~The Speth Family~: More Miracles

Friday, May 21, 2010

More Miracles

If I were to try to guess what is going to happen next I can almost guarantee I would be wrong. Yesterday morning/afternoon John and I sat here and watched Ammon start to tank. I felt strongly that he was dying and I felt an urgency to help him. Today the vent is down to 30 % oxygen (room air is around 21) and his echo (heart function) was a little improved.

Ammon has been taken off of the OR schedule for today. They don't feel like he has much of a chance if he has surgery today so they want to buy him as much time as possible. If that's a few days, a week, month or even if they can somehow get him through until his third open heart (when he's 30 pounds) any time at all will help. The sutures take at least 6 weeks to heal. They need his sutures from last week to heal because if they pop a few of them during the surgery Ammon will most likely die. The longer he can go, the better chance he has. It feels weird today to say he has a chance!

Yesterday it seemed like the team was avoiding us. I heard Dr. Vernon (the attending) tell a nurse in his 30 years as a doctor he has never seen this before. In all the mayhem yesterday Vernon was not informed they had put Ammon on the surgery schedule for today. Last night Vernon told me they should wait and give him some time. Pulchowski (Ammon's cardiologist) said he was in he cath lab last night and told them if Ammon had a good night they should wait and not opperate. It made sense to me. I guess this morning they all agreed. Ammon had an unexpected, amazing night! This week Dr. Pribble is the attending - he's amazing. The plan is to let Ammon lay here for a few days sedated and happy. They are going to let the rhinovirus clear up and then maybe try to work carefully toward extubating him again. If he does well, they will take him off of the milrinone (it squeezes his heart and improves function). The trick is getting him off of that medication. It is an IV drug so he can't go home on it long term and if his function doesn't improve without it they will have to do a surgery sooner rather than later.

We just met Dr. Kaza (the other surgeon). Wow - he was really nice. And POSITIVE. I love positive people right now. He thinks the narrowing is most likely due to where they hooked Ammon up to the bypass. They sewed up the hole when they took him off and the suture is a little stiff. The surgeon says it is not too terribly uncommon for this to happen. There is a possibility that the tissue might stretch a bit as it heals, which would allow Ammon to avoid surgery for a little bit. If not, they will address it when they have to.

It feels so weird today (a good weird). Thank you all so much for your prayers and support. I'm really sorry to put you all through it, but thank you for going there with us. And THANK YOU for the prayers - I KNOW prayer can change situations and improve outcomes. It has worked for us more than once :) I love miracles.

4 comments:

Retta JeanMay 21, 2010 at 12:52 PM
Wow! Great news....about time huh! See ya tomorrow.
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janetkspethMay 21, 2010 at 2:25 PM
My sweet little Ammon, my prayers are with you today, tomorrow and always. I love you sooooo much. You are such a valiant little guy with such a sweet strong spirit. What a lucky grandma I am to have you for a grandson. I am eternally grateful for every minute I have had with you and look forward to many more. I love you forever and ever and ever. Grandma Speth P.S. Keep Fighting!!!!!
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Tyler & LauraMay 21, 2010 at 3:11 PM
I am just covered in goosebumps :) This little boy will make it! He is a fighter. Just you watch him cure cancer when he grows up :) We love you, Ammon!!
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SULLIVANMay 21, 2010 at 7:32 PM
Suzi- Keep hanging in there. I am glad Ammon is showing those doctor's he is a fighter. I hope you and John are doing ok. I worry about you both. Love ya mary
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