Elijah Update (May 4, Part 2)

Most Dearest of Friends and Family,

I am very thankful that I am able to be with Elijah and Judy today. When Judy called last night to tell me about Elijah, I was ready to drive to Wichita immediately. She told me to stay put and she would call if Elijah got worse. When I arrived at the hospital, Judy told me that Dr. V had told her that he would have told me to come to Wichita if he had talked to me.

However, around midnight Elijah seemed to turn the corner to better health. His breathing became more regular, and his heart rate slowed down and his O2 levels increased.

The infection in his blood is still there, but the strong antibiotic seems to be helping. They have discovered that all of the plastic parts stuck in his body are infected and must come out. This will happen Saturday morning at 7:30. The surgery will last about 3 hours. Dr. M will remove two chest tubes and the shunt which enters his body in two different places. She will also remove his central line IV. Then Dr. M will perform a pleuralsentesis (sp?) which will cause the outside wall of his right lung to adhere to the inside walls of his chest. This will remove any spaces for the fluid to accumulate. Dr. M will also ligate the Thoracic duct. Also two or three or four new chest tubes will be added to suck out any fluid that might be produced by his body. Finally a new central line will be placed. I'm afraid Elijah will be very sore when he wakes from his surgery.

As I sit here in Elijah's room writing this, I am struck by the fact that we serve a Great God. He is so good to us. I am frustrated that God didn't completely and totally heal Elijah back in February, but I have a comforting knowledge in my heart that God is in control, and I know that God loves our little boy more than his parents do.

Elijah has many tubes and wires coming from his body at this time. The wires all monitor something. As I watch him and look at the monitor, I see him sleeping (well sedated) comfortably and all of his "numbers" on the monitor are improving. Proof of God's healing hand.

Don't forget to pray Elijah through his surgery at 7AM, Please pray that the infection will be obliterated and will not cause complications after the surgery. Please pray that Elijah's blood will clot appropriately (time and place). And please pray that the doctors will be able to easily, carefully, comfortable place a new breathing tube. There is already some scarring, and there is great concern about whether or not a new one will insert properly.

Thank you so much for your prayers,

J J and Elijah