Surgery Update

One of the nurses just came in at 4 pm and said that things are going well. They have partially completed the bladder closure and now Dr. Sponseller and Dr. Lau will each perform their respective parts in the surgery (insertion of a pelvic plate and stoma adjustment). They estimate that the surgery will be finished around 7 pm. Thank you for your continued prayers.

To the glory of the Great I am,

Daddy BA

The Big Day is here

Jacob just went back to surgery about 30 minutes ago. He is sound asleep now and the procedure is underway. We rejoice that the surgery prep went very well and Jacob was in good spirits right up until the point where he was put to sleep. Please pray for all of the doctors and nurses involved in this surgery, that they might be alert and perform their respective functions using the talents given them from the Lord. The surgery may last most of the day, so please pray as you have an opportunity. We thank everyone for their prayers leading up to this point. We'll let everyone know once the surgery is finished.

To the glory of the King of kings,

Daddy BA

Our prayer requests before surgery

In the days leading up to Jacob's surgery (scheduled for next Tuesday the 26th), Daddy BA and Mommy wanted to pass along a few prayer requests:

1. Please pray that Jacob will stay healthy between now and the 26th and also that he will not develop any rashes.
2. One of the pin sites from his last surgery continues to look like it is not healing as well as the others. Please pray that the doctors and nurses will find the right medications, ointments and dressings necessary to help heal this area.
3. Jacob will have bowel prep on Monday evening. This process can be pretty rough, but is necessary to get him ready for the surgery. He will be limited to clear liquids during this time and knowing how Jacob likes to eat (most people will know where he got this from), we know this will be hard for him. Please pray that he will handle this period of time well.
4. The surgery itself is scheduled to start at around noon on the 26th and typically lasts about eight hours from start to finish. We'd love to have it start earlier in the day, and sometimes there are cancellations that will allow this to happen (the earliest start time is 7:30am) . Please pray that we might be able to start the surgery earlier in day.
5. Shortly after surgery, Jacob will go into the Pediatric Intensive Care Unit for perhaps a day and then will be transferred to the Intermediate Care Unit. He will remain in the IMC area for a couple of weeks (estimated). During this time, he will be heavily sedated so that he will not move around much. Please pray that the pain medication will work properly and that he will heal quickly.

Great is Thy faithfulness, Oh God our Father.

Daddy BA

Yay! Mommy finally added some pictures.

Just wanted to say "Hi." I miss and love each and every one of you.

Thank you for praying for me.

Just hanging out and eating.

I am having so much fun with this card. I keep opening and closing it.

I have learned to stick my fingers in my ears when I don't want to hear about it anymore.

I love talking on the phone. I mostly just listen.

Update - prayers, praises and news

We were concerned this morning to find what appeared to be bed sore forming on his lower back/rear end. The skin had a bluish color to it, which is often a sign that something is starting to form. The doctors and nurses began to aggressively treat it through a number of means, and a few moments ago we already noticed improvement in the area. We praise the Lord for the wisdom and discernment that He granted the doctors and nurses here which enabled them to act quickly. Please continue to pray that he will not develop additional sores and that we will be able to keep him dry in the days that lead up to the next surgery. Also, please pray that the pin sites located on both of his hips will heal and not develop any infections. Two of the six pin sites have been very irritated lately and show some signs of possibly developing an infection.

Speaking of the next surgery, we found out today that the date has been moved up another day to the 26th. We have been praying that his surgery might happen sooner rather than later, for a number of reasons, but mostly because Jacob seems ready from a physical standpoint. We also understand that the recovery period after this next surgery could be anywhere from 6-8 weeks and so we'd love to get this final phase (Lord willing) underway.

Please continue to pray for our family as a whole. As you can imagine, there are many details involved in being so far away from home for such a long period of time, but the Lord has been so very merciful to us and we certainly feel that He has used your prayers, gifts and words of encouragement to bring glory to His name.

To God be the glory, great things He has done.

Daddy BA

Saturday morning update

We rejoice that Daddy BA arrived safely last night from Chattanooga at about 5:30pm. It had been a very busy day for Jacob as he been running a high fever and was not wanting to eat well. The doctors think he may have an ear infection, so he is receiving an antibiotic for for this. In addition, we are still treating some rash areas on his body and the thrush in his mouth. Last night his fever would spike up and down and his heart rate was elevated at times. This morning, however, he seems to be feeling better. Please pray that whatever has been causing his fever and elevated heart rate will subside shortly.

Dr. Gearhart (pediatric urologist) did come by and visit with Courtney on Thursday and we have a tentative surgery date of August 28th for the bladder closure. Please pray that this might take place as planned (or sooner would be great) so that Jacob can begin the extensive recovery period that typically follows this particular surgery.

We want to praise the Lord that Jacob's Papa also arrived safely yesterday from Knoxville. Today is Ronnie's 3rd birthday (Jacob's cousin), so we want to wish him a very Happy Birthday.

This morning has also been very busy for Jacob. The nurses have given him extra attention today in order to change all of his dressings, bedding, etc. They just now finished and I think he is thankful to just be able to watch his videos and wait for lunch to come.

To the glory of the King of kings,

Daddy BA

Quick Update and Prayer Requests

Jacob has been doing fairly well this week, especially once his appetite came back. We are currently waiting for Dr. Gearhart (Pediatric Urologist) to come by so we can find out when the bladder surgery might take place. Once we know this information, we will let everyone know.

Please pray for Courtney that she might be able to get some much needed rest this week while Daddy BA is back at work. Also, please pray that Courtney might be able to borrow a laptop computer to use while in the hospital (primarily for providing updates to the blog and sending/loading pictures to share).

To Him who supplies us with mercy and grace beyond measure, according to His will,

Daddy BA