Slowww recovery days and a trip back to Florida..

Hey y'all...just wanted to give an update on Clay, as we are a little over two weeks post-op now. We were discharged from the hospital exactly one week after surgery, on Friday, June 16th. So, we've been home for a week and a half now! We were discharged around noon, headed straight towards I-75 North out of Tampa and made the 13 hour drive home--arriving home around 2am. The kids were such troopers. I was worried about Clay's comfort on the way home, but he was able to stretch out and get a few good naps in along the way. 

 Since we've been home, Clay has done okay with his recovery. Good, not great. I'd be lying if I said it's been smooth sailing and he's not been worrying me. His belly has been giving him a lot of pain ever since surgery. Even on the Thursday before we were discharged from the hospital, I asked them to do an abdominal x-ray, just to be sure everything looked okay with his intestines and there weren't any blockages or obstructions. Things looked okay then, thankfully, so I felt okay with bringing him on home. Once we got home, I knew he'd get better rest and have more comfort to heal up faster. 

Clay's belly has continued to cramp and ache and bloat and just been so uncomfortable since being home. He's not felt like doing anything except lay around, and his color in his face has been so pale. It's been pitiful and disheartening, but I've tried to keep telling him (and myself) that everything will line out in time. He had a lot of anesthesia during the 13 hour surgery, and they rearranged a lot of organs! Not to mention, his diaphragm is 4 inches lower than previous--which does allow more room for his lungs, but is also compressing his abdominal organs more than he's ever had in his life!

But last Wednesday, Clay really gave me a good scare. We were getting ready to go to our local pediatrician clinic for a check-up, when he got white as a sheet, broke out into a cold and clammy sweat, he said his vision was blurry and he nearly passed out. I was about to call an ambulance! But I checked his oxygen levels and they were fine, and he started to come to a little more, so we just hopped in the car and headed to town. By the time we got to the clinic, he was looking a little better. So we went on with our appointment and I also called the CDH team at JHACH to get their advice on what to do. They recommended taking him into the ER for blood work and x-rays, so we headed to Marcum and Wallace. We spent all day there getting checked out, blood work, chest & abdominal x-rays, and also ended up getting a CT scan done to rule out infections or obstructions. Thank God, everything came back okay. The ER doctor consulted with Dr. Kays directly a few times, so that was relieving to us as well. They said there was some impaction in his bowels and recommended we give some mild laxatives to help. His white blood cell count was also elevated at 28,000, but they said it was likely elevated from post-op and the foreign object (gortex patch), and we weren't given any antibiotics or anything. 

We've really been trying to get him hydrated and get him good nutrition through his g-tube, even though his belly seems to ache more after a feeding. I've been giving him prune juice to help with constipation, and I've also cooked up some pork liver to add into his g-tube blends to give him extra dose of iron, in case he's slightly anemic and maybe that's contributing to his fatigue and paleness. We left JHACH with the plan for decreasing his g-tube feedings throughout the day and only giving them in the evening, as a way to encourage him to follow his hunger cues and internal desire to try to eat by mouth. Which sounds great in theory! But actually putting it into action is a different ballgame. I guess I'm too much of a softie or something, but I could tell the plan was stressing Clay OUT! For one, the sensations of chewing and swallowing are so foreign to him, and often makes him feel gaggy. Trying to do that after a major surgery, when he hasn't fully healed up and doesn't feel the best on top of everything just didn't feel like good timing. So, we've put that plan on the back-burner, and are currently just working towards getting his g-tube feedings back up to the volume they were prior to surgery. Which has proven to be quite difficult too. Prior to surgery, we were feeding him about 16oz of food at a time, 4 times a day. We've had to slow that wayyyy down over the past couple of weeks, but he's currently up to about 8oz at a time, and we're doing that about 6 times a day. 

The end of last week and over the weekend have continued to be about the same--at times Clay nearly doubles-over in pain from his belly. His color has continued to be pale, and he just feels all-around blahh. Yesterday, we had another follow-up with the NP at Children's Clinic, and another phone call with our surgeon, and we made the decision to take Clay back down to St. Pete. to have more bloodwork and x-rays done there - so Dr. Kays can see him in clinic, in person. It would sure ease our minds a lot! His appointment is this Thursday, June 29th and this time, just Eric and Clay will be flying down by themselves, and they'll FaceTime me during the appointment. I'm praying and believing every little thing is gonna be alright. I just want our boy to heal up and get better! I'm praying TIME is all we need. Please keep us in your thoughts and prayers - for safe travels for them, and for good results at the appointment. We appreciate y'all so much!

