Our Quiverfull - Lots to share

Aug. 28, 2007

Lots to share

I have a lot to share today – some good news, some not so good news, and some wonderful news.

First the not so good news. Noah has no bowel sounds at all, so the doctor has no choice but to cut back his morphine. Morphine (and most other pain medicines) can make the bowels take longer to "wake up." The doctor changed the order to once every 4 hours but did make it clear that if Noah was just absolutely not able to handle this, he would change the orders to more frequent doses. In the meantime, we are using Tylenol and Bendadryl (which doesn't help pain, but helps him sleep) and trying lots of tactics for soothing and distracting. He isn't doing too well with this, but so far it isn't quite as bad as I thought it would be. He just doesn't feel well enough to be easily distracted yet. Please keep praying for relief from pain for our sweet Noah! Watching him hurt is by far the hardest thing I have ever done and I would give anything to make it stop.

Now the good news - Noah wasn't able to go to PICU yesterday after all. Right before he was set to go over, they got two traumas and just didn't have the room or the manpower to sedate Noah for his PICC line. They could have done it today, but that meant risking his current IV which wasn't looking great and might not have lasted long enough for him to get his PICC. If the IV had gone before they got in a PICC line, they would have had to replace the IV – not an easy feat with Noah's veins.

After a lot of discussion and prayer, we decided to try to put in the PICC line in the regular treatment room with no sedation last night. He had his morphine and they gave him a little Versed, and we all agreed that if he got truly upset we would just stop. The Child Life Specialist stayed late and helped distract Noah, and I was able to lie partly on the table so he could wrap his arms around my neck and snuggle. The nurses all prayed for him before we started. God just blessed and sustained Noah and he was able to be still for almost two hours while the nurses got his line in! The first one didn't work, so they had to start again. His best vein was in his ankle and they had to thread the line almost to his heart. Noah complained a little and had some brief periods of discomfort but never got upset or actually cried for more than a few seconds. Even that little distress was hard to see, but it was actually much, much easier on him than getting an IV. He is starting his TPN (nutrition) today and I think this will help him feel better in general.

Also good news – Noah has drainage tubes coming from his stomach and his small intestine. Until today, the drainage from both tubes has been the same color, but today they were different. They are still just really yucky in my opinion, but the doctor was very happy about this and said it was a good sign. This is the first "good word" we have had since Noah's first surgery on Wednesday.

Now the wonderful news – Jeff was going to blog about this a while ago, but our computers went down. Then Noah ended up with this surgery and we didn't want to detract anyone's focus from Noah, but I can't hold back any longer. A couple of weeks ago, we found out that God is blessing us with baby #8! This came as an incredibly huge surprise – a good surprise, but one we just didn't expect at all. It took almost 4 years to conceive Noah and we didn't expect another one so soon. We are just as happy as we can be about this and know that it will be a blessing to Noah to have a sibling close in age that can be his buddy as his siblings are all much older than he is.

We were guessing that I was due in April or even May, but really weren't sure. We went in for my first doctor's visit as soon as we could and he did an ultrasound to check my dates. I was VERY surprised when he said that I was due March 8^th and would be induced mid-February (because of the diabetes). Then he laughed and apologized and said he got it all wrong. I sort of breathed a sigh of relief thinking that my April estimate was back in play . . . until he said that I was due FEBRUARY 8^th and would be induced mid January At that point I was rendered speechless for one of the first times in my life LOL. I guess that it is fair to say that I have officially been "too busy" since I didn't even notice my entire first trimester. I have felt and continue to feel perfectly wonderful. I'm back on my insulin pump and my blood sugar has been and continues to be great. The doctor is happy and is hoping for a great VBAC for me. This is shaping up to be an ideal pregnancy – as easy as Noah's was hard.

Wondering why I just had to share today and couldn't wait? My regular doctor is in our home town, but I also see a Maternal Fetal Medicine specialist here in Greenville not far from this hospital. I have seen him once and was supposed to see him again today. I was also due for a regular checkup tomorrow, and my OB arranged for the MFM doctor to do the checkup because I couldn't bear to be away from Noah long enough to drive home. My checkup was wonderful and the ultrasound was great . . . . so great that they were able so see that I am having a little girl! I honestly was so worried about leaving Noah with my mom and stepdad that I just wanted to hurry up and get the ultrasound over, but when I saw those little hands and feet and that little face I was so happy that I cried – and then cried even more when I saw that it was a girl. We have two girls and five boys, and while I would have been fine with another boy, I have so wanted to have another daughter. I got Jeff on the phone and told him, and he was just so happy. The children are beside themselves and I suspect Hannah will talk her aunt Julie into taking her to the store to buy something PINK even before I get home.

It feels odd to be so excited about one thing and so heartbroken about another, and I hope it doesn't come across like my joy at our new daughter somehow overshadows my grief at what Noah is experiencing. I felt guilty about being happy, then I realized that it was wrong to feel that way. This baby is a gift from God sent to us at just the right time, and it would be wrong not to joy and revel in His gift. All that Noah is going through is a gift of a very different kind, and one that we can give thanks for, but certainly not one I can be happy about. I NEVER expected to learn the baby's gender today but she was very, very cooperative from every angle and the MFM's high resolution ultrasound machine made things crystal clear. God knew that I needed to cry tears of JOY today. I learned today that it is OK to weep with sorrow and with joy even at the same time. Oh, and praise God, Noah slept the whole time I was gone. He never even knew I left.)

Please rejoice with us as we rejoice even as you continue to share in our pain for Noah's sufferings.

Love,

Kate, Noah, and Baby Girl Estes

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Aug. 28, 2007 - Untitled Comment

Posted by Anonymous

A super HUGE congratulations Estes Family! Our God is so very good! What a wonderful blessing you have been given! We will all continue to pray for Noah hour by hour but also feel such JOY at the blessing you have recieved! Today of all days we can PRAISE THE LORD!

Hope & Family
in Southern Oregon