Wednesday, December 23, 2009
Update on the CT scan
We didn't end up needing the CT scan! We were really not wanting to do the scan, because it was more exposure to radiation and yet another procedure that needed to be done under anesthesia. One night while Bill and I were talking about it, Liam was sitting on Bill's lap playing. Bill felt for the lumps and told me they were gone! Sure enough, they had disappeared! Thank you so much for your prayers! God is great!!!
In Christ,
Bill and Lisa
In Christ,
Bill and Lisa
Sunday, November 1, 2009
Friday, October 9, 2009
What a fall!
Whew! What a wild ride! Work really got hectic for Lisa in July and it's just now beginning to settle into a semblance of a normal routine. Sorry for the pause in posting--we appreciate those of you that check the blog regularly even when posting is a rare event.
Liam turned 2 on August 9. We had a great party and he enjoyed smooshing cake in his face this year. We'd love to post pictures but we can't find the cord that goes from the camera to the computer. We keep forgetting to check to see if Lisa left it at work and/or buy a new one. :( As soon as the planets align properly and we have a cord thingy, we'll post some pictures.
Liam passed his last swallow study with flying colors last week!! WOOHOOO! We will be tube free someday in the near future! We've been told that removing the feeding tube at this point will require a minor outpatient surgery. We're waiting until this winter when we have an ENT check his tonsils and adenoids before setting a surgery date; if he has to have his tonsils and adenoids out, we might as well combine the two surgeries and get a two-for-the-price-of-one deal again on anesthesia and the O.R. Besides, we are opposed to exposing Liam to even more anesthesia, so the more procedures we can combine into one, the better.
We have a CT scan scheduled for November 11 to see why Liam has strange lumps on his head. People don't notice them unless they are around him a lot, but there are some lumps. Dr. Kelly thinks it's a "not uncommon" complication from surgery that will resolve on its own, but wants to do a CT scan just to be sure he's not missing something.
We appreciate those of you who continue to pray for Liam and our entire family. We are so blessed to be surrounded by so many Christian friends and family members!
In Christ,
Bill and Lisa
Liam turned 2 on August 9. We had a great party and he enjoyed smooshing cake in his face this year. We'd love to post pictures but we can't find the cord that goes from the camera to the computer. We keep forgetting to check to see if Lisa left it at work and/or buy a new one. :( As soon as the planets align properly and we have a cord thingy, we'll post some pictures.
Liam passed his last swallow study with flying colors last week!! WOOHOOO! We will be tube free someday in the near future! We've been told that removing the feeding tube at this point will require a minor outpatient surgery. We're waiting until this winter when we have an ENT check his tonsils and adenoids before setting a surgery date; if he has to have his tonsils and adenoids out, we might as well combine the two surgeries and get a two-for-the-price-of-one deal again on anesthesia and the O.R. Besides, we are opposed to exposing Liam to even more anesthesia, so the more procedures we can combine into one, the better.
We have a CT scan scheduled for November 11 to see why Liam has strange lumps on his head. People don't notice them unless they are around him a lot, but there are some lumps. Dr. Kelly thinks it's a "not uncommon" complication from surgery that will resolve on its own, but wants to do a CT scan just to be sure he's not missing something.
We appreciate those of you who continue to pray for Liam and our entire family. We are so blessed to be surrounded by so many Christian friends and family members!
In Christ,
Bill and Lisa
Monday, July 20, 2009
Bummer of the week
We were sad when we received notice last week that our favorite doc, Liam's cardiologist (sshhh-don't tell the other docs!), is leaving Vanderbilt Children's to start a private practice in Knoxville. Big, huge bummer. Dr. Michael Liske is the best!! We will miss him but wish him the very best in his new endeavors. We thank God that he was there to shepherd us through the worst of Liam's heart problems and feel very blessed that we benefitted from his expertise the past 2 1/2 years.
In Christ,
Bill and Lisa
In Christ,
Bill and Lisa
Friday, July 3, 2009
Still doing great!
Thanks for the cards, phone calls, e-mails, and Facebook messages to check on Liam! We're starting to fall behind on responding to each of them, but he's doing so well! We are continually amazed by God's power as we watch this little guy heal quickly despite ongoing heart issues and other health problems.
Liam's occupational therapist said yesterday that she already sees a big difference in his eye-hand coordination when he is attempting to accomplish tasks (such as putting shapes in a shape sorter, for example. He has definitely been babbling more in the past day, which we're taking as an indication that the tubes in his ears have improved his hearing, and therefore are already causing increased speech. His speech therapist noticed it yesterday, too.