Clay at the ER on Wednesday, poor bud is tired of hospitals and needles!

Post-Surgery Update

Here we are — day three post-op, and Clay is doing very well, all things considered. His recovery this time around seems to be going a little more smooth compared to past surgeries… or maybe we’re getting used to the process and know what to expect? An unfortunate likelihood, I suppose. But we are hoping, praying, knocking on wood, and crossing all of our fingers and toes that this is the LAST diaphragm repair surgery Clay ever has to have! Please Lord, Let it be! 

We are still shaking our heads and in disbelief that Clay spent 13 hours in the operating room on Friday. We had to be at the hospital for the pre-op process at 5:30am, then we didn't get back to see Clay post-operatively til 10pm! So it was an incredibly long day. Thankfully, we were updated via text almost every hour with the same kind of brief message - the procedure was still in progress and Clay was doing well. As the day wore on, I was wishing those texts were a little more descriptive though! The doc did consult with us face-to-face a couple of times throughout, so that was also a relief. 

Dr. Kays was really pleased with the end results, but I reckon it took a lot of pondering over his anatomy to even get to the point to place the patch. His exact words were - it’s a mess in there. 😅 He found more native diaphragm muscle that had not been used in other repairs, so he was glad for that, but that native muscle was about 4 inches lower than the patches that were placed before. CT scans and ultrasounds from when we were here in October had pin-pointed his left kidney as being sandwiched up next to his spleen, which was all positioned in the way of where he wanted to place the new patch... So we spent the majority of the day thinking he was going to have to relocate the kidney and risk the likelihood of injury and/or losing the kidney all together during the move. But after a lot of searching and pondering, they found his actual left kidney in his belly, surrounded by intestines, and it was so hidden that it hadn’t actually shown up on previous scans. What they thought was kidney was actually an extra lobe or “cleft” in his spleen, and so once he realized that, Dr. Kays was able to move all of the organs down without a problem. He did cut away all of the old patch and started totally from scratch. 

The gortex patch he put in place covers the entire left side, and is attached to the rim of his existing diaphragm muscle, and then he had to sew the patch to his ribs on the backside of his diaphragm because there was no muscle tissue there. The doctor thinks he got a great patch sewn in all the way around though, and with it being 4" lower than any previous repairs, it allows a lot more room for his left lung to expand too! Even though it's a patch and obviously not a working diaphragm, it's still a barrier and in the proper placement, and should do better than he's ever had before!

After surgery, Clay was sent straight up to the CDH floor—-where everything runs like a well-oiled machine. It’s been so wild to be in such a specialized unit, and I've been so emotional about it. I feel like we definitely made the best choice to bring him down here and I’m so glad we did. I cannot express how grateful I am to the whole OR team for their diligence and dedication to seeing that Clay’s repair was a success. I can’t imagine what it’s like to do their job! But I am so so thankful, especially to Dr. Kays. He has repaired over 600 babies and kiddos with CDH and has amazing statistics for their success. That’s exactly why we brought Clay here - to a hospital that has so much experience witb CDH! Overall, Clay has had a really great first few days of recovery. Hopefully it continues! He will have his chest tube pulled tomorrow, which has been draining fluid/blood from around his lung. Hopefully tomorrow we can start a little bit of food through his g-tube, and get him up and walking the halls a lot more too! He is so strong and brave, I am always amazed by him.

As always, thank you all for your thoughts and prayers! I always read the comments on Facebook with Clay and I know it brightens his spirit so much to know how many cheerleaders he has. Peace and love to all our friends! We love you all!

CDH Reherniation Surgery #4

Tomorrow is the big day - Clay will be going into surgery at 7am tomorrow, Friday, June 9th, with Dr. Kays at the Johns Hopkins All Children's Hospital in St. Pete, FL. We have already made our way down to Florida and have been able to enjoy a few days of fun before the not-so-fun surgery and recovery time. 

Clay has been in good morale overall, just nervous to be under the care of a new doctor that he doesn't know as well. He really amazes me with how well he's handled this looming date of surgery. I know we'll all be a ball full of nerves today though, as we move into a room at the Ronald McDonald House - it's all feeling more real. We are asking for all your good thoughts and prayers for Clay, his doctors and care team, and all of us family too, as we get him patched back up again. 

