Baby Reed-Day After Surgery

Today Reed is recovering from his surgery. He had a open thoracotomy and repair of a hernia in his diaphragm yesterday. He had to have a mesh patch prosthetic implanted to close the hole. This will stay in his body and his tissues will grow into it.

He is doing fantastic on the ventilator. They have been able to reduce the support a few times and his body is adjusting. There is talk of removing the breathing tube in the morning on Thursday, and the nurse today said Reed is doing so good he is a Rock Star!

Long day waiting yesterday.....Reed in surgery from 12 to 6pm.

That's my boy somewhere under all the equipment! From head to toe... PICC line in right scalp threaded into heart, photo therapy goggles for jaundice lights, naso-gastric tube from nose into stomach to suction out secretions and keep it empty, endo-tracheal tube to ventilate lungs, patches on chest for cardiac monitoring, epidural for pain control in his back, three laprascopic incisions under left arm, one three inch incision near 10th rib on left side, IV line and arterial line in right arm and hand, oxygen saturation monitor left wrist, urinary catheter, IV line in left foot. Wow
We can't hold him. They reposition him every few hours. He moves his arms, opens his eyes, kicks his legs. I even saw him get really mad and cry (no sound comes out with the tube), his face got all red! You go boy, fight, fight, fight!

Before surgery, Reed had a concave stomach, and a large barrel chest. Now with organs pulled down into belly cavity, he has a nice round tummy, and a more even, smaller chest.

Hoping to loose a few tubes tomorrow. Maybe we can hold him then.

Thank-you for all your prayers, fasting, and support.