Isolated

Last time I checked in here our family was home together recovery from surgery and thankful for it!  However, Gabe's little body wasn't as ready to be at home as his doctor originally thought it was. An infection in his incision sent him to the ER and landed him back in the hospital for awhile to really rest and heal.   Knowing what a fighter he is, I settled in with him ready to appreciate the 1-on-1 snuggle time again.  With two days of antibiotics under his belt he seemed to be perking up.  A visit from Gibson even got him out of bed and encouraged him to successfully try out legs a bit.  

 

{best buddy snuggles, good for the soul}

It came as a frightful surprise when he woke up in the middle of night #2 with a significant cerebral spinal fluid leak.  Any of you who have ever experienced a post epidural spinal headache will sympathize with our brave little guy's pain after 8 hours with a very active leak.  Our neurosurgeon's PA scheduled Gabe for a procedure to re-sew his back.  Stressful story short, by the time he woke from the procedure's anesthesia his back was already leaking again.  Our surgeon scheduled a Friday evening emergency surgery to re-open the many layers in his back to find the leak in his dura and repair it.  They found the leak, inserted a lumbar drain, and sent Gabe to the PICU intubated for the night to wait for a PICC line procedure.  

{friday night in the o.r. waiting room}

We have been in the PICU for several days now.  Gabe's incision seems to be healing much better than before.  He patiently endures hour after hour flat on his back while his spinal drain and neurological function are carefully monitored.  We are thankful for the big antibiotics heading through his central line to help fight the big infections that seem to have made their way into his spinal fluid during his original surgery and the other nasty infection that ate its' way through his skin to create the fluid leak.  Gabe's lab work continues to show improvements as well.

Today's encouragement included toddler scribbles in a coloring book, silliness with the nurses, sparkle in his eyes, a normal pediatric diet, and an increased desire to wiggle out of position to be more involved with what is going on around him.  

{paging dr.doggie}

Intensive care and isolation wear on us a bit, but we are reminded that God purposefully lead Hispeople into a place of isolation to develop their confidence in Him as their God. (Deuteronomy 8:2-3)

A friend of Kevin's put some of our thoughts into words, "I know some have been giving God a ration of sh*&! about this "small child suffering thing." (God) seems to be taking it well, something about Big picture, Resurrection, unfathomable life everlasting... 

Holy week in mind, we know God understands more suffering than all the little ones on this unit know.  He can handle our questions and frustrations.  He "gets" isolation. He knows the Big picture.

P.S: Sunday is coming!