The Toughest Job....Ever!

I'm sure bankers on Wall Street, CEO's of huge multi-billion dollar corporations and even neuro-brain surgeons all have very tough jobs. I'm sure they worry and pace, and hopefully probably even pray before taking that next huge step.  

But, this Mama knows the facts, the truth.  There is NO job on the face of the earth that is harder, than being a Mama.  Nothing.  Hands downs. I'm thinking God knew Adam wouldn't have the necessary grit and tenacity to become a Mama, not in the physical sense, but in the emotional sense, that's why he sent him off to work.

Gosh, how I love this silly boy!

It's been quite a while since I've updated on our precious China man, Kai.

We've not quite experienced anything like we did during THIS time period. But, we did have a bit of a scare with his apnea issues last year, where he had to be taken into emergency surgery to open his airways, after he stopped breathing in a previous surgery two days before, getting new tubes in his ears.

Our new doctor in Charlotte is world renown and came highly recommended.  We feel we are in good hands.

Since we arrived in the Promised Land, Kai has been seeing his doctors, and the orthodontists have been working diligently with him to expand his jaw, all in preparation for the the highlight of every child born with a cleft palate, the scary and extremely painful  ALVEOLAR BONE GRAFT surgery. 

My heart aches for my boy.

  

Let me back up a bit.  

It amazes me how "in-tune" I am to this child. I knew he wasn't hearing well again.  I took him to the ENT and sure enough, tubes are out and new ones need to be put in.  His eardrums are flat against the bone because they have no ventilation.  Only problem with this 'routine' surgery is that the last time, his left eardrum was perforated.  It was repaired with a paper patch, as they call it.  The patch held.  The perforation occurred  because of the many sets of tubes he's had put in.  It's worn down the lining of the drum and it is thin and fragile.  The only remedy to revert his hearing again to normal is.....another set of tubes, and the risk of yet another perforated eardrum.  If that happens, we may not get so lucky that a patch will hold and it be repaired.  I'm leaving it to God. 

Have I mentioned that my heart aches for my boy?   Just checking.

God's precious child!

The ENT wanted me to check with his surgeon to make sure he didn't need any other surgeries at this time, so he wouldn't be put under twice.

That brings us to today.   We went to visit his surgeon.   I explained what the ENT had said, and also mentioned that the orthodontists (who had already faxed him their opinions) felt his jaw had been widened enough for the bone graft.  After a thorough examination.  He agreed.

So, we head for our 13th and 14th surgical procedure, his 9th myringtomy (tubes in ears) and the infamous Alveolar bone graft.  

Now here is where I once again claim that being a Mama is the world's toughest job.

I asked the doctor to tell me the procedures and recovery for the bone graft.  

He said that bone for the graft could be accessed from three sources:

• Allograft - cadaveric "living" bone obtained from a bone bank with added stem cells

• Autologous - bone harvested from his own body which could come from either the hip (iliac crest), or the skull (if the hole that needed to be filled is very large).

I asked what the differences and pros and cons would be.

He said pros were the obvious, which is to provide support for the lip and nose, improve symmetry (although his nose will be another surgery in the future), and form a continuous upper gum ridge for adult teeth to adhere to and grow from.

He said the cadaver graft would obviously not have the pain as harvesting a bone from his own body, but he only uses cadaver bone when it is not a large hole he needs to fill.  In addition, doing the cadaver graft he would only need to remain in the hospital one night, if there were no complications.

Then, I asked about the cons and how he would determine which graft he would use for Kai.

He said he would not know until he was in surgery, and looked inside to see the depths and width of the cleft, how much bone or what type of graft he would use.

Number 1 con for the hip or skull, "Pain!"   I asked how long would the pain last, and held my breath hoping to hear, "a day or two".   He responded with, "Two to three weeks."   The surgery would last approximately 5 to 6 hours, and his hospital stay would be 3 or 4 nights, possibly longer, depending on how he does.  He would then be out of school for another week after that and be on liquid/soft foods for 6 weeks. 

He also mentioned that he would need at least two more surgeries to correct his deviated septum and move facial muscles around that will allow for easier breathing, since his palate deformity was pretty severe.

Bless his sweet heart, Kai loathes missing school because of the makeup work.  I told him we'd deal with it.  Honestly, I think we have bigger fish to fry at this time so I'm not gonna stress over it, not to mention that he has amazing teachers that will no doubt, work with us.  