Pray that the doc is able to find the best tissue to adhere the gortex patch to, so that he will not have another reherniation! Pray that his organs and bowels that are being moved around are shifted safely and without obstruction or injury. Pray that Clay's recovery is quick and goes smoothly, and that his mind is at ease. We were told to expect to stay here for at least 2 1/2 weeks for surgery and recovery. We are a family of home-bodies so we're all already homesick lol. I am proud of us though, for taking the plunge and making this trip happen, even when it's not easy to be away from comforts of home, or for Eric to be away from work for so long. I pray we've made the right decision and it will all be worth it for Clay to be seen by the CDH specialty team and that this is exactly what he needs to help him live his most fullest and healthiest life. 

Thank y'all, as always, for loving and praying and lifting up our family. We always appreciate you all! I'll update again after surgery. Peace and love, dear friends!

2022 Update

Here we are, over two years since the last update on Clay. No news is good news, right? He bounced back from that last surgery in 2020 like a champ, and aside from trying to dodge the crazy COVID bug for the past two years, our lives have been relatively quite and normal, thank God!

Oh yeah, except we did add another little bub to the family! Mr. Miles Robin was born last September 2021 and has just completed our family in a way I couldn't have ever imagined. There's 10 years between him and Clay, and 8 years between him and Oaklee - it's been the sweetest thing watching them all dote and love on him. Clay has been wayyyy more involved and loving to Miles than he ever was with little sis, haha. Him and Oak still fight like cats and dogs. 

Clay did have a really nasty respiratory bug back at the end of May 2022, that put him in the hospital for a few days. He was diagnosed with bacterial pneumonia, and given antibiotics, extra oxygen and lots of nebulizers and inhalers to help him get over it. It hit him crazy fast and was very scary to see. The night we decided to take him into the ER, he was having coughing fits and oxygen levels were into the 70s. We'd never been in that situation and not had back-up oxygen to help, so it was super scary. He was scared, too. I'll never forget him saying to me the morning we took him to the ER - through tears, "mom, you know how some people only live to be a young age, that's what I'm afraid of." Y'all. It's heartbreaking that a child even has to think those kinds of thoughts when they're sick! He was retracting and working so hard to breathe, I was afraid he was going to have to be intubated because he was struggling so much. Looking at the x-rays, I also feared reherniation. His little left lung was so hazy & cloudy, and I'm pretty sure I could see bowel loops up high. But our surgeon tried to reassure us it was just his floppy diaphragm, which sits much higher on the left side. Still, the thoughts of reherniation had been in the back of my mind ever since.

It took a couple of weeks, but he bounced back from that illness pretty well. We went for a follow up with the surgery team at UK in August, and while his left lung had cleared up from the pneumonia, the x-rays were inconclusive as to whether or not his diaphragm is still intact. The radiologist was concerned that bowels were up, but the surgeon wasn't so sure based on past x-ray images. Because Clay has bounced back to "normal" after his illness, the surgeon recommended that there isn't much rush to do a CT scan or other tests and recommended to follow back up with them in 6 months. 

After that appointment, and taking in all the "what-ifs" - again - Eric and I decided we wanted to reach out for a second opinion, especially while Clay was doing so well, and his case isn't emergent. So, I contacted the CDH specialty clinic at John Hopkins All Children's Hospital, in St. Petersburg, Florida. We wanted to meet with the highly-renowned Dr. Kays & his team, who are truly beacons of light within the CDH community. People travel to this facility from around the world because it has such a positive survival rate, and it's a center that ONLY treats patients with Congenital Diaphragmatic Hernias. That in itself is such a relief to me. CDH is such a complicated diagnosis, and it goes wayyyyy beyond birth. Making this appointment had been something I'd contemplated for years. 

I guess I should also add in - our longtime trusted surgeon, Dr. Draus, recently left UK for a job in another state. We were all very sad at that news because he's literally been the one to do every surgery and procedure Clay's had done in all of his 10 years of life. Now that we're seeing a new surgeon at UK, it was just like - why are we sticking around here and not seeking out more specialized care for Clay? He surely deserves it. 

