watching over our little buddy!
Just after noon you posted according to Gang time.
It's now 6:15pm EDST.
Prayers are a bit behind, but praying for the crash to never have come and if it came, that it went away as fast... and that the infection is identified quickly and resolved.
I cannot imagine what it must be like, but can you even fathom where people get strength who do not have faith?
Keep the Son in your eyes...prayers abound!
Like my wife I am kinda skeered to post that something is better or resolved.
No crash! Still have to watch his lungs for fluid build up even after we go home.
Fever is not completely gone, but is low grade. They have done some cultures from his blood to see what might be causing the fever.
He is still getting oxygen, but is down to half a liter.
He was excited to see me when I got back today! He jumped out of his chair, ran over and started punching me in the stomach saying "eeyah, eeyah!". Too much Kung Fu panda, I think! Nurse and wife then proceeded to chew me out for getting him riled up?!? all I did was walk in and sit down!
I think all that is left to get him home is figuring out the fever, getting rid of the oxygen, and a day or two of observation after the chest drain removal.
I'm betting those were the most enjoyable you will ever face!
Watching and praying for the best.
Another worrysome bump...He has the right spirit... all in GOD'S time :pray:
Let em chew... :) You can handle that to have him show some enthusiasm and spunk! :)
Go Garrett, Go Garrett! I wish I could come and let him punch on me just to see this li'l miracle and give you and Suzie hugs!
Continued prayers for God's will, His Peace and Prefect Healing to be on Garret, the girls and you and Suzie!
Posted by my wife this morning:
Garrett has had a great morning so far today! They were about to draw blood again for a second round of cultures the doctors ordered. However, our cardiovascular nurse happened to walk in just as they were about to stick him. She asked why they were wanting more cultures and told them that it wasn't necessary. She then went to talk to the "blue team" (the medical team) and she talked them out of it! They did draw some blood out of his current IV to check his white blood cell count. He still had a low grade fever last night, but his blood count results from today were down from yesterday. That is some more great news. We are still anxious to get the results of the cultures that were drawn yesterday. Don't know if this all makes sense, but prayers have been answered.
They have turned off his oxygen and he does seem to be tolerating that fine. His daily chest x-ray showed a little fluid on his lungs this a.m. so they are giving him some additional lasix to try to dry him up. We could be here a couple more days still, but definitely headed in that direction.
Ther other night Garrett and I had just laid down to go to sleep. There is a curtain that I usually pull by the room door to keep the hall light out of our room. I forgot to do it that night and Garrett said, "Mommy, close the curtain so the nurses can't come in." Whenever the nurses walk in he asks, "No medicine? No pokies?" (blood draws) He is such a brave, courageous, sweet boy. We are so proud to be his parents.
Right now, Garrett is dancing around the room doing the "Mario brother" dance. He was watching a Mario movie on his dad's ipad.
Thank you again for all of your love, support, and prayers. There have been people all around the world praying for our little buddy. Thank you Lord for watching over Garrett and please bless all of our friends.
Garrett has done well since Suzie's post this morning.
He did throw up, but it was from gagging on a gummy bear he didn't chew good enough.
They took him completely off oxygen today and have been watching his stats closely. His pulse ox has been hovering below where they want it, so they have mentioned possibly putting him back on it. He was on half a liter when they took him off.
His x-ray did show some fluid in his right lung this morning, so they are watching it closely too.
Getting close! Would be nice to be home on the fourth!
4th, 5th...whenever Chip, we will celebrate with you. Steady as she goes, bro.
No reason to race to the barn now, and there be them gopher holes on the back 40 can bust a leg. :(
Lord, we all thank you for Garrett's progress. We know without you, all the medicine and doctor's in the world wouldn't amount to spit.
Continue to be with our li'l tiger Garrett, his folks and his sisters! We love you Lord and what you've done in these good people's lives.
We ask you to continue to watch over Garrett and the family. Continue his healing to witness to YOUR glory, Lord! In your Son's name. Amen.
:pray: Amen.
Garrett is doing very well! Unfortunately, they did have to put him back on oxygen last night. His pulse ox stats were just not staying high enough. Praying they will have better luck weaning him off it today.
Yesterday's x-ray showed some new fluid on his lung. Today's x-ray appears to be a tiny bit better. I had the nurse show me his x-rays Friday night because I had not seen them since the x-ray that sent him back to the ICU. The difference was awesome! Thank you, Lord. Last week, even the first x-ray after he had improved some in the ICU looked horrible compared to how they look now. Last Friday his right lung was almost solid white this Friday all that white was gone.