After being told about the autologous grafts, I really almost felt like asking nothing else when he emphasized the pain from the hip.  I felt like I had been punched in the gut.  

I then went to check out and asked when someone would contact me about the surgery.  They told me, of course, that they had to speak to the insurance company (which is a whole other story since we are thousands away from meeting our insane deductible), and then coordinate with the ENT a surgical date.  But, she was clear to say that we are not to expect anything for at least TWO MONTHS.  I said, "Months?  TWO MONTHS?"  The girl said, "Yes, we have approximately 45 children waiting to be put on the schedule for surgery."   ::sigh::   

So, we are looking at the end of April, possibly May before all this occurs.  I remain steadfast on the fact that God's timing is perfect, so I didn't question it, or try to push for an earlier date. Besides, I was still numb, thinking about my skinny, little guy who will be crying in pain.  I have seen that sweet face beg me to stop the hurt after a surgery, and have felt completely helpless. But, I have also seen God perform miracles right before my eyes, when I begged Him to take the pain away.

It's hard to explain, unless you've been through it, how difficult it is to see your child go through surgery after surgery, and yet....we are SO blessed.  God has taken such incredible care of us.  He has never, ever failed us.  It took me driving home, shedding a few tears, hugging my husband and claiming over and over how I wish I could be the donor, for me to realize that yes, while this is another surgery for a little boy that has been through more than any child should go through, HE IS HEALTHY!

I thank God from the depths of my soul, that I could say those words.  I have friends with children that have terminal diseases, with children going through their second rounds of chemo, with children in wheelchairs that will never know the joys of running through a field or racing down the street.  I. WILL. NOT. COMPLAIN.  

My heart hurts for my boy.   Yes, it does.  It tears me up that he is going through yet another painful surgery, but he is tough!  He is resilient!  He has a great surgeon that knows what he's doing and truly cares for the children he treats.  

But most importantly, my precious little Kai has a Savior that loves him and that will never forsake him.  A Savior that is indeed the Great Physician.  A Savior who has guided every surgeon's hands that have ever been placed on this little boy, and a Savior who knows what is best for all of us and we could blindly trust.

So, while I may have the toughest job on the face of the earth, I will do it daily.  Gladly.  Joyfully, for no monetary reward.  The smiles and joy in the faces of those precious babes God entrusted me to care for, is worth every single tear and pang of pain in my heart.  My greatest gifts came in the form of six little bundles.  

Isn't he the sweetest?

We covet your prayers for both his ears, and the easiest, less painful and successful bone graft possible. 

This Mama thanks you from the bottom of her heart.

 

in all thy ways acknowlege Him

"If you believe, you will receive whatever you ask for in prayer."

Matthew 21:22

And that's exactly what we did. All of us. His body on earth.

We believed. We received.

First, the ENT's office. Kai and I arrived about 45 minutes early. I hadn't sat down to fill out paperwork before they were already calling us in. I love this doctor! What a kind man. He asked about my drive up, whether or not I had gotten lost and of course, the reason why we were there, about how Kai was doing. He looked in his mouth, played with him a bit, looked in his ears, and allowed Kai to examine his mouth and ears. After Kai's examination the doctor turned to me and said, "Mom, I think he's doing great! Everything looks exactly as it should. His breathing sounds perfect. How about coming back in six months?" I quietly whispered to my God, "Thank you, Jesus!" "In all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make your paths straight." - Proverbs 3:6

Oh yea, my God rocks and he his setting our paths straight. Straight to Dr. Hero's office where we found ourselves sitting 15 minutes later.

Kai made himself at home as he leaned back in the little recliner provided for kids, with his feet propped up watching Handy Manny on the flat screen TV in front of him. Life is good being four, you know.

A few minutes later we were called in. As I walked past Dr. Hero's office to the examining room, I noticed right next to his desk, the plaque we had given him hanging on the wall. That warmed my heart.

Kai was weighed in the room and again, a huge praise to our King....he now weighs a whopping 32 pounds!!! He's gained four pounds since he was first admitted on March 10. That's huge for a little boy that's taken a year to gain two pounds. We still see some ribs and bones, but there's no doubt, we're getting there!

Kai and I sat in the examining room reading The Little Mermaid while we waited for Dr. Hero to make his entrance. Just as we finished the book, he entered the room. Of course, as always, he greeted us with an exuberant welcome.

Then we got down to business.

I told him about Kai still de-sat'ing one or two times a night, mostly 88 - 90. He said he thought that was pretty insignificant (another praise to the King!) but that he still recommended we take Kai in for a complete sleep study in about 4-6 weeks.