We went down for Clay's appointment at John Hopkins All Children's hospital in October. We were able to find round-trip flights for our whole family plus my mom and dad, for less than $800 total! So we took the opportunity for the kids to experience their first flights. Our family was able to stay in the Ronald McDonald house right next to the hospital for the 3 nights, while my mom and dad got a small condo right on St. Pete Beach. It was so nice to have them tag along, because Eric and I were both able to go to Clay's appointments while the other two kids stayed with Nan & Pops. Plus, we were able to enjoy a few hours of beach time with them. 

Clay had his CT scan done, and then we consulted with Dr. Kays and the CDH team afterwards. When I say I was relieved, I truly don't know how to describe the feeling of "seen-ness" I had during this visit for Clay. Dr. Kays looked at him not only from a surgeon standpoint, but also looked at his nutrition, his physical growth, cardiology reports, cognitive abilities, it was just very much the "whole picture". 

Then he went through each layer of his CT scan with us, and was very plain to see lots of bowel and other organs up in the left side of his chest. We could see his left lung being smooshed against the front of his chest, with the organs coming up through the back. It was very interesting to see other anomalies in his anatomy, like the way his aorta wraps around the opposite side of his esophagus, and his heart position, and even how large his stomach appeared to be (he'd just been fed some of his g-tube blends, so I guess he was really full). Dr. Kays was very thorough in his checkup and even discovered another issue not even on our radar. 

It was hard to not breakdown in the middle of the appointment, just full of regret that we'd not been there sooner. In all honesty, we'd considered being seen by this team while I was pregnant with Clay 11 years ago, but chose to stick close to home so Eric could still be close to work and to help financially. It's hard for me to not wonder how different his journey may have been if we would've. But, as we've said numerous times throughout the years - everything happens for a reason. And I feel confident we're in the right place now. 

Surgery will be needed yet again, for the 4th time. Dr. Kays said it was not emergent, and the timing would ultimately be up to us. He was adamant that he would be starting from scratch with his diaphragm patch-work. No more plugging holes, and his experience of performing over 600 diaphragmatic hernia surgeries will hopefully be on our side as he tries to find the best tissue to adhere the Gortex patch to.

I was in contact with the team earlier this week and we're hoping to get the surgery scheduled during the beginning of June 2023. That way he can finish out his 5th grade year normally. Y'all say a prayer for no emergencies along the way, and that we can make it to the surgery date in good shape. It makes my stomach turn every time I think about him having to go through this YET AGAIN. And this time will be so many more levels of new-ness and anxieties as we will be relocating to Florida for at least a couple of weeks. Lots of details to work out still, but I'm hopeful we'll be able to stay in the Ronald McDonald house again. 

I'm hoping to get Clay referred to the Make-A-Wish foundation so we can plan something wonderful for him to look forward to prior to his surgery. Clay deserves everything wonderful. He is truly a great kid, and makes such an impression on everyone he meets - whether they know his whole story or not. He's such a bright child, with an infectious smile and laugh, and a healthy dose of sarcasm and funny banter. I always feel so lucky to be his Momma. 

Y'all keep us all in your prayers as we get the details worked out and move forward. And thank you for reading this big, long update! Peace & love & Merry Christmas, yall! 

Oaklee, Miles and Clay on St. Pete Beach

Clay's first flight! He loved it. 

Home Sweet Home!

Hello from the hills! 

We were discharged from the hospital on Tuesday the 29th - one full week from surgery day, and Clay is doing so great. 

While we were in the hospital, we had our hopes up of being able to bust out of there on Monday - but we had a hold-up with getting our extra equipment ready to take home, so we had to wait til Tuesday. We came home with an oxygen concentrator, and a feeding pump to run his food through at a more continuous rate, until we can work back up to the bolus feeds he was getting prior to surgery. 

Clay is still 100% g-tube fed, even before surgery - it's just something we've gotten used to doing after nearly 9 years, but we are still holding on to hope that one day he'll eat by mouth! He's came a loooong way, and we are currently doing feeding therapy every 2 weeks via Zoom, and his therapist is very encouraging that he's making progress and will get there eventually. His interest with eating by mouth is hit or miss, but he definitely has his preferences - roasted chicken and Fruit Loops were his favorites before surgery. Maybe he'll feel like trying some more food by mouth soon, and maybe it will feel easier to swallow now that things are where they're supposed to be!

