Jacob had his pre-op appointment yesterday at Children's Hospital Oakland and everything looks good, so we're moving forward as planned with his gastric feeding ("G-tube" ) surgery tomorrow. Check in is at 7:00 am and surgery is at 8:30 am. The procedure should take about an hour and a half. Jake will have to stay overnight for 1-2 nights while he recovers, but we'll be right there with him.
Josh and I continue to have mixed emotions about this surgery because after all...surgery can be a scary thing! Mostly we have anxiety around how this change will impact our family. In terms of caring for Jake, is the g-tube just one more thing to worry about -- ongoing maintenance, how we'll be able to snuggle comfortably, infection risk? Jacob's bout with RSV, back-to-back colds, lack of weight gain and lethargy have been constant reminders as to why he needs this procedure. The g-tube will allow us to have peace of mind knowing we have an alternate way to give him the proper amount of nutrition he needs, especially when he is sick. We've seen so many changes in Jake the last several months, that we are mostly just hopeful that this surgery will give Jake exactly what he needs to re-gain the energy and strength that he had prior to his RSV hospitalization in February.
In fact, I had a long conversation with Jake's infant development therapist Christina last night and expressed my concerns with his regression in skills. It's not something that Josh and I talk a lot about to others because quite honestly, it's very difficult to see your child lose the ability to do the things that made them so happy before. We feel that his body has been fighting so hard just to fend off colds that he doesn't have much energy to expend on much else. Christina is working on getting Jake some special new equipment and toys that will help us better adapt to Jake's current abilities. She's amazing!! In the meantime, we all have the highest hopes that this surgery will help Jake rebound to the little man who smiles bunches, laughs out loud, and kicks his legs with excitement!
Here's a video taken of our happy boy back in January of this year (click link): Jake Kicking & Laughing.
Please keep the little man in your thoughts and prayers!
This is the first time reading your blog. Jake is such an inspiration and joy. This has brought tears to my eyes! I pray for a safe surgery and recovery. If you ever need a helping hand, I'm here. I've worked with regional center for years, they are a great resource. Xoxo!
ReplyDeleteKristine Aiello