During our talk, Kai had been on the floor playing with his Spiderman figure. Dr. Hero scooped him up and put him on the examining table. Dr. Hero asked Kai to open wide, which Kai eagerly complied with. "His stitches are healed and he looks great!", was the response from Dr. Hero.

We chit-chatted for a little bit afterwards about what future procedures Kai will be needing in regards to his cleft palate; i.e. bone graft, possible orthognathic (corrective jaw) surgery, long-term speech therapy, etc. We are by no means done, but we are well on our way to that straight path. And we know it's because God allowed this to happen and because of the many, many people praying for our boy. After agreeing to return in four months for a follow-up and another round of hugs and kisses, we were on our way.

Prior to leaving to Orlando, I had arranged a very special meeting with a very special little boy, Isaac. I 'met' Isaac's Mommy, Gretchen, when I received an email from her over two years ago as we prepared to bring home Anna Grace. She was using the same agency we used to bring home Kai and was in the DTC group prior to my sister's, August 2006.

While waiting for their NSN baby to come home, God moved their hearts to special needs. One day, I received a phone call from Gretchen telling me they were reviewing the file of a little boy with cleft lip and palate. She wanted to know about my experience with Kai and also about cleft doctors. She just happened to live in Orlando. Of course, I raved about Dr. Hero.

Six months ago, this absolutely, scrumptious little man came home to his forever family. I was honored and blessed to meet him and his Mama yesterday.

I don't have to tell you guys how my heart just shrivels up and melts into a puddle over cleft babies. Meeting sweet Isaac yesterday was absolutely no exception. He's 20 months old and has a humongous personality. Just cute as a button.! Kai greeted him by saying, "Look Mama! He's Chinese. Just like me!" heh.

I admit, it's a good thing his Mama was keeping a good eye on him, because I may have just snagged that little man and stuffed him in my bag, only to come home and say to Scott, "Hey! Look what Kai was a given as a gift at the doctor's office!" Ahem. Do you think he'd believe me? Probably not, huh?

And the best part? This little man has an auntie that lives the next town over from us. About a 15 minute drive. So, I know it won't be the last time we see him!

Gretchen, again, thank you for taking the time to meet up with us. We were completely blessed. FYI. I did give Scott a heads up that we'll be seeing you soon and he better guard his heart cause otherwise it will be stolen.

Thank you all for your prayers. I believe we've reached the end of this chapter. Please take a moment to acknowledge our God for His perfect will being the answer to our prayers. He is so worthy of praise!

Here are some pictures from yesterday's trip and from our little play date. Please excuse the terrible quality of the pictures. Not only was the lighting bad, but I didn't take my all incredible and amazing Canon, but instead took my old, not-worthy-of carrying, simple HP point and shoot.

I took this while driving up. The sun rising over the fog. Only God could create such beauty!

"But Mama, why don't you take just one bite!!!"

Is that an adorable little face or what? I love the hair, too!

Working hard on figuring out how to take the screws out of the bench.

Finally meeting another online buddy! I love these moments!



"Mama, pleeeeeease, can we keep him?"

P.S. DON'T FORGET TO CHECK BACK ABOUT THE DETAILS FOR THE UPCOMING GIVEAWAY!!!!

the end is near

It's 10:45 p.m. and for the first time in weeks, I'm going to bed early. Kai and I will be on our way back to Orlando at 5:30 a.m. for what will hopefully be his last visit in relation to all the struggles this little man has been facing the past 8 weeks. Although Kai still has been de-sat'ing a couple of times a night, we've really seen some major improvement in his sleep. His energy level during the day has improved drastically, obviously because he now actually rest when he sleeps. Hopefully, we'll leave there hearing Dr. Hero tell us, "See you next year!".

Please can I ask one more time for you to keep us in your prayers?

THANK YOU!!!

God bless.

The Nails....and The Nails!

"While we were still helpless, at the right time Christ died for the ungodly. For one will hardly die for a righteous man; though perhaps for the good man someone would dare even to die. But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us." - Romans 5:6-8


Some nails I am so very thankful for. And. Some. I am definitely not!


Good Friday is a day of mourning, of sadness, of reflection at the injustice that lurks in the dark world that we live in. Yet, our omnipotent God knew. And He loved us so much that He sacrificed His son, His only son, our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, so that we may have eternal life.