As far as the extra oxygen goes, while we were in the hospital Clay was still battling the fluid retention, especially in the space around that little lung - so he ended up getting another dose of Lasix on Monday, and that helped tremendously. As he peed off all that extra fluid, his chest x-rays started looking much better and he started having more breath sounds on the left side when listening with the stethoscope - all good things! By the time we came home on Tuesday, he was holding his oxygen levels up just fine on room-air! It's still a peace of mind to have the equipment at home, just in case. We keep the pulse-ox on him at night to monitor his levels. 

Clay's done wonderfully since we've been home. It was so good for him - for both his mobility and his spirits to be in his own space. In the hospital, he was really getting cranky about getting out of the bed and walking - I know he was bound to be in pain from the surgery, but also just the hassle of walking with the IV/feeding tubes was discouraging - and the lack of stimulating environment. Since we've been home, he's gotten around the house with not much problem! Sitting and lying in different positions have been easier as well. You can tell he's sore, but definitely on the mend. We have a follow-up appointment with Dr. Draus on October 12. 

Coming home with all the boxes of medical supplies and the equipment was a major flashback from Clay's early days. When unloading and trying to make room for all the new goods, I came across boxes and totes full of things I'd almost forgotten about - trach cleaning supplies, Passy muir valves, his little ankle braces for physical therapy, an ambu bag, so many tubes and syringes...so much stuff that was such a part of our everyday life for so long. It just brought me to tears thinking about how far our boy has come. 

He is one strong dude and continually leaves me amazed at what a person can endure. We're still wondering how long his guts were up in his chest, and I still have a hard time believing how this whole reherniation was caught in the first place - It feels like divine intervention. We're all so thankful at how smoothly this operation went and how well he's doing with recovery. This whole experience has led to a better understanding for him - it's kind of like he's able to claim ownership of his life story now. His story is one of struggle, but one of overwhelming triumph too. 

We are so, so grateful for all the thoughts and prayers and good vibes that have been poured over our family. The gift cards, food and well wishes have been amazing. In today's current climate, it's hard to scroll through social media and feel positive - but when using it to send these updates and read the comments with our boy, it's truly been a light for our family the past few weeks. We love you all and appreciate you so much. ❤️ Peace and love, dear friends. xoxoxo! 

Recovery Time

Here we are, day #4 post-op, and things are progressing slow and steady. Here's a little recap of how things have went: 

We were able to bust out of the PICU Wednesday afternoon, and to a regular room on the floor. Things have been stable, and we were able to get better rest in our new room, thank goodness! Clay started spiking a fever on Thursday and had a pretty crummy day that day. He wasn't tolerating anything on his tummy at all (even stomach juices) so they set the g-tube to drain and that seemed to help alot. He also had more fluid around his lungs so they were closely monitoring that and trying to get his JP chest tube to drain adequately, and taking chest x-rays to make sure his lungs aren't getting too flooded. All these issues are to be expected after a major surgery.

Friday was a much better day - he rested very well overnight and woke up looking much more perky. He even got out of the bed and walked down the hall and did great! He sat up in a chair for a good part of the day, too. As bad as it hurts him to move around, we really need him moving so that he can move fluid out of his tissues, and also help wake up his guts. We were also able to start his g-tube feedings at 20ml/hour continuous feeds, and he's tolerated that okay so far! He's had a couple of pukes after trying to give Tylenol through his g-tube, (about 14ml all at once) so we've had to resort to getting Tylenol rectally. Just another reminder that we've got to go slow with his guts.

Friday evening, he felt like playing a little Fortnite so that was a big pick-me-up! He was able to talk to one of his buddies online, and his voice just sounded a lot stronger than we've heard since surgery, so that was sooooo good to hear. 

Overnight, he seemed to have a hard time getting comfortable and wasn't able to rest too well, but in this morning's interactions with me and Daddy, his nurses and doctors - we can definitely tell he's getting some of his sass back :) little man is so funny. His urine output has also been low, despite all the IV fluids he's been getting. His body is obviously retaining most of the fluids because he's looking pretty puffy today. So during rounds today, it was decided to give some Lasix to help him move the fluid, and also some milk of magnesia to help him have a bowel movement. So we'll do that first and then if things go well, we may be able to up his feeds a little! Crossing our fingers and toes he tolerates everything today! 

Clay's getting some good pain meds through a PCA pump, and also Toradol and Tylenol every 6 hours, so thankfully his pain is being managed okay. He sure is a trooper - and just the best little patient - not afraid to speak up for what he needs! The nurse and doctors all comment on how mature he is, and he has won over more hearts, per usual. 

