Mid-week catch up post

Once again, the week has slipped by without me firing off a single post.

I ended up staying an extra day in Colorado because my flight got so delayed that I would have ended up getting home at 2 or 3 in the morning. Thankfully, the airline switched me to a flight the next day. So I called Ryan to come back to the airport and get me--and was able to have another evening with him. Su-weet!

When I got home on Monday night, I noticed that Jordan had a bunch of goop oozing out of his incision area, along with a red line from the top of his cheek to his chin. I tried calling the surgeon but their phone system was down. Our pediatrician wouldn't touch him and said no one in the E.R. would touch him either. So Tuesday morning, I called again and the surgeon wanted us to come to Boston immediately.

No time to even start post-trip laundry. Or breathe. Once in Boston, it was determined that Jordan did not have an infection as we had feared but instead was having a reaction of some type. After getting the dried goop off his face and removing his stitches, the surgeon sent us to a dermatologist. Of course, the dermatologist is only at Children's three days a week and Tuesday was not one of them. So off we went to the town where she was practicing...20 miles away.

{Insert heavy sigh...}

She agreed with the surgeon--that it was a skin reaction and gave him some steriod cream. Apparently, the same thing happened a few weeks ago with another Asian patient who had ear reconstruction and now the surgeon is thinking of writing a paper on it. He and the dermatologist are now on a mission to figure out what caused the reaction to prevent any future problems with other children.

That means extra trips to Boston for skin testing. Oh the joy.

The following pic is a bit gross so if stuff like that bothers you, avert your eyes and skip over it.

At the doctor's office. Took some of the gang for moral support but in retrospect should have left them at home.

{insert another sigh...}

Let's just say, there was a very annoyed Mama and some extra assigned chores involved...

We made it home in time to do Kate's INR blood test and then off to the dentist with four of the kids. Whee!

I have been making twice a week trips to Boston and Springfield for Jordan, Zoey, and SaraGrace for numerous doctor appointments. Zoey is done going to Springfield for awhile, but now SaraGrace is going to be needing to go to Boston weekly for the next few weeks. Sadly, so does Jordan but his doctors aren't available the same days as SaraGrace's.

It's been a bit crazy around here for the last two months. We don't normally have this many doctor visits for weeks on end.

Although I would prefer not to drive to Boston twice a week, I am SO grateful that we have access to such awesome doctors only 90 min. away. And although we did not want to move here and be so far from family, we can see that God had a purpose in putting us here. Our kids needed these doctors.

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I know you are probably wondering about Ryan. I won't go into details but sadly, Ryan and Dani's marriage is ending. It's a very sad, painful situation. It was so good to see him and love on him a bit.

His surgery has not been rescheduled yet. He is having testing to see what is going on with his heart--if anything.

Pike's Peak

Kissing Camels at Garden of the Gods

The Big Reveal

Jordan is doing great! I am so proud of him. He has not complained ONCE about having to wear his padded helmet. He hasn't needed any pain medicine since Sunday.

Yesterday we went to Shriners because Zoey is getting another new leg. Her second one has never fit quite right and they decided to just make her a new one. It was pretty comical when we walked in. The receptionist looked at us--Jordan with his head wrap--Zoey with her prosthetic leg--and said, "Which one of them has an appointment?"

I forgot to take my camera (gasp!) but took a few photos at her last visit before Jordan's surgery.

The inside of the leg...

Getting the leg length correct as well as standing on it long enough to make sure it feels right.

She happily shows off the baseball cards she got. She chose them over stickers at the end of her appointment.

Today we went to Boston for a post-op appointment for Jordan. We were excited to be able to see his ear!! The doctor warned us that it would look a lot bigger than normal because it is still swollen. I expected it to look a lot worse than it did.

BEFORE surgery:

So ready to get rid of those hanging drains!

Anticipation...

More anticipation...

And there it is! The next surgery will be to make a lobe out of what Jordan already had and connect it to his new ear. I'm kinda diggin' the cute little buzz cut around his ear. :)

Getting the drains removed. He sat so still and never made a peep--although winced when some of the stitches came out. He has some sutures that will stay in for at least 4 weeks but the sutures that held the drains in place came out today.

Getting his first look in the mirror. That smile almost makes me cry. He told me later that he was a bit disappointed in how it looked because it was so big. I explained to him that it wouldn't always look that big--the swelling will come down and the ear will get smaller.

The ear is under the skin on the side of his head. The skin will eventually stretch enough that it will conform to the new ear and become the skin that covers it just like yours and mine. Amazing, huh? And the cartilage that they used will actually GROW with him so that his ears will stay equal size.

He had quite an audience in his tiny exam room. There were seven adults besides me all watching the big reveal.

His doctor takes pictures to help him get the correct symmetry for subsequent surgeries.

His third and final surgery will bring the ear out so that it sticks out the same as the other ear.

But doesn't he look cute?! :)

His head got a short breather and then it was back into another helmet. He will get a new one every Friday for the next few weeks. I was so proud of him. He didn't complain or whine...just sat there and let them do their work.

There go the bandages...

And more bandages....yet he retains his good attitude!

And on top of it all, this funky looking cheesecloth kinda thingy. They had to tear out the front to let his face peek out.

Then we went for a walk because we had a bit of time to kill before we had to pick up the kids from school. Harvard Medical School is right next to Children's Hospital so we walked over there. Jordan says he wants to be a doctor--and I think he would make a great one! I had him pose for a picture in front of the main building.

And I think all that good behavior deserved a reward....so a Harvard Medical School t-shirt did the trick. Plus, they were on sale...Score!

A little hold-out-the-camera-and-take-your-own-picture-to remember-the-day moment. We are so thankful to live near such amazing doctors and facilities. God knew what He was doing when He moved us here--despite our great reluctance to live so far from family.