He continues to take Tylenol or ibuprofen for pain and it's working. He seems quite comfortable and is scooting around on the floor playing with toys again. He has slept comfortable since day one at night, which has certainly been a blessing to his parents!!!
Next steps in Liam's health (aside from follow-up appointments with the three surgeons) will likely be the removal of the feeding tube and possibly the removal of his tonsils and adenoids (we're hoping to set an appointment with a different ENT who specializes in tonsils and adenoids rather than tubes soon). We hope to wait on both of these surgeries until next year and once again do them both at the same time.
Thank you all for your ongoing prayers and support!
In Christ,
Bill and Lisa
Liam's occupational therapist said yesterday that she already sees a big difference in his eye-hand coordination when he is attempting to accomplish tasks (such as putting shapes in a shape sorter, for example. He has definitely been babbling more in the past day, which we're taking as an indication that the tubes in his ears have improved his hearing, and therefore are already causing increased speech. His speech therapist noticed it yesterday, too.
He continues to take Tylenol or ibuprofen for pain and it's working. He seems quite comfortable and is scooting around on the floor playing with toys again. He has slept comfortable since day one at night, which has certainly been a blessing to his parents!!!
Next steps in Liam's health (aside from follow-up appointments with the three surgeons) will likely be the removal of the feeding tube and possibly the removal of his tonsils and adenoids (we're hoping to set an appointment with a different ENT who specializes in tonsils and adenoids rather than tubes soon). We hope to wait on both of these surgeries until next year and once again do them both at the same time.
Thank you all for your ongoing prayers and support!
In Christ,
Bill and Lisa
Tuesday, June 30, 2009
Mission accomplished!
Liam had a great surgery experience yesterday (well, as great as these things can be, anyway!). The three surgeons were able to put the tubes in his ears, fix his lazy eyes, and circumcise him successfully. We went in at 6 for a 7:15 surgery. They started on time and were done by around 9:30. We were home by 1:30 p.m. He rested comfortably yesterday, slept the whole night straight through, and has been resting today as well. All is going well!
Thank you so much for your prayers! We feel very blessed to live in a country where we can easily access doctors who have the best training and resources and equally thankful that we have good insurance coverage.
Please pray that his recovery continues to go smoothly!
In Christ,
Bill and Lisa
Thursday, June 25, 2009
Gearing up for Monday!
Liam is still set to have three minor outpatient surgeries on June 29. For those who haven't visited the blog in a while, he is having them all at once to minimize his exposure to aneshesia for the year. The ENT is putting tubes in his ears because he is showing hearing loss due to chronic fluid (without chronic ear infections, thankfully) in his ears. We hope this results in higher rates of speech acquisition! The eye doc is going to fix his lazy eye (yahoo!), just in time for his two year pictures! At the same time, the little guy is going to be circumcised since the docs said there were more important things to focus on when he was born.
We would appreciate your prayers. While he is expected to come through it just fine, come home the same day, and have a very short recovery time for all three surgeries, no one wants their little boy going "under the knife," no matter how minor.
In Christ,
Bill and Lisa
We would appreciate your prayers. While he is expected to come through it just fine, come home the same day, and have a very short recovery time for all three surgeries, no one wants their little boy going "under the knife," no matter how minor.
In Christ,
Bill and Lisa
Tuesday, June 16, 2009
Saturday, May 30, 2009
Surgery bumped to June 29!
I'm still not sure I get why they did this, but we've been bumped to June 29 for surgery. It had something to do with booking the OR. Still all three in the same day, just earlier than originally planned. Actually, I'm glad we're doing it sooner--always nice to get this stuff over sooner rather than later! God is good...
Lisa
Wednesday, May 20, 2009
Spring 09 Pics
Easter Bunny Cake 09
Easter Morning 09
Such a cute smile!
Future Little Hoosier
Our Little Hoosier Man!
Tuesday, May 19, 2009
Surgery date is...
July 20, pending the docs being able to reserve a second OR to assist with "flow" between surgeries, whatever that means. Sounds like a bunch of pampered docs to me! First up is ears, then eyes, then circumcision. All outpatient, so he'll come home yet that day, provided all goes as expected.
In Christ,
Bill and Lisa
In Christ,
Bill and Lisa
Monday, May 4, 2009
Doc appointments
Liam's doctor appointments last Wednesday went very well!
We were pleased that his skull surgeon cleared him from wearing another helmet for the next six months and remain optimistic that he won't ever need to wear another one! He was also cleared to sleep in his crib rather than in his car seat, a precaution that was being taken to ensure his skull continued to heal properly post-surgery.