That afternoon when that cross was raised in Golgotha, when our Lord willingly suffered and died for each of us, when nails were hammered into his flesh, after he had been spat on and humiliated for our sins, we had no idea that it would be the greatest gift we would ever receive. My heart breaks at the thought of how Jesus suffered for me, a sinner, on that cross. It breaks when I think of what an offensive, repeat offender I continue to be. Yet, His love for me is so great that He continues to remind me that it's OK. He loves me. His unconditional love is something that I could never be separated from. (Romans 8:35-39) Much like the love I have for my own Bouquet of Blessings. Thank you, Lord!

Now, speaking of blessings.


Around 1:00 p.m. yesterday we were wheeled down to the pre-op. After reviewing every possible scenario with Dr. Hero and the new ENT, which by the way I happen to love, they confidently headed into the OR.

About an hour later, they emerged through the doors of the waiting room where I nervously sat praying and wishing them through.

They smiled and immediately reassured me all was well. Then they asked that I follow them into the conference room. I hate conference rooms. (Conference rooms will always remind of Angel's story.) Conference rooms seem to never be a place for good news.

The new ENT first commented on the fact that the previous ENT who had done the adenoidectomy at MCH did a great job! That was a huge relief. Then they proceeded to tell me about Kai's present surgery.

After scoping and completely going in from nasal cavity down to his airway, they found that one of the "ports" on each side of the flap, which are quite small to start with (on purpose to prevent excess airflow into the nasal cavity) seemed to be the problem. The port (breathing hole) was covered by tissue, therefore leaving him only one side only to breathe in from. When he falls asleep and his muscles relax, that covering tissue sort of flops down over the port, blocking the airway. When the adenoids were enlarged due to the respiratory infection he had weeks ago, it threw him over the edge. Dr. Hero solved this by cutting back about 2/3 of the tissue that surrounded the port.

Is it the answer to stopping the de-sats? We're not 100% sure, but it definitely was a contributing factor. We will now do a repeat sleep study for his apnea in about 6-8 weeks. He will remain on the monitor at home for that time, and is also now on preventative medications (Nasonex and Claritin) daily for an undetermined length of time.

After the doctors left, the nurses called me into the recovery room where my boy was having a raging fit as he was coming out of anesthesia. Oh. My. Word! That's where the other nails come in.

I had meant to clip Kai's nails before leaving Ft. Myers, but in my haste, I completely forgot. As I approached the crib where arms were flailing, screams were shattering glass and eyes were shut so tight that I thought they'd burst, he reached out and literally clawed me. I hadn't even spoken so he didn't know it was me. I immediately retracted. This time more cautiously I approached the crib again and tried to whisper (but ended up shouting for him to hear me above the screams), "Kai! It's Mama. I'm here baby. It's OK!" He then whipped around towards me and before I could jump back, two little hands with outstretched claws fingers dug deep into my arm and left their mark as I pulled back. He reminded me of a documentary I had once seen on feral children.

By then, one of the nurses whose job I had taken over by holding him down, had gone to get the anesthesiologist. Shortly afterwards, he rushed in with syringe in hand and gave him a dose of Presidex, a sedative to allow him to go back to sleep without compromising his respiratory function the way morphine would (not to mention that he's allergic to morphine). The response? NOTHING. The wildcat was still on the loose, attempting to rip off any wiring attached to him, throwing his beloved pillow across the room, pulling off his hospital gown and almost choking himself in the process. Another dose 4 minutes later. Again. Nothing. Finally, the doctor said it was not working, which was quite obvious to those who only really understand medicine in layman's terms, such as moi. He ran out and ran back this time with a syringe filled with Diprivan, a medication used to maintain general anesthesia. He immediately was out. The doctor instructed the recovery room nurses to allow him to sleep it off and not wake him. Which meant we remained in the tiny, frigid cold, dark recovery room for what seemed like forever.

About 3 hours later, I gently spoke to him trying to rouse him without startling him. It worked! He accepted his pillow from me and let me stand by his crib stroking his hair as he came in and out of conscienceness.

We came up to the room where he had some jello, some juice and a dose of Tylenol with codeine for pain.

This morning he awoke happy and for-the-most-part pain free, with the exception of a terrible rash that has covered his body. Yes. The codeine. An alkaloid found in opium that converts into morphine in the liver. Being that he is allergic to morphine, I should've known. They should've known. Right now, I have one very itchy and red little boy sleeping behind me. A little boy filled to the brim with Claritin and Benadryl.

