Tuesday, September 22nd

Brief note on Clay's surgeries last Friday. Clay spent about 5 hours in the operating room at Children's medical center last Friday, as many of you know. While sedated an Ear, Nose and Throat doctor scoped above and below his trach to make sure everything was in order with his airway. The plastics team spent about 4 hours working on his left hand and releasing under his eyes. We had planned on an overnight stay in the hospital but after the procedure the Doctor told us it might be best if Clay stayed in the hospital for 5 days until the stitches were removed from his eyes and his donor site. Deidra and I were not very excited at this prospect but we thought we would see how Friday night went. After our stay on Friday night we called the doctor and asked to be released. He agreed and we arrived back in Olney around 5:00 p.m. on Saturday. Clay seems to be doing well and is recovering. He is being treated like a little king. We carry him from room to room at his request and Grandma and Mom are at his beck and call. His eyes are not sutured completely shut and he can see over the tops of bandages sewn beneath his eyes, so it is bearable for him. He has kept a good spirit throughout and will return back to Dallas Wednesday of this week to have some stitches removed and visit a trach nurse at Children's. Thanks for all of the thoughts, prayers and concerns. We will keep you posted as progress is made.

Thursday, September 17th

Good day to everyone. I wanted to drop a quick update on Clay's week. His occupational therapist came to the house Monday morning and did some hand exercises. As soon as he was finished he and his mother packed up and headed to Galveston for a consultation with the plastic surgeon there on Tuesday morning. They were able to meet up with Grandma, "Joy" somewhere south of Olney and she went with them to help out. Tuesday after their visit with the surgeon they went to the beach for a few minutes. It was cloudy and overcast so Clay could run wild for a moment and not worry about the heat or the sun. They took him to lunch at the Rain Forest Cafe, he enjoyed that, they then started home. They picked up grandma's car and made it back to Olney sometime before midnight. Wednesday Clay had physical therapy and school. His therapist worked him hard then his teacher graded some of his papers. We went to meeting in Seymour last night and Clay and Deidra are on their way to Dallas now for a pre-op appointment at Children's at 1:00. What I am trying to say is Clay may need the surgery, that is scheduled for 7:00 a.m. tomorrow, to rest. He and we are staying busy. We appreciated all of the comments on the last post. Please remember Clay tomorrow. They are planning to work on his left hand and place full thickness skin grafts under both eyes. We anticipate the procedure lasting about 4 hours. He will stay in the hospital for observation Friday night. Carson and Cody are at home under the capable care of Grandma. Thanks to all and take care.

Wednesday, September 9

Hello to all! Life has kept us busy around here. I wanted to post this before tomorrow. A team from the Parkland Burn Unit will be at Olney Elementary School tomorrow (Thurs., Sept. 10 at 1:00pm). They will present a program to help everyone understand about Clay's burns. This will be the first time he has been around all the students and I'm a little worried about it. Parents and others in town are welcome to attend. I feel like shielding Clay from any unfriendly stares or comments; I pray that it goes well. I am thankful for the support of the school and community. Our hearts hurt so much for Clay and also for Carson & Cody. We cry often and sometimes I feel like crawling into a hole to cry; but, we just pray for more strength and keep going forward because we have so much to be thankful for. We want to say thank you to all of the parents who have taught their own children, by example, how to love Clay. Some children keep their distance from Clay & others play with him as if nothing ever happened. We do understand that it is difficult for young kids to understand. We have noticed that the kids who adjust the best (to Clay) are the ones who have watched their parents interact with Clay. We are thankful for the ones who smile, hug, talk, or pat Clay when they see him. We are experiencing what it feels like to have everyone stare when we go places. We are thankful for our family, friends, and community who make us feel comfortable and loved.
The boys have a new puppy. He is a Jack Russell Terrier and a little ball of energy. He chews on anything he can find; so, I'll be glad when he's past this stage. Some friends here in town invited the boys over for a "puppy picking" party. Clay picked the dog and named him; he named him "Chocolate" because he said that the puppy's face looked like chocolate. Our old dog is not very happy about having this new puppy around, but the boys are enjoying him.
Clay will have his first "outpatient" surgery next Friday (Sept. 18). They will perform surgery on his left hand and release his eyes. Clay and I will travel to Galveston next week to meet with a plastic surgeon at the Shriner's Burn Hospital. Thank you to Phil for helping us get in touch with the doctors at Shriners. The hospital in Galveston sustained damage during a hurricane and now they are opening it again. The soonest that these doctors could do any type of release on Clay would be November. We will inform you about decisions made & will know more after we consult with the plastic surgeon. The doctors (at Parkland)are planning on releasing Clay's neck during the first part of October. I'm sure I have confused you by now, but we are just praying that we make the right decisions.
Thank you to all for your continued prayers and care. Hugs from the Fite family!