His heart surgeon cleared him for the upcoming surgeries and did an echo, an EKG, and got pressures in both arms and legs. His pressures looked great, as did his echo. Dr. Liske said his EKG looked like an EKG of a normal child his age (!!!). His echo revealed that the ASD has closed (the ASD is the hole in his heart). The coarc repair continues to hold steady and his heart is growing normally. They will continue to monitor the bicuspid aortic valve and an area on the left side of his heart that continues to measure a little smaller than normal and has a ridge where one shouldn't be. So, all looks great!
Still no surgery date, so I guess we'll have to prompt somebody this week to get things moving. I will certainly keep you posted with a date as soon as I have one!
If I could draw your attention to one of the blogs on the right side of the page: Gavin has HLHS and had his third open heart surgery on April 22 to convert his heart to a two-chamber heart. Initially he was doing really well but suffered a set-back over the weekend. Please pray that he continues to recover and pray for strength for his family. They have encountered some unusual obstacles in that they traveled to California for the surgery so they are away from some of their usual support people in their lives. Additionally, the hospital they are in locked down at one point last week due to the Swine Flu epidemic. Gavin's mother was locked in Gavin's room and his father was locked out of the room. It has been a very difficult time for the entire family and though they are holding up well, I know they need all the prayers that you can offer up to God.
In Christ,
Lisa
"He who dwells in the shelter of the Most High will rest in the shadow of the Almighty." - Psalm 91:1
We were pleased that his skull surgeon cleared him from wearing another helmet for the next six months and remain optimistic that he won't ever need to wear another one! He was also cleared to sleep in his crib rather than in his car seat, a precaution that was being taken to ensure his skull continued to heal properly post-surgery.
His heart surgeon cleared him for the upcoming surgeries and did an echo, an EKG, and got pressures in both arms and legs. His pressures looked great, as did his echo. Dr. Liske said his EKG looked like an EKG of a normal child his age (!!!). His echo revealed that the ASD has closed (the ASD is the hole in his heart). The coarc repair continues to hold steady and his heart is growing normally. They will continue to monitor the bicuspid aortic valve and an area on the left side of his heart that continues to measure a little smaller than normal and has a ridge where one shouldn't be. So, all looks great!
Still no surgery date, so I guess we'll have to prompt somebody this week to get things moving. I will certainly keep you posted with a date as soon as I have one!
If I could draw your attention to one of the blogs on the right side of the page: Gavin has HLHS and had his third open heart surgery on April 22 to convert his heart to a two-chamber heart. Initially he was doing really well but suffered a set-back over the weekend. Please pray that he continues to recover and pray for strength for his family. They have encountered some unusual obstacles in that they traveled to California for the surgery so they are away from some of their usual support people in their lives. Additionally, the hospital they are in locked down at one point last week due to the Swine Flu epidemic. Gavin's mother was locked in Gavin's room and his father was locked out of the room. It has been a very difficult time for the entire family and though they are holding up well, I know they need all the prayers that you can offer up to God.
In Christ,
Lisa
"He who dwells in the shelter of the Most High will rest in the shadow of the Almighty." - Psalm 91:1
Thursday, March 26, 2009
Long-awaited update
Happy spring to all,
We've had a variety of appointments for our little Jelly Bean in recent weeks. I wanted to wait until yesterday's appointment was over before I added to the blog. Essentially, Liam is facing three surgeries this year and a possible surgery next year. All of these surgeries are minor. At this point, we're attempting to consolidate as many surgeries as we can to limit his exposure to anesthesia.
Liam is going to have tubes put in his ears to alleviate his hearing concerns. It is unclear right now if that accounts for his speech delays or if there is more going on. The ENT does believe that putting the tubes in should help accelerate his speech, though. Liam has had chronic fluid in his ears since birth, making it difficult for him to hear others make certain sounds. He doesn't get ear infections, thank goodness, but the fluid is a problem, and it is clearly not going away on its own. Additionally, he needs surgery to correct the position of his right eye, which looks inward. Patching did not resolve the issue, so now we're off to surgery. The ophthamologist doesn't believe he has poor vision, which is good news--he just needs surgery to correct the muscle that holds his right eye in place. Finally, the poor little guy had so much going on at birth and during his first year that he has never been circumcised. We are now in the process of setting a surgery date. We have one more doc to see in early April and then Lisa will start the process of coordinating her schedule with the OR schedule as well as the schedules of the three surgeons. We really need you to pray for us as we go through this process--it can be really frustrating to deal with egos of three surgeons at the same time!
