5-year-old Audrey was born with her lungs connected to her stomach and an incomplete esophagus (Long Gap EA/TEF or Esophageal Atresia). After two big surgeries and 142 days in the NICU in Utah, Audrey finally moved home but has since needed much more surgery, now in Boston. Much of her food still comes through a tube directly into her stomach, and she has had many procedures to help her swallow food, but she is thriving today. Thank you for blessing us with your love and prayers.
Wednesday, November 2, 2011
WONDERFUL news!
Both her vocal chords are working!!! The ENT (ear nose and throat doctor) even said there is really nothing more for him to offer her, that she is healing just fine, and that we could now have one less doctor to see! Her dilation went fine, she is now slightly wider than before (18fr from 16) and is now officially approved to try a few drops of food by mouth! He is not sure how quickly he'll be able to get things wide enough to match the rest of her esophagus because the scar tissue is very stiff and brittle; it could take more than four more dilations to get to where he thinks she needs to be, and he might decide to spread them out to two weeks instead of one; we're going to talk with him and see--for right now though, we're heading back up for another one next Wednesday where he hopes to get her another couple millimeters further apart.Recovery took forever again-- her O2 sats are just not bouncing back as quickly as the doctors want, so we just hang out and snuggle for a long time in our little oxygen bar. I should bring a cucumber mask next time.
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Yay!
ReplyDeleteHealing just fine have to be some of the most beautiful words to hear. It's a comfort to know that even though things are tough and rough that you have made the correct decisions for your family and that there is some light starting to shine. She really is a beautiful little girl. I'm glad to hear that she will be laughing along with everyone else even more. :)
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