Update from Cincinnati...

We have been in Ohio for almost 2 weeks and it is safe to say that we are all ready to be HOME! Brayton is going nonstop and I am thankful for a lake with a playground that is 4 miles away from the hotel! Brayton loves to slide! This week we have been trying to keep him entertained with the aquarium, chuck e cheese's, and the park! Today, he and I will attend our first MLB game! :) We went to get Reds shirts the other day and he found a cap he liked. He put on a show (smiling and carrying on) and the manager came, took the tags off and said, "the hat is on me." Sweet lady! So he will be sporting his Reds shirt and cap later today! Tune in to Facebook for pics!

Brayton has been doing great this past week. Surgery was less than two weeks ago and other than scars, you wouldn't even know it! He has been bouncing off the walls! He still has stitches under his trach from the stent removal on Monday. But those aren't slowing him down any! 

Swallowing is still a challenge. He is doing awesome with foods, but thin liquids are not his friend! Several people have asked why so here is an explanation: thin liquids travel fast when swallowed. Because he has never had to control his swallowing and he has never had an opening to protect (it was 95% closed off), it is taking a while to learn to close off his airway when he swallows. With thicker foods, his reflexes have time to close the epiglottis, the flap that closes off the airway, because they move slower. The best way to put it is that it is like a muscle that is weak and needs exercise. So we are thickening liquids with a gel so he can get stronger at swallowing. Food coloring in his liquids helps us see how much is coming into his airway because it comes out of his trach. Right now, Brayton is slowly improving and less and less blue is coming out! I will slowly thin down his liquids as he gets better at protecting his airway.

Please feel free to ask me questions if you do not understand something. I try my best to explain, but I know it is hard to follow sometimes!

Bray will have another scope surgery this Monday! Hopefully, we will have a better plan as to what we will need to do next! Keep praying for swallowing to improve, and for complete healing. God has been good to us these past few weeks and we give Him praise!

3 days post op...

Well, surgery went well! Today is Day 3 post op and Brayton is getting stronger everyday! We were able to get discharged to the hotel with an NG tube and feedings. He can swallow a little yogurt and mashed potatoes, but gets choked on liquids so the NG tube is a necessity. We got trained in an hour on how to use it and we will use it on our own for the first time in a few minutes. 

The great thing about coming to the hotel is that little man is able to play. Because he is positive for staph, we were confined to his room in the hospital! Here, he can walk around and play on the floor. Not to mention, he doesn't have an IV or monitors hooked up to him! He is loving it!

Monday morning, the stent will be removed around 10:15 (9:15 MS time)... I am hoping we get some answers for what comes next. Please pray that Brayton can eat after the stent comes out and that his airway shows healing!!!

We love you all! Keep praying and keep believing!

Surgery Complete!!!

After a VERY long day, Brayton is resting comfortably. The doctors decided to do double stage which means that he still has a trach and a stent was placed to hold the airway open. The 1st stage is complete. The 2nd part will be Monday. This is when the stent will be removed. When the stent is removed, we will know a little more. Right now all looks good. There is a small, loose piece still in his airway right above the trach. They will not know if it will be ok or if another graft will have to be made. We will know more on Monday, but they said it could be fine on its own.

There are so many possibilities right now. I will not mention them all because that is all they are: possibilities. Nothing is definate right now other than my little man is okay! The main step is removing the stent. Then they have us scheduled for a scope on the 22nd. After this scope, we will plan for the near or far future. 

We MIGHT get discharged before the 22nd, but they want us to stay close until then so we will stay here in Cincinnati.

THANK YOU ALL for the prayers! I have never felt so lifted up before. God has blessed us with some awesome people in our lives! We love you all!!!

Power in Numbers...

As I was lying here awake, I looked over my Facebook. Amazing, technology is!  I have been looking at pictures from a scrolling marquee at Vicksburg mall, to a softball team wearing "Pray for Brayton" bracelets, to posts and messages from people. My family, Brayton especially, is blessed to have SO many people praying! People we know, people we just met, and some people who just happen to know someone that we know are all praying for us! This makes me cry with happiness and also helps give me strength for what we are about to face this morning! I decided to look up "bible verses on the power of numbers and came across this article on "The Power of Numbers." (The web site is listed at the end is where the article is from but will not take you to the exact article.)

Power in Numbers

I believe the Bible teaches us that when we join together the impact is multiplied far beyond just the addition of those who join together.  One plus one equals far more than two.  Let me show you what I mean.

In Deuteronomy 32:30, it says,

How could one chase a thousand, and two put ten thousand to flight, unless their Rock had sold them, and the LORD had surrendered them?

While this verse deals with Israel's disobedience to God and subsequent retreat from their enemies, think of what might be possible when God's people obey Him!  It says that one could chase a thousand, but two could put ten thousand to flight.

While one person can impact a thousand, two people can impact ten thousand.  That is a ten-fold multiplied effect!

Leviticus 26:7-8, when God was giving promises to His people if they would walk in His ways, states this,

You will chase your enemies, and they shall fall by the sword before you.  Five of you shall chase a hundred, and a hundred of you shall put ten thousand to flight;  your enemies shall fall by the sword before you.

Notice God says five will chase a hundred, and a hundred will chase ten thousand.  By increasing the number of people times 20, their effectiveness would increase times 100.  Again, that is a multiplied effect.

You have probably heard of the Clydesdale horses, those big, strong workhorses that can pull a lot of weight.  One horse by itself can pull two tons, but if you yoke two together they can pull 23 tons!  That is incredible!

And that is how it works when we pray together with one another.  When we join our forces in prayer and connect with heaven, that is what happens.  There is a multiplied effect. 

Www.christianrevivalnetwork.net

Reading this, all I have to say is WOW and thank you all for lifting us up! 

Believe... In love, in faith, and WATCH this miracle! "If you can believe, ALL things are possible!" Mark 9:23

Major Surgery Quickly Approaches....

I have been reading my past blogs and crying. Who would have thought that my own words and past experiences would calm me down so much from the anxiety I have been feeling! Starting yesterday, I started to feel really anxious. Not just nervous before a big game or singing in front of church, but REAL anxiety. Luckily for me, I am pretty good at appearing strong when I am not. Today, I started reading through my old blogs. My own words reminded me, "God was there. He was, He is, and always will be!" Praise God! Why should I be anxious when my God is here? He has gotten me through so much already. Why should I doubt Him now? The answers are simple: There are NO reasons to be anxious or doubtful. God is already there. He is past, present and future. I have nothing to fear!

As I continued reading old posts, a sense of strength came over me. If I can get through the past 2 years, I can make it through this too! My God will not forsake me! 

The Lord replied, "I will personally go with you, and I will give you rest - everything will be fine for you." Exodus 33:14 (NLT)

God, please continue to heal Brayton's airway perfectly and completely!