The other surgery that we know is on the horizon, but realized yesterday it won't likely happen until next year, is an operation to close Liam's feeding tube hole. He does still have the tube, and we were hoping we would be cleared yesterday to go tube-free, but a swallow study yesterday showed that Liam is still aspirating on thin liquids. Until he is no longer aspirating, we don't want to remove that tube. We aren't using it much any more, but it's helpful to have it in place after surgeries and procedures, and we don't think anyone will green light us on removing it and closing the hole until he is aspiration-free. His next swallow study will be right around the time he turns two in August of this year.
Liam continues to struggle with learning to crawl. He is so close, and we keep expecting to walk into a room and see him crawling, but so far, it hasn't happened. He is able to turn himself all around, and he can be quite mobile in a very strange way, but still isn't crawling.
He continues to be the happiest and most easy-going little one ever born. He laughs a lot at his four year-old sister these days, and Sarah certainly loves the audience. We're enjoying getting outside more now that it is warming up, and will play in the dirt again this summer in our garden out back.
Lisa's new job continues to go well and she still loves the short minute drive to work. She took some time away from all things medical, including the blog, this winter to focus more time on family. It was a much-needed respite, and something for which we're sure you can all appreciate the need.
In Christ,
Bill & Lisa
We've had a variety of appointments for our little Jelly Bean in recent weeks. I wanted to wait until yesterday's appointment was over before I added to the blog. Essentially, Liam is facing three surgeries this year and a possible surgery next year. All of these surgeries are minor. At this point, we're attempting to consolidate as many surgeries as we can to limit his exposure to anesthesia.
Liam is going to have tubes put in his ears to alleviate his hearing concerns. It is unclear right now if that accounts for his speech delays or if there is more going on. The ENT does believe that putting the tubes in should help accelerate his speech, though. Liam has had chronic fluid in his ears since birth, making it difficult for him to hear others make certain sounds. He doesn't get ear infections, thank goodness, but the fluid is a problem, and it is clearly not going away on its own. Additionally, he needs surgery to correct the position of his right eye, which looks inward. Patching did not resolve the issue, so now we're off to surgery. The ophthamologist doesn't believe he has poor vision, which is good news--he just needs surgery to correct the muscle that holds his right eye in place. Finally, the poor little guy had so much going on at birth and during his first year that he has never been circumcised. We are now in the process of setting a surgery date. We have one more doc to see in early April and then Lisa will start the process of coordinating her schedule with the OR schedule as well as the schedules of the three surgeons. We really need you to pray for us as we go through this process--it can be really frustrating to deal with egos of three surgeons at the same time!
The other surgery that we know is on the horizon, but realized yesterday it won't likely happen until next year, is an operation to close Liam's feeding tube hole. He does still have the tube, and we were hoping we would be cleared yesterday to go tube-free, but a swallow study yesterday showed that Liam is still aspirating on thin liquids. Until he is no longer aspirating, we don't want to remove that tube. We aren't using it much any more, but it's helpful to have it in place after surgeries and procedures, and we don't think anyone will green light us on removing it and closing the hole until he is aspiration-free. His next swallow study will be right around the time he turns two in August of this year.
Liam continues to struggle with learning to crawl. He is so close, and we keep expecting to walk into a room and see him crawling, but so far, it hasn't happened. He is able to turn himself all around, and he can be quite mobile in a very strange way, but still isn't crawling.
He continues to be the happiest and most easy-going little one ever born. He laughs a lot at his four year-old sister these days, and Sarah certainly loves the audience. We're enjoying getting outside more now that it is warming up, and will play in the dirt again this summer in our garden out back.
Lisa's new job continues to go well and she still loves the short minute drive to work. She took some time away from all things medical, including the blog, this winter to focus more time on family. It was a much-needed respite, and something for which we're sure you can all appreciate the need.
In Christ,
Bill & Lisa
Tuesday, January 6, 2009
Christmas 2008
We still haven't transferred Cincinnati Christmas pics over from the old computer to the new one, and we have yet to download Indiana Christmas pics, but here are three sets of pictures to see. Liam's the star in the third set, on down the page--this is, after all, a blog about him...
In Christ,
Bill and Lisa
Sarah unwraps a gift.
Jami and Sarah help Liam play with his new penguin.
Jami and Sarah make ice cream from Play-Doh.
In Christ,
Bill and Lisa
Sarah unwraps a gift.
Jami and Sarah help Liam play with his new penguin.
Jami and Sarah make ice cream from Play-Doh.More Christmas pictures...
Liam and Uncle Greg
Daddy and Sarah, decked out in her new tool set and toys.
Sarah's pile of toys.
The stockings were hung by the chimney with care...
Christmas tree 2008
Liam's Christmas 2008
Liam under the tree on Christmas morning.
Liam opens his new tool set!
Liam and his new pile of toys.
Maybe he'll grow into it...someday.
All tuckered out from a day of Christmas festivities!
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