Big Change Today!

Wow - how things can change in a few hours! Last night at about 11:00, we discovered that there was a significant leak around Isaac's breathing tube. That means that there is now space between his airway and the tube, indicating that swelling has gone down. We were told that the ENT was going to look at him in the morning, and then decide on a new plan of action.

By this morning, the leak had increased, and the ENT decided to do another bronchoscopy to take a look. He found that there was a LOT less swelling than he saw last week! He attempted to extubate Isaac (remove the breathing tube) and it was successful! As I type, Isaac is laying in his bed, breathing on his own :). What an answer to prayer! It is too early to know yet whether scar tissue will be an issue - this is something the ENT will keep watching. Right now, the doctors are trying to wean Isaac off of the heavy doses of sedation meds. He is moving around a bit, but not actually awake. He also has a lot of secretions built up in his lungs from being on the ventilator for 6 days. He has been developing a fever, so there is concern that an infection is growing somewhere. The goal for today is to help him get rid of the secretions (suction, forcing him to cough, chest physiotherapy, etc.) and keep an eye on his fever. I am just looking forward to the moment when my little boy can smile again. We're a long way from that yet, but it's wonderful to see him without the big tube coming out of his mouth! This also means that he doesn't have to have a tracheostomy, which is another answer to prayer.

We are blown away by the huge numbers of people all over the world who are praying for Isaac. There are even pastors in India (friends of my dad's) who were fasting and praying for our son for two days. Wow. We are holding fast to the promise that God is not finished with our Isaac yet, and that He has wonderful plans for him.