"STEAK IN A CAN"

Hey Everyone! Just wanted to let you know that I just heard from Dawson's GI doc. He has worked with Dr. Walker before, so he called him to see if it would be OK to do the surgery in Idaho. Dr. Walker said that it would be just fine. So, we are scheduled for next Wednesday at 6:30am. We will, needless to say, be staying in Boise on Tuesday night and Wednesday night. If everything goes alright we will be able to take him home.

The good thing about doing the tube here is that we will have it done at St. Luke's hospital in Boise, and there is a St. Luke's hospital here in Sun Valley (where Ryan and I had our surgeries), so the doctors there and here work closely together and if there is any problem we can go right to this hospital and they will not be afraid to help him out. That will be SOOO nice!

The other nice thing about it being next week is that Dawson has figured out exactly how to pull his tube out. He reaches right up and gives it a tug! Little turkey! He pulled it out twice yesterday and pulled the tape off of his face today! AHHH!! Poor kid! I can't wait to get this done!

We will not be having a Nissen done. That is where they take the tissue around the top of his stomach and permanently pull it and wrap it around the "neck" of his stomach. This would make it impossible to ever throw up, which would have it's perks, especially this last Sunday when Dawson and I both spent the last 2 hrs and 45 min of church covered in his puke! Nothing like that smell! :) However, vomiting is the biggest sign of shunt problems and since his bones in his head are now fused, we can't waste much time with his brain swelling, we really depend on that sign!

For the first 10 weeks Dawson will have an enormous tube (and the doctor told me, he is telling me it is huge, and I will still be surprised at how huge it actually is) coming out of his tummy. Then they will put the "button" in. When they do the surgery they will also do a full allergy test. Then, Dr. Thompson says, we can give him this stuff they have, which is basically "steak in a can". YUMMY!

Anyway, we are excited about this and can't wait to watch Dawson grow. He has already gained almost 1 1/2 lbs. with the NG tube. I can't even imagine how "fat and happy" he will be with "steak in a can"!

So that is the latest, and we will, of course keep you posted! Keep Dawson in your prayers! Thanks so much!