Surgery update...

Casher is still in surgery, its 1:50 p.m. he should be done by 3. The nurse in the room just called us to tell us Casher does NOT have biliary atresia!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! The doc did a liver biopsy, we will need to wait a week or so to see what the results are. The nissen procedure is complete to repair his hiatal hernia. They are now installing his "button." This g-tube will enable the doctors to push food directly into his stomach if they need, it will also release pressure from his tummy if he has trouble burping. Keep those prayers coming for a speedy and complete recovery. Another update coming soon as he is out of surgery and we've met with his surgeon. -Papa Mitch

Surgery scheduled for Tuesday

Casher's surgery will be on Tuesday at 10 am. The head of the pediatric surgery team, Dr. Rothenberg, will be doing the surgery. We have heard that he is excellent. He will repair the hiatal hernia with a nissen wrap and the hope is that will end all this spitting and throwing up so that Cash can get up to normal feeds. The surgeon will also look at his liver and bioducts to see if they are working correctly and to rule out Biliary Atresia. If the bioducts are not working, he will perform the Kasai procedure and attach the liver directly to the intestines to excrete the bile. He will do a liver biopsy as well.

We ask you to pray with us that the surgeon will be creative with the procedures and that the nissen wrap will be successful and minimally invasive. We are praying that Cash does not have biliary atresia and that his liver function is normal. We also pray for no complications and for Cash to have a great recovery.

Mitch and I will be at the hospital on Tuesday with his parents. I will update the blog as we get news. Thank you for your love and support!!

smiles for mommy

A tough update to share...

If you are reading this right now you are either recently joining our story because of a prayer request or you have been with us on this journey for the past eight weeks. Yes - Cash turned two months old yesterday. It's hard to believe. This week we have received some tough news. The scans that have been done on Casher's liver over the past three days suggest that he has a rare condition called Biliary Atresia. This is a blockage (or absence) in the tube (ducts) that carry bile from the liver to the gallbladder. From what I have read, the condition is congenital, meaning it has been present since birth. Cash's doctor told us that the scan is only suggestive that he has this condition. The only way to know for sure is for the surgeon to perform a liver biopsy. The plan as we know at this moment is for the surgeon to perform the liver biopsy, repair the hiatal hernia, and put in a g tube (so that he can get feedings directly into his stomach for the next little while). He has had an infection (due to the central IV line which is very common) so he is being treated for that with antibiotics. If the infection is under control, the surgery will most likely happen next week.

So, if the surgeon gets in there and does the liver biopsy and he DOES have Biliary Atresia, then she will do a procedure called a Kasai to connect the liver to the small intestine, going around the abnormal ducts. The doctor has told us that this is just a temporary fix and that ultimately he would need a liver transplant. If this is not what he has, then the biopsy should indicate what is going on.

We have a meeting later today with the surgeon so we should have a better idea of how this will all go. We hate to share this news especially when it is so uncertain but we really need your prayers. We ask for Casher's complete healing. We ask for the doctors' wisdom as they proceed. We ask for faith and trust for us and our families and friends as we navigate this uncertain time. It's so scary and emotional for us all at the moment. It's so hard to see our beautiful little boy going through this. I love Deb Whorley's comment: "When you can't see God's hand, trust his heart."

New Pics and an update

Greetings friends and family, sorry its been so long since we've given an update on the little man. We are in a bit of a holding pattern at the moment unfortunately. For the next couple of days the doctors are giving Casher some special meds for a test they will perform on tuesday to evaluate his liver function. They need to know how his liver is performing because he will be having surgery to repair a hiatal hernia in the near future because everything he eats right now comes back up. Our surgeon Dr. Shipman is ready to repair that hernia but is waiting until she knows whether or not she will need to repair his liver as well...I will go with Cash on tuesday for this test and hopefully we will be able to schedule his surgery immediately thereafter. We will certainly keep everyone in the loop. Prayer Request: Since surgery is inevitible for his hernia, please pray that his liver doesn't need repaired, pray for a speedy and full recovery, pray for steady hands and minds for all doctors/nurses involved, and please pray for Kari and I through this season of our lives.

Here are a few new pics of the boy, beautiful just like his mama.

Love you all, Mitch

Prayer request...

Please pray with us for wisdom for the doctors and decisions for Cash's care. We need him to continue to keep the breast milk that he is fed by bottle down. We also need prayer that he will tolerate some testing that will be done in the next couple of days and that the results will be conclusive.

Please also join us in prayer that Cash will not need another surgery. We ask for his complete recovery.

We will post updates soon. Love, Kari & Mitch

Yes, still in the NICU...

Casher is hanging in there. The answer is yes, he is still in the hospital! People seem to be asking that a lot lately. It has been 6 weeks today that he was born. We were hopeful he would be home by now but his progress is slow. Once again the answer seems to be that it just takes time for the gut to work. He is still spitting up a great deal. He looses weight and then gains weight. They increase his feedings and then they hold because he doesn't seem to tolerate it. Before he can come home he has to eat well and gain weight. He seems to go from feeling pretty good to being very uncomfortable and therefore very unhappy. We continue to shower him with love. It's tough finding the balance with work and life and visiting the NICU...We are so happy to have Aunt Kristen here for a visit! Hospital policy is that only parents and grandparents are allowed to visit Cash. So, you'll just have to wait to meet him. It will be worth the wait! Thanks for the continued prayers of healing and patience and peace.