Wednesday, May 6, 2009

Wednesday, May 6

Hello to all. We were told that Clay will have his next surgery Friday morning. Dr. Arnoldo will place homografts on the back of Clay's head. In a week or two, they will take him back to O.R. to remove these grafts and place autografts (his own skin) in their place. We have been worried about the back of his head and are relieved that it will finally be covered and begin to heal.
Clay had a busy morning and a restful afternoon. Clay was sick to his stomach three times today. His nurse noticed a correlation between his vomiting and his pain medicine. Each time he was given hydrocodone, for pain, he vomited within minutes after it was put down his feeding tube. He is still receiving a small amount of morphine through his IV. Extra pain medication is given before wound care, etc. Kristen, our O.T., made Clay another cast for his right hand. Uncle Justin (my brother) came to visit Clay at 11:00am. This was Clay's busiest hour of the day. The speech therapist came to work with Clay. She would place a cap over Clay's trach and ask him to say a word. It will take some time for him to get used to having air pushed over his vocal cords again. He gets really anxious each time the cap is placed over his trach. He then was taken to the big window where he watches for those airplanes taking off at Love Field. He also wanted to show us a new trick. While lying in bed, he can pick up his soft, spike ball with his little toes. We were laughing and he was smiling - it was really cute. He was asleep during our afternoon visits and wide awake during our evening visit. We hope you all have/had a restful night ~ thanks to all of you!

7 comments:

  1. Wanted to say a quick hello tonight. I'm at Rosehill's recovering from my jaw surgery, and we watch for the nightly updates. So glad for each bit of news. Keep hanging in there, all of you. We think of you lot's. Love, Susie

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  2. It sounds like maybe someone has a lead on the cause of upset stomach. I wonder if he was given either yogurt at the same time or a little before, or something like pepto to coat it first if that might not help him all the way around? Just a thought. I'm glad for the next target for surgery. "You've come a loooooong way baby!" Have a good night's rest.

    Jeanne' & Gary

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  3. Yes, let's give a big "shout out" to the nurse who noticed this correlation! Hope maybe this will help them to eliminate the vomiting factor from Clay's healing! Glad to hear he is coming up with new tricks to show you! Love to hear the progress that is made each day! I will be praying for this upcoming surgery as I know you are anxious to have the back of his head all covered up!! Love you all! Missy

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  4. The miracles are just coming faster and closer together. God is working with Clay and his doctors and nurses. I thank Him for all He is doing for Clay. Clay is the first one I pray vor each morning and night and any time he comes to mind in the day, which surely has enhanced my prayer life. I love the reports each day and I thank you for taking the time to do this when I know you are ready to fall on your bed. God bless you all with a good night's healing rest for all. Love and prayers for you, Carolyn

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  5. Pain meds are tough. I feel for the little guy because they all can make you really sick. If nothing else works, maybe they can give them to him and then not move him or anything until about an hour and a half. Everyone one them makes me vomit and that is the worst feeling but usually if I have to take them and I don't move around too much between the dose and until after it kicks in and then settles down, it is a lot easier. If they are giving him the meds and then doing a lot of stuff to him, then they might try given the meds and waiting just a little bit longer to do stuff. I have to be still to take Vicodin or I do the vomit thing. Morphine is worse. I don't know how he could keep from vomiting. Taking some food helps but I usually just vomit up the food too. If nothing else works, just try to do his movement and stuff at his best time. You might notice that there is a cycle of the pain meds wearing off and it hurting a bunch, then they give the dose and then 30mins to-an hour of really being sick, then he may take a nap, and then he is in good shape. This info might not help at all, but it works best for me. If they give him phenergan a lot with the meds, he will be asleep most of the time, especially since he is little. This won't last forever, the pain and the vomiting will go away. Hang in there. I hate that he is going through all this. God Bless.

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  6. We are sorry to hear that your little guy gets sick to his stomach with hydrocodone, but it is one powerful drug and some people can't take it - maybe they can find something that won't make him so sick. Glad to hear he does things that makes Momma laugh - he needs to hear that. Give our love to him and consider yourself hugged - Dawn & Pam

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  7. Just want to let you know that you all are still in our daily prayers!
    Mike & Charity Gilmore

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