His electrolytes and potassium levels are good. At noon we will be at 48 hours since they started the blood cultures, so we should get a report around then on what infection he might have. Praying there will be none.
I think the main thing keeping us at the hospital is his oxygen, but should know more when the doctors do their rounds.
Chip,
Aside from the stress you and the family are enduring throughout this experience, may I say how much I personally appreciate your efforts to keep us updated!!!
I check this regularly, even at work. Been around here long enough to remember the other operations and you guys have a special place in my heart! :)
Sounds like things keep inching forward... change is a process, not an event...so forward is good...
Prayers continue, my friend!
As said above ,have been watching and praying for all sence first saw this post.
Am glad to see all is going forward in a great direction.
As the wife and I pray for you and yours we have to keep reminding ourselves that this will be done on Gods timetable not ours.
We will keep all of you in our prayers..
Later..... Buzz and Kelly
A few updates:
His surgeon and staff came by this morning. They took him off the oxygen and said that even though his stats may be lower off the oxygen they are still higher than they were before the surgery. The doctor's original order was to put him on more oxygen if his pulse ox fell below 85. Last night he was stabilizing at 83 off the oxygen so they put him back on it. The doctor changed the order to 80 as the low, so he should'nt have to go back on the oxygen.
It is funny, the nurses and respiratory therapists fight over who is going to get Garrett. The little guy is a magnet to people with his personality! Praying he will be able to use that for the Lord someday! He must be a huge magnet for them to fight over him, when they have to put up with his high maintenance, over demanding parents!
There was no change in his x-ray from yesterday, so he still has some fluid on that right lung. They are giving him different things to get him to move more fluid.
More good news was his white blood cell count is down more from yesterday. Whatever was causing the fever, his little body has been able to fight off.
Hoping tomorrow will be the day to go home, if not Tuesday. No one will tell us for sure, but it mostly seems to be centered around getting rid of the fluid on his right lung. We learned through his first two surgeries that you don't count on anything until it happens.
Was joking with Momma that her two week hospital vacation will be over soon (she hasn't left the hospital since we arrived for surgery). My joke didn't go over very well!
Thanks for the update. If he's better than he was on 02, then that is a good thing.
Sometimes,medical folks can be so human and just not piece things together perfectly, eh? :)
Wish the fluid would just "go away", but perhaps that is for a reason in His plan?
So happy to read that things are better.
Suzie will forgive any faux pas in the humor department when she gets some rest! :)
Mamma bear's cub is hurting and Momma bear got no sense of humor! :)
It'll all work out! Prayers for a timely discharge to go home when all is as it should be so there are no emergency returns!
Keep the Son in your eyes!
IT'S INDEPENDENCE DAY!!
We're going home!! Sorry, that's all for now...keyboard is getting fuzzy!
THANK YOU, LORD!
PRAISE GOD FROM WHOM ALL BLESSINGS FLOW!!!
May God continue to bless the Jones family and watch over Garrett so there be no rebound issues.
Independence Day indeed! Will Smith would light your cigar today if he knew! :)
Thank you, Jesus!!!
This one Independance day yous will never forget...congradulations...go home and enjoy, celabrate and worship and thank GOD !! I'm very happy for you guys, I got a special firework I'm sending skyward tonight.
God bless on your journeys home.
:bigsmyl: :notworthy:
We have been home since yesterday afternoon. G is doing great! He is happy to be home, though he may have overdone it a bit yesterday.
Still has alot of oral meds to take, which is a fight every time, and we have to watch for signs of fluid building up in his right lung again. He has a follow up appt on Thurs for chest x-rays, lab work, and an echo.
Prayers continue that his return home will be a long, long one without complications. Whatever arises, Garrett couldn't have better parents to be watching over him... and His Father in Heaven seems to have taken quite a shine to the li'l tyke too! :)
That is a big "Thank YOU, Lord!" Right there!
Keep us posted. Prayers continue!!!
That fight you have to deal with on the meds is the same fight that has worked so hard to keep our little buddy alive. I think I know where he learned it from too.
We will continue to cover ya'll in prayers and ya'll continue to shine forth that fighting spirit for Garrett to feed off of. PRAISE GOD for it all and thank Him for what the future hold even when it scares you to death to think about it. God said He walks closer than a brother with us. PRAISE GOD for you all and the way you have affected my life thru this whole thing. Thanks for letting us have a look see into what was a very scarey time in your family and thank you Father for lighting the path for us all to see that we are not alone in these dark times. Chip, as others have said, better than I could say it, What a blessing your family has and will continue to be to me.. Still praying for you all......Dusty
We have been home a few days and all is well! Still fighting Garrett whenever it is medicine time, but (as pointed out by Dusty) I wouldn't change his stubborn, fighting spirit for anything.
