On out way home!

I  have been pretty hesitant to write that we have been out of ICU for about a week, and we can come home! He went to breathing on his own since Friday, and has done awesome!!
Everett is doing really good! He will have a feeding tube for a little while.... But thats ok...

So after 70 days of being down here, we are going to be released!!!
 Hope to see everyone soon!

 Much love

Yippie!

Greetings Everyone!

Everett is doing 100% better than ever! The VSD closure helped him out so very much and we are soooo pleased and exited with his progress. We still arent out of the woods completly, we still have to get him eating by mouth and just keep on loving him!

 Thanks to all for your continued support. We are looking to be out of ICU tomorrow!!! Will keep you up to date on when we are fixing to be back in da UP!!!

Hip Hip Horray!

OK. Don't want to get to exited, but Everett's surgery went really, really well yesterday. And we have hopes that this did the trick to heal his lungs. He has been really squirmy and they are having to give him more sedation. Its a double edged happiness to see him more lively, because he isn't really focused, or comfortable, but he is a fighter, and that is nice to see. I apologize for the last post, the doctors have been doing an amazing job, and we are endlessly thankfull to have such a great team working with Everett and us. So. Will keep you posted on the next big steps, again he will have to get off of the ventilator, and ween him down off of the sedation. The weather is making this transition a bit easier. With 50 degrees and sunny, there is a lightness in our step. Peace love and joy to all!

A New Day

Well it has been pretty sunny down here... Which makes everything nice and bright! Everett is heading in for surgery on Monday. Dr. Bove is going to patch up a VSD(shunt, leak between his right and left ventricles) that has been creating problems for him in regards to his breating. There has been to much blood flow to his lungs, and this should fix that!! So we are remaining hopefull that this will help him!! Will keep you posted as to how things are going next week... I know this is what is best for him, although this is the toughest thing I have ever witnessed in my life.... He will get better!

Update

So things not really going the way we want. He is going in to have another heart catheterization done Mon-Tues to help decide on a new surgical plan as he is still in congestive heart failure because he has too much blood going to his pulmanory artery and then going to his lungs, which makes him breathe too fast and work very hard to breathe off the CO2 in the extra blood flowing through his lungs. So we should have a plan Monday evening- Tuesday morning to fix some remaining issues, hopefully the last plan we'll need.

Off the VENT!!!

THANK YOU EVERYONE FOR YOUR AMAZING SUPPORT AND ABUNDANT GENEROSITY!!!
 Everett had a miraculas day today! He coughed early this morning and his vent tube came right out! A sure sign that he was no longer in need of the support. It was somewhat alarming to recieve the phone call this morning that he had ex-tubated himself, and was a bit startled. But a blessing none the less.... His legs are kicking, and his arms are reaching to now pull out his oxygen tubes.Those will need to stay in  for another day or so, while he is still in ICU. We will hopefully be out of ICU this next week! We are so incredibly relieved! He has come so far and we now can feel our trip home will be soon!! Much love and a huge gracious thank you for all of your support during the last few weeks!
The spagetti dinner was an unpresidented success thanks to all the beloved friends and family!! Everett could feel the loving energy each of you sent his way!!

Patience is A virtue

Everett has been off of the ECMO (life support) machine for 3 days, since Wednesday! Wuoo Whoooo!! What a relief and sure sign that the surgery went as hoped. He is still very sleepily sedated. They started feeding him breastmilk through a feeding tube yesterday. Everetts lungs need to open up a bit more before he can trial off of the ventilator.  He has been though so much. During surgery the lungs got quite a beating, the surgeons had to move them out of the way to get to the heart. Fluid built up in the lungs, and they  are suctioning quite a bit of blood and mucus out still, as well, he spiked a fever thursay morning early, which means he is fighting off a little flu bug.... Ahhh. The flu is generally occurs from being on the ventilator, little bacteria can grow, and from being on ECMO, his lungs didnt do much work for a week. So that basicly set his healing process back a week. The next big step is getting of the Vent! We are hoping he will be off by mid week, next week. Chris and I are hanging in there. Its been a true test of patience and acceptance. We do feel blessed that we see the sun shining through the clouds!