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Now unto him that is able to do exceeding abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that worketh in us, unto him be glory in the church by Christ Jesus throughout all ages, world without end. Amen Eph 3:20-21
On Down the Road
As this is written, Brett is now about 8-˝ mo. Old. He did very well during our stay in Colorado in May-June, for which we were very thankful. During our 5-week stay at Missionary Training International, Brett spent his day in a nursery setting with very loving people. He didn’t even get a break from exercising!!
Health Issues
Overall, Brett’s health has been good, although his weight gain has really slowed down. He only gained 5-˝ oz in a 2 mo. time period. Brett saw Dr. Wilson (Dev Pediatrician at Riley) on June 30th. He put Brett on 27-calorie formula, hoping to get him to jump up on weight. On the same day, Dr Wilson also performed a second suck-swallow test on Brett. The test showed that when he does swallow the food goes down the correct pipe, but his suck-swallow mechanism is very uncoordinated. The decision has been made to perform the G-Tube surgery, although we will need to do a couple of tests before the decision is final. Today Brett weighs around 12 ˝ lbs. He looks nicely filled out, and we feel thankful he has been very healthy despite his low weight.
Day to Day
Brett continues to be a very good baby. His worst problem is getting an upset stomach during feedings, which causes quite a bit of spit up at times. We hope this will be eliminated with the upcoming G-tube surgery. His breathing is very noisy at times due to his spitting up. The Doctor told us this should go away when Brett stops throwing up. He is doing a little better at eye contact, but overall not a huge change. It was exciting to see him begin to roll side to side and grab his feet. He was infatuated with them for about a week. We continue to exercise him and give him clues to how to work his body. It is very slow, but thankfully he is gaining. Patience is the name of the game. It is truly a reminder to us how patient God is with us! His little hands open up to anything we put in them, and so we practice holding toys! A few weeks ago we started giving Brett a little cereal with his formula. He does not mind it in his mouth and eventually gets it down the tube. We are glad that he is not scared of food in his mouth. We continue to feed him 6 times per day, and not at all during the night. He sleeps all night for the most part. This really helps his mom out!
What’s Next?
The next big event happens on September 5th. Brett will have 3 surgeries with an overnight stay of at least 2 nights. The biggie is the palate closure. Dr. Eppley, his plastic surgeon told us from the start that the first 2 surgeries are a walk in the park, but the palate really hurts. God be merciful! The next surgery is the G-feeding tube surgery. This is not a difficult surgery, but it is necessary to stay over for 2-3 days so the staff can watch for infection. The last surgery will be the forming of the urethra. This can be done out patient so should not be a huge concern. Please remember little Brett as he undergoes more “pain”. Our hearts ache for him, knowing what he has ahead. But, life is full of circumstances that cause us pain and yet bring joy and good in the end.
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