He is so funny because he sits there making any excuse he can think of: my tummy hurts, I'm tired, I want to go to bed, I'm hungry, etc. He also usually asks for chocolate milk, apple juice, or water before he will take it. Whichever one he doesn't already have is what he asks for. Then when you bring it to him he won't take it because he wants it in a different cup, LOL! Twice now I have had to pretend like I was calling a nurse to come over and give it to him before he would take it. And he will only take it from Momma.
Today he started something new. Whenever someone asks him how he is feeling, he doesn't say a word, he just lifts up his shirt and shows them his incision and chest drain holes. They say a picture is worth a thousand words!
Suzie takes him in tomorrow for chest x-rays, lab work, and an echo. Please pray for all to go well for both Garrett and his Momma, as I am glad I won't be there for the blood drawing for the lab work!!!!
Thank you, Lord! And thank you to everyone who has been praying for our little buddy!
Thanks for the update, chip.
Fiestly lil bucko, but as you and others have said, praise God for a fighting spirit!
glad you can laugh at his antics... poor Suzie, though, having to be the only one he relates to for the bad stuff (in his mind).
Sure hope the Lord at least smiles when I don't want to take my "medicine" from this worldly realm...
Y'know we all got you folks covered in prayers for Garrett moving forward and praises for all He has done so far!
Lord in your mercy...
Praise God and prayers for continued healing
Garrett is doing well! He has has good and bad days but each day that passes means more healing.
He has had two follow up appts with x-rays and lab work. He still has some fluid on his right lung, no better but no worse than when he was released from the hosp.
Been wondering, Chip! Thanks for updating.
Prayers continue for continued healing, fluid to go 'bye-bye', and that li'l rascal to be back to his impish self running amuck of all sorts of "boy escapades".
Lord in your Mercy, hear our prayers for li'l Garrett, his sisters, and his tireless parents. Amen
Not alot to update on at this point, which is a good thing!
Garrett is healing more each day. His last check up still showed some fluid on his right lung, but it was maybe a little better. The cardiologist is a little concerned that his oxygen stats aren't higher. They were in the upper 80's and they want them to be in the low 90's. If that doesn't improve they might have to do a cath procedure to seal off more collaterals (new blood vessels the body creates to try and compensate for his condition). But we were told it could be a long time before that is needed.
He is still fighting his meds every time! But they did reduce them by one diuretic. Still taking two along with his other heart medicines.
Once again, thank you for all your prayers! And Thank you, Lord for taking care of Garrett!
Wish it were as glowing a report by now as in times past with other surgeries, but the good news is abundant, none the less! :)
Prayers of thanksgiving are surely in order for all Garrett has been brought thru and over come this go around! Thank you, Lord! :)
Not quite sure why the 02 Saturation isn't higher and yea, 90's are preferred... good thing they don't still have him on o2 at home.
Have to smile reading he's fighting meds... that has to be a picture right there...
We're about due for some pics of the li'l rascal to update my failing memory bank!
Prayers continue, Chip!
Here is the most recent pic I could find on the computer. It was 4th of July, the day we came home form the hospital. We were at the neighborhood block party. He was still a little pale and didn't last very long, but he had fun!
(http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v380/wfjones2/014-4.jpg)
LOOK at THAT!
Garrett has hair and TEETH! Man, li'l buddy, you've come a long way in a few short years!
Thanks, Chip! I needed that! What a grinning li'l monkey and after all that he went through!
What a cute kid!!
That is a fine looking young fellow. You can't tell from that smile that there has ever been anything wrong. It lifted my spirit just to see that big smile. Ya'll are still in my prayers. Thank you for that picture and God bless you and your family.......Dusty
You're a blessed family to have fought through these past events, yet won the battle. Wow, what a smile and personallity Garrett has!!! There are so many complications possible in a procedure like his that it is evident God's hand sustained his life. God has given him life continued, given you another gift, and a story to tell others about His handiwork.
My miracle was born way too early at 1 lb. 12oz, swollen and limp. Her first week of life, she lost weight, down to 1 lb. 3oz. Docters didn't giver her any chances, but the Great Physician did....17 years ago. She's still my miracle and Garrett is yours. Praise God from whom all blessings flow...