As to the de-sats, assuming the monitor worked properly, we did great last night! The alarm didn't go off once and my keenly watchful Mama eyes did not see any drops in his levels. Praise God!

We have at least one or two more nights here, meaning we should be home for Easter, God willing. I leave you all with some pictures of my boy. Thank you from the bottom of our hearts for your prayers and wishing you all a very blessed Easter weekend.

Heavily sedated in recovery, after his wildcat tribute.

In the pre-op learning how to take apart the blood pressure cuffs...

....and his heart rate leads.

Being my silly boy!

Cute foot-sies with the now very-familiar-to-us oxygen sensor attached.

Versed Boy!

I'll be posting about the results of the surgery later this evening when Kai is asleep. Right now the poor baby is in pain. The surgery wasn't as easy as just the scopes being done and sadly, I don't think we've reached the end of the track yet. But, I am extremely happy with the team of doctors we are using. They know they're stuff and are being conservatively aggressive (is that an oxymoron?) when it comes to Kai's treatment.

In the meantime, I thought I'd upload this video clip of Kai in the pre-op room waiting as the Versed (sedative) was kicking in. Notice the swaying and the droopy eyes. He's too funny on that med.

Remember to scroll down and turn off the background music before watching the video.

Lastly, a few of you have emailed me asking what the plaque said. Here's a close-up picture of the finished product and below is what was engraved on it.

"A hundred years from now, it will not matter the house you lived in, what kind of car you drove or what was in your bank account. But the world might be a better place because you were important in the life of a child."

Dr. Ramon Ruiz

With forever gratitude for giving me the ability to speak, my family and myself wish to thank you for your genuine kindness, dedication, support and exceptional expertise in your field. It is doctors like you that make a difference in this world.

Adrian "Kai" Bombardier

2009

Dr. Hero's Exam

This morning we woke up, had breakfast and were sitting in Dr. Hero's waiting room by 8:45 a.m. His wonderful staff sweetly greeted us and played with Kai as we waited for the doctor's arrival. Kai was his only scheduled patient, since this was to be his week of vacation.

At 9 a.m. sharp, Dr. Hero walked through the door of the examining room we were waiting in. After saying hi to Kai and giving me a hug, he turned back to Kai and said, "Wow! It's so good to see you, Kai. It's been a long time!" To which Kai immediately responded, "So? Where ya been?" Everyone cracked up. Yep...that's my boy.

We sat there for about an hour going over the past 6 weeks and all that has happened since. I did tell him about the amount of Kai's de-sats drastically dropping at night. He said he wasn't surprised, but that Kai has definitely "earned himself a laryngoscopy and a bronchoscopy" at the least. Therefore, we are proceeding as planned. If no further obstruction is found, then PRAISE GOD...if an obstruction is found, then it will be corrected while in the OR and again we PRAISE GOD! In the end, that's who is in control and who we will glorify.

Towards the end of our conversation, Kai noticed the gift bag I had sitting by me with Dr. Hero's plaque I had made. Remember the picture you, my wonderful readers, voted on? Well, the plaque with your chosen picture was given to Dr. Hero this morning. He unwrapped it and was pretty speechless, except for the words, "Oh my God, you're killing me here!" as he wiped tears from his eyes. His nurse stood next to him reading it, also with tears in her eyes. Dr. Hero then scooped up Kai, gave him big hug and said, "This is truly the best gift anyone has ever given me!"

I interrupted the tear fest with a request for a picture, to which Dr. Hero kindly agreed (after wiping away tears).

A happy little boy with a very happy doctor!

He then asked me if I was in a hurry to get Kai admitted since tonight was just a night of monitoring his de-sats. I said, "Not really". He then had his secretary make arrangements for Kai to be at the hospital registration between 3 - 5 p.m., leaving us a free day to spend as we chose.

Kai and I then returned to the RMH and hung out for a bit in the playroom, then headed to a beautiful mall here where we walked around, looked at fountains and had a great lunch together. It really felt like we were on vacation.

Around 3 p.m. when we were finsihed with lunch, we again went back the RMH, packed our necessary gear for the next few days at the hospital and walked over to the admitting office.

Kai's demeanor immediately changed once we were in the Special Care unit room. He became very apprehensive and uncooperative. A few resident doctors came in and asked him questions, to which he did not respond, not even giving them eye contact. I explained to them about his trauma with needles and how much he's been through. Immediately they reassured him that they had no needles and that they only wanted to listen to his heart, check his mouth....etc., etc., he again had a change of mood and became happy and cooperative.

