A MAJOR UPDATE!!

OK so I finally have access to a computer! It has been hard to get to one with internet access for some reason. So much has happened so I am just going to cut right to it!

It was so good to come and see Dawson. I missed him so much and I think he felt the same! I met with the doctor finally and got clear on what was going on. Because Dawson had NEC (the infection that started this whole bowel mess) he just has slower bowels--so he told me-- and they are just going to have to move slow. He said that at this point the CMV virus is something we just ignore because 90% of all adults carry the virus. As far as infecting Mallory, if she isn't exposed by Dawson, she will be by someone else, so whatever. They have done all the tests that they need to and really just think that it is just his bowels trying to adjust. They have an NJ tube down. That goes from his nose to his intestines. They are feeding him continuously, which means that he constantly has food going through the tube. They were hoping that he would just work up slowly then they would pull the tube back into his tummy and hope that he would tolerate it. Then they will work the feedings down and up to every 3 hours, like normal and send him home. This, they figured would take about 1 month.

This was positive to me. At least we knew that there wasn't any big major thing that we weren't finding as to why he kept throwing up so much and was having such a hard time with his feedings. My only question, Why can't we just try Lactose Free milk? I kept thinking about it and I wanted to make sure that this wasn't the reason that he was puking, because in Ryan's family there are a lot of cases of Lactose Intolerance, including Ryan. I have begged and pleaded with 2 doctors and countless nurses and they had all told me no. I just felt like I shouldn't give up. He is my baby and if I want him to have Lactose Free then that is what they should do. At the very least we should just make sure that isn't the issue. So I brought it up with Dr. Millie, the new doctor. He listened! He gave him the Lactose free. We are now on day 3 no more vomitting! Maybe we solved a big problem!

Well, when we came down we decided to give the Ronald McDonald house a try, because if we stay here they provide all of our food and everything is paid for. We were really hoping that would save us a bit of money. It is fabulous here! I can't believe it! They have a different organization coming in each night to provide us with dinner, sometimes lunch and breakfast, too. They also have cupboards and cupboards full of food that we can make. They also have a bulletin board full of free activities for us. They have free tickets to the Nutcracker at the Capitol Theatre, Ryan and I will be enjoying free massages here tomorrow and the really fun one, they had a sign up for 2 tickets to go to the Delta Center for a concert of a really popular band, they wouldn't say who it was until you said that you could go. I called and they put my name down at will call for a U2 concert. The tickets they have given us are $750 tickets and supposed to be amazing. This should be pretty fun. It will be a fun night out! Ryan doesn't want to go, he would rather stay here and watch the kids, since he doesn't know 2 U2 songs. I am going to take my brother Clint, he likes U2 and it will be fun to go out and spend a night with him. He is pretty excited, I think. Needless to say they really take care of us here. We love it and it is really a home away from home. There are plenty of other parents that are going through the same thing here that we have gotten to know. It is such a blessing!

So, after having come here to see Dawson, Ryan and I saw and felt that Dawson really needed us here and we needed to do whatever it took to come here. We planned to go home on Monday and come back on Thursday to stay for a month, with just a couple trips home. We got home Monday night and went to bed. On Tuesday morning the hospital called. Dawson had yet another infection in his blood and because his shunt goes into his heart they were having an emergency surgery to remove the shunt! This scared me to death. We had just talked to the nurse and doctor the day before about how we hope he is done with surgeries because we didn't feel that he was strong enough for another one. There was not a choice in this one. They had to do it. Ryan came right home from Sun Valley and we packed up, yet again. Lisa came and sat with Dawson, we have similar voices and we thought that would be comforting for Dawson. It was, when Lisa talked he opened his eyes and looked for me and when he couldn't find me he cried, poor baby! He did love having Lisa there and so did I! It meant a lot to me! This was the first time she had left her baby with a sitter! What a nice sister! After the surgery Lisa checked on him to make sure he was OK then she went home and my mom came up and sat with him until I got there. He was very spoiled with visitors! I am sure it helped so much. 20 minutes after surgery he was extubated and off the ventilator. That is a major blessing!!! He was doing so well and we were proud. He was also back up to his full feedings within about 16 hrs. another blessing!

He is now sporting an external shunt. The tube comes out of his head and runs into a big board that has a drain attached to it. He is doing really well.

The new plan.........They will continue on our normal schedule for feedings. They will continue to increase and if he is doing well with his new formula they will go a little quicker. They are hoping that they will get him done with the feeding problems and ready to go home that way over the next two weeks. When Dawson has tested negative for 10 days they will take him in to do the surgery to put his shunt back. Day 1 has already come. It was yesterday. That was fast and we are happy for that. They will continue to do tests and make sure that he is clear of the infection and in 2 weeks they will do the surgery. They are then hoping to have him right back to full feedings 1 day after the surgery, then they might watch him for a couple more days then it is HOME for DAWSON! That will be a great day!

I will definately try to keep you updated. This has been a crazy week! We know that nothing will happen to Dawson unless it is what the Lord wants to happen, for some reason. It is our job to trust his plan, although it feels sometimes that it could be done an easier way :) We continue to be taught some pretty intense lessons. We know for sure that we would not trade these babies for anything so we will continue to pray and trust the Lord!

We love you all!

Love, The Lindstroms