Even though we had some initial hopes of getting home this weekend, I'm gonna go ahead and say that's not gonna happen. We've still got a ways to go and a lot of meds and oxygen to wean off of. We're okay with hanging out, though. There's no rush and we want to make sure he's good and ready! Our surgeon is pleased with his progress and says Clay's still way ahead of where he thought he'd be at this point! 

We are so grateful for everyone's prayers and love and good vibes sent our way. 

Y'all have a good weekend, take some deep breaths, and hug your people tight. Peace and Love, dear friends!

Successful Surgery Update

Yesterday was Clay's diaphragm hernia repair #3 surgery and what an unbelievably successful day it was! We are still in shock at how smoothly things went, and are so so thankful.

In pre-op, Clay got pretty emotional and had some big tears knowing surgery would be starting soon, but after the anesthesiologist explained all the steps for sedation and process for putting in the IVs and giving the medications, he felt better. Poor guy had been worried he'd wake up in the middle of surgery and be able to see and feel everything going on. He got wheeled off to the OR around 8am in good spirits, which definitely made it easier for me and Eric. 

The waiting game is never easy, but the operating team was awesome about sending updates every hour, so that was a huge relief. We got the same message every update: they're still working, and Clay was doing fine. When it came around to the 1:30pm update, we got paged over the intercom to go to the consultation room. Blehh, those calls always make my heart drop - I never know what to expect! 

We met Dr. Draus in the consultation room and he said things went wonderfully! There was a significant amount of bowel that was up in his chest, but it came down very easily - there wasn't much adhesion or scar tissue, which is what we were most afraid of running into - thank the Lord, that was an answered prayer! Once the bowel was down, he was able to move the spleen out of the way without damage and get a good look at the hole in his diaphragm muscle. It was a 5cm x 5cm hole that had a great rim of tissue around it, so that was wonderful news for his patch work. Draus said he could have pulled the existing tissue together to close the hole, but it would put a lot of tension on the tissue and he didn't feel comfortable with that, so after consulting with other surgeons they all agreed - the best route was to place the Gortex patch. He took pictures and showed us the hole before and after the patch and it was so crazy to see. The culprit of a lot of daggone trials and tribulations over the past 9 years. The patch looked great, and Dr. Draus said he was very, very happy with his work and he didn't think he could've done a better job - I could tell he was very relieved with the outcome. BLESS THAT MAN! 

After Draus left the room, Eric and I just cried big ol tears of relief. Seriously. The amount of worry and dread I have felt over this surgery is hard to admit. Worst-case scenarios have been floating through my mind and kept me up at night ever since we learned about his recurrence. I'm still in disbelief at how smoothly things have went. And at how incredibly BRAVE and STRONG our Clay is. All I know is - the love and prayers surrounding us have truly carried us through, yet again. 

Dr. Draus stopped in yesterday evening to show us some before/after comparisons of Clay's chest xrays - all I can say is WOW. I'm sure Clay feels like a whole new man. Dr. Draus was thrilled with how much that little left lung has opened up. Answered prayers, for sure. 

After / Before

We should be moving to a room on the floor (out of ICU) this afternoon! I hope he'll be able to get a little better rest up there - I've almost forgotten how impossible it is to sleep in the PICU. Eric and I got a sleep room last night, which was nice to have an actual bed to rest in - but I still woke up at 3:30am and could not get back to sleep for worrying that Clay was missing us. So I came back over and sat with him - but I don't think he missed us at all; the drugs are helping him not worry about much right now. (Maybe I could use some too, haha.) Clay has been resting well all day, so that's what we need - Keeping him as comfortable as possible. Once we're out into a regular room, we'll start with feedings and try to slowly wake up his guts. If things continue to go well, Dr. Draus said he's hopeful we'll be going home this weekend! 

Our Clay Clay has yet again shown us how TOUGH he is! I can't thank you all enough for cheering him on. It's been so different this time around, to have a fully aware, wise little boy, with lots of questions and concerns - but it's been so nice to sit down with him and show him everyone's messages, kind words, and words of encouragement. They've meant the world to him! (And me and Eric!) 

I'll try to keep y'all posted as we go through recovery. 

Peace and Love, dear friends! Spread it around!