Dr. Hero stopped by in the evening to say hi again and to let me know that he had spoken to the staff about Kai's IV. He instructed them that "his special patient will be NPO (nothing by mouth) after 2:00 a.m., but that an IV should not be implanted until he is ready to go to surgery". They will give him the Versed (sedative) prior to the IV being put in. That made this Mama's heart really happy!

Scott and I have commented many times that when this whole mess began weeks ago, we should have come here from the get-go. Hindsight is 20/20. I digress.

Now, it's 12:30 a.m. and the little man is soundly sleeping. He had one quick de-sat around 10 p.m. and it quickly jumped back into the 90's. So far, so good.

The scopes will determine what procedures will need to be taken in the OR. I know God is holding us tight in His grip and I am completely at peace with how things are going. He and He alone knows the outcome of all of this, and I trust in Him completely.

Sweet dreams baby boy.

Perfect numbers!

Fun At Sea World

Some snugglin' time!

Popcorn makes watching the Shamu show so much better!

It's cool to wet the people below!

Ok...this is my favorite picture of the day! Pure joy on his face!

Just hanging around!

My big boy!

He's got that "I'm thinking about what to do next" look.

This picture definitely shows Kai's personality.

Silly boy!

Telling Daddy all about the Elmo show.

Hugs from the Sesame Street bunch!

A bundle of energy waiting in line to go into the Shark Encounter.

(It's a VIDEO CLIP! - Click on the play button and remember to scroll down and turn off background music!)

Not What You Wanted

I know that you guys are all waiting for a post full 'o cuteness again with pictures of our day at Sea World. I hate to be the bearer of bad news, but it's not what you're gettin' tonight folks.

Why?

Because I'm plum' exhausted. The boy has completely worn me out.

We were on the road by 7:00 a.m. I could barely keep my eyes open during the 3.5 hour drive, because I ended up going to bed at almost 3 a.m.

Finally, we made it to Sea World. OH MY LORD!!!!!!! WHAT WAS I THINKING??????

As a Floridian for almost my entire life, I'v always had enough sense to know that going to a theme park in Orlando during SPRING BREAK is as bad as falling into a bed of cacti - naked! Why would I do that??????

We arrived there on time, until we hit the exit to Sea World on I-4. From that point, it took us 1.5 hours to get off the exit and park our car at Sea World. That was crazy! Poor Kai kept asking, "Are we there yet?" I kept saying, "Almost!" As we both watched the big Sea World sign just yards away, but unable to move....for over an hour!

Yet, even with the huge crowds and the cold weather (yes, Aus...we wore ski caps and layered clothes with jackets in 58 degrees - we're wimps), we had an absolutely. marvelous. time. We laughed, sang silly songs, ate junk food, and even picked up on some educational stuff when we learned some cool facts about polar bears and sharks. I loved listening to Kai giggle and watching him run around like a looney. My heart melted whenever he'd say, "I miss Daddy." or "I miss AJ and Anna Grace." Man, I love that boy so much. He's got a gigantic heart with a personality to match. Scott tells me often that Kai is my soul. It always makes me smile. OK. Major degression.

I took tons of pictures and some videos, but I truly am wiped out. I will definitely post them tomorrow while hanging out at the hospital though, so be sure to come peek.

We checked into the RMH this evening, had some leftover mac & cheese with chicken and settled into our room, which is again, very nice! Kai told me he was not tired and began to argue a bit about why he had to go to sleep. I told him he could stay up for 5 more minutes. I went into the bathroom to put away our toiletries and when I walked back out, he had completely passed out on the bed. Too funny! So, now he's snoring away as I type.

Tomorrow morning we meet with Dr. Hero at 8:45 a.m. I'm a bit nervous. Kai's de-sat's have gone from 20+ a night to maybe 5 a night...if that. I know that is GREAT news, but I think the doctor is gonna think I'm crazy. Now I'm worried that maybe Kai shouldn't have surgery and that eventually his de-sats will go away all together. But, I'm not a doctor and we'll see in the morning what the real doctor says, although I do think they will still be going through with the endoscopys on Thursday.

Not to mention the fact that I feel so bad for my sweet boy, who has asked me about needles every single time I mention him going back into the hospital. I hate the fact that he has to go through this. I hate it! Poor baby.

So back to today. It was a wonderful, unforgettable day filled with memories that I will carry in my heart for a lifetime.

Heading Out

The packages (Anna Grace & AJ) have been delivered safely into their Po-Po's arms and now I am just finishing up the last minute packing.

Kai was beside himself with excitement about SeaWorld. I think he told everyone who's crossed his path the last two days where he was going.

I checked the weather and was hoping for a typical hot and muggy Florida day so that he could get drenched by Shamu, but alas, he'll be instead wearing a jacket since the high will be 60. Oh well. That's ok! I know he's still gonna have a blast.

I have lots of do and probably won't be going to bed until close to 2:00 a.m. to be up by 5:30, so I'm keeping this short.

Thank you all for the prayers and a big thank you to the Orlando families (especially all the HFS families) that have emailed offering their help and of course, to Po-Po and Ayi for watching our other babies. I am humbled and blessed.

God is holding us tight in His grip! I feel it.....BIG!!!!

As promised, here are some pictures of our boy celebrating his 3rd Forever Family Day! I'll post from the RMH (Ronald McDonald House) when we arrive tomorrow evening.

Enjoy the cuteness!

It's a long one, folks!

I can't tell you all how moved I am when I leave my computer for hours at a time and come back to read your comments and emails. Not just with the picture decision, but I don't think there's been a time that I've ever come on here and asked for prayers or rejoiced in a life event or even just fooled around on here with some of my silliness that you haven't been awesome and shared in it with me, even the shy ones that don't comment publicly but send me emails. You guys completely ROCK! I swear if I had the big bucks, I'd be giving a big 'ole Let's-Get-Together-To-Hangout-And-Praise-Our-God party with my bloggy friends.

I know that it'll be impossible for me to meet all of you in this lifetime, but man, oh man....I sure hope the Big Guy upstairs allows me that privilege when I get there. And just think, I'll even have a great big mansion that He made himself so we could really party!!!!! Yeah, baby!

Can you tell I'm feeling a bit better? Yep. God's in control. I've moved outta the driver's seat.

Now....the nitty-gritty stuff.


First, did you happen to notice the adorable little button on the left side panel of my blog? Yeah, the really cute one with the little girl and boy kneeling down praying? That was my very sweet friend Ame. She posted it on her blog with a link over here asking for prayers for us. I tell ya, I am so very blessed. Thank you, Ame. I love you, girl! (And if ya'll could please say a quick prayer for her too. She's going through some stuff and needs lifting up! God knows exactly what she needs so that's all we have to ask for. - THANK YOU!!)

So, I decided that I would drag that gorgeous little button over to my blog and ask any of you, if you feel moved to do so and you are praying for our family, to please request prayers, (especially for Kai who will be going back into surgery next week and of course, Anna Grace, who will be left behind....again) from those that visit your own blogs by poppin' it on your own sidebar. You know how strongly I feel about the power of prayer and I know God listens, because he's carried us through some really rough times lately. But maybe you can prayerfully consider spreading the word? All you have to do is grab the html code under the picture and slap it onto your layout page! Thank you!!

<a href="http://deliveredfromheaven.blogspot.com" target="_blank"><img alt="A Bouquet of Blessings" src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3602/3405331807_a3f6a0f59b_o.jpg" /></a>

Before I commence on the big Kai details, I just want to say that PICTURE "B" won by an overwhelming amount... 36 to 15! You guys sure made it clear that out of both pictures, PICTURE "B" should be the one hangin' on the Dr. Hero's wall. By the way, yes that is Dr. Hero. The picture you all chose was taken when Kai was just 29 months old. He had been home for 3 months. It was taken the day after his palate closure here in Ft. Myers and Dr. Hero had taken him for a little walk down the hallways of the hospital. PICTURE "A" was taken just prior to having his VP flap in Orlando in 2007.

Scott and I discussed last week about doing something special for Dr. Hero since we knew we'd be seeing him soon. We decided an appreciation plaque would be appropriate. We are really happy with how it turned out (only seen proofs though) and it will be delivered by Monday, just in time for us to wrap it up and take it with us to Orlando. I needed to give them the final picture this morning, hence the rush for the decision. (I pray that Dr. Hero never comes across our blog. heh!)

One of the many reasons we were moved to even doing the plaque was because this man has literally been at our beck and call since this entire ordeal started almost 6 weeks ago, without charging us one cent. He has not been involved in any of Kai's medical care thus far during this, but has taken the time to call almost daily to check in on Kai's de-sats and was invaluable in guiding us when he was first admitted and later airlifted. So much so, that the doctors in the ICU in Fort Myers called him at 3:30 a.m. when Kai was pretty critical and they did not know what to do, so that he could help them out. He did. Without hesitation. Dr. Hero's heart is without a doubt huge. That was very evident to us from the very first time we met him and learned that he and his gracious wife are the proud parents to 3 adopted Guatemalan beauties. He has a huge heart for orphans and has traveled internationally donating his time and services to repair cleft lips and palates. And he loves our Kai! :)

We are now almost 2 weeks into being home and Kai's de-sat numbers have gone from being 10-15 a night, closer now to 18-25 a night. The length of time he now pauses without breathing during each de-sat have also increased. They have gone from 2-5 seconds, to more serious apneatic episodes of 10-15 seconds of no breathing. This is life threatening and if not treated soon will eventually cause his little heart to fail and his lungs will collapse.

THE GAME PLAN

Dr. Hero wants us arriving in Orlando to admit Kai on Wednesday, the 8th, in the morning. After some nudging from Po-Po that Kai is so deserving of a little fun before heading into another surgery, we have prayerfully decided that I will be leaving at 6 a.m. on Tuesday morning instead and spending a Mama and Kai day at Sea World with him. He loves animals, the ocean and sharks! I think he'll have a ball and I know that I will too, just watching his little face light up. Poor baby has been through so much in the past 6 weeks that just thinking about it, especially having to put those IV's in again, make my heart shrivel and the tears flow. There are few people that he's not shared his "ouchies" with as he pulls out both little arms to show them them bruises brought on by failed IV attempts. He continues to lose weight and is now about 6 lbs. of weight loss since this started 6 weeks ago.

Sadly, Scott will not be going up with us. I will absolutely be missing my best friend being by my side. He began a new job last year and as great as his bosses have been, we cannot risk him losing his job, not to mention the fact that we cannot afford any more unpaid leave. So, unless God forbid, there is an emergency, he will be home.

Po-Po and Ayi will again provide the entertainment for the week for Anna Grace and AJ. Please remember to keep Anna Grace in your prayers. I have been telling her daily about Kai having to go back to the hospital and Mama needing to go with him, but I know it's hard for her to understand. AJ is our little trooper and he just goes with the flow. Thank you, Jesus!

A few of you have asked if Anna Grace could go with me. Unfortunately, she cannot. I will be getting a room at the adjacent Ronald McDonald house like we did last time, but she cannot go into the ICU rooms where Kai will be staying. And if you've read any of the times my babies have gone into the hospital, I have never left them alone. I do have a couple of friends that live in the Orlando area and I am hoping that they may be able to come and stay with Kai for a couple of hours so I can grab maybe an hour of sleep and a quick shower at the RM House. I know the nurses are great and on top of things, but I just could not even fathom leaving Kai alone without someone by his side, especially with him being so traumatized about hospitals now.

Going back to the admission. He will be admitted on Wednesday (without complications our stay should be approximately 5 days) so that they could monitor him and view for themselves his de-sat patterns. On Thursday at 1:30 p.m., he will be taken to the OR to have a Laryngoscopy and a Bronchoscopy done. Depending on the results, he will either have a repeat adenoidectomy, a modification of his flap, or his flap will be completely taken down. He is now at a higher risk with general anesthesia because of the fact that a) he was under G.A. less than a month ago. b) he continues to de-sat and c) he still has something obstructing his airway. Please...please....please pray that the surgery is 100% succesful, that they fully and completely remove whatever obstruction is impeding his breathing and that it does not damage his ability to speak. He has come such a long way. The boy is truly my hero.

I know this is a lot of info in one post to take in and I am hoping you're still awake since I left the most important facts for last, but I wanted to make sure I covered as much as possible.

By the way, I will of course be taking my laptop with me and look forward to proclaiming God's goodness as we rejoice in Kai's complete healing!!! (And I'm sure some really cute pictures from Sea World!) I look forward to spending some happy, pain-free, one-on-one time with my little man.

Thank you again and God bless,

I need YOU!!!!!

I know you're all waiting to hear about Kai's latest details and I promise I will do this really, really soon, but PLEEEEASSSE (!!!) I need a big favor. I have a huge time crunch and need to choose only one of these pictures. Like ASAP, YESTERDAY, well, you get the picture.

I need your opinions, which I value so much, because I can't decide which one I like best (the end result is a gift for the doctor). Please let me know which picture you like best, Picture "A" or Picture "B".

THANK YOU.....BIG!!!

PICTURE "A"

PICTURE "B"