We had a nice and quiet weekend. The kids enjoyed the Pink Palace very much including the IMAX movie. Kayla’s recovery is evident more and more every day. Tomorrow we will see Dr Muhlbauer who will determine how much longer we stay in Memphis.
Praise God for Kayla’s fast recovery, she is eating solid food, done great in physical therapy and is being discharged from the hospital this afternoon. Her legs are getting stronger and she is looking forward to go to the Target House. We may do something fun this weekend like going to the Children Museum or the Pink Palace.
She will be seen by doctors again on Tuesday and Thursday but will have physical therapy every day of the week while in Memphis. It is very likely we can go home as soon as next Friday.
Our prayer focus is still on the recovery from surgery but also on the strengthening of her spine.
Kayla continues to surprise doctors and nurses for the way she is progressing. This afternoon she was taken out of ICU, all IV’s removed including the NG (nasal gastric tube). She has been taking small steps with the use of a walker. We are rejoicing for the way GOD has shown himself through our daughter. She is likely to start on a liquid diet as soon as tomorrow with solids to follow in the next couple of days.
I saw pictures of the removed tumor this afternoon, the size was slightly larger than my fist. I could not believe my eyes and a the same time was relieved to know it was no longer in Kayla’s body. Her body has been restored to the perfection The Father created her.
Ms Honey (Linda’s Mom) is going back to Mississippi tomorrow, so from here on is just us (Linda, Kayla, Alex and Me).
Surgery today culminated with the successful removal of the tumor. The main surgeon indicated that “the tumor came out rather easily”, no complications, no sharing blood supply with the kidney or any other organs, just like we prayed for. Kayla is recovering nicely but will be heavily sedated for the next couple of days. Thank you for your prayers, they have indeed been answered.
The Target House offers many distractions for children. Kayla and Alex had a great time today playing in the “Play House” equipped with toys galore, TV, tables, chairs, play kitchen and a mini restaurant booth.
We are gearing up for the next surgery on Monday at 8:30 am at St Jude Children Hospital. For this procedure the surgeons will come from the front lower left part of the abdomen to remove the remainder tumor mass that is pressing her kidney upward.
Our prayer needs:
- Please pray for the surgeons to have supernatural skills to avoid damaging any organs.
- For Kayla to have a quick and painless recovery.
- For NO COMPLICATIONS during this procedure.
- For the tumor NOT to be sharing blood supply with her left kidney or any other organs.
The nature of the surgery is such that the intestines will go to sleep for 3-5 days after the surgery, therefore she will not be able to eat or drink anything for that period of time. Kayla will have a gastric tube through her nose in order to remove stomach secretions and this is likely to be very uncomfortable.
Showing off my new Spider Man PJ’s
Thanks to uncle Paul, aunt Melissa, Brent and Adrian and many others for the box full of goodies you sent us today. Big thanks also to the Braswell’s for the toys we got yesterday. You are making our stay in Memphis a lot more fun. Thanks to our prayer warriors, silent workers and supporters, your help gets us through the days and weeks.
We continue to be pleased and amazed at Kayla’s recovery. She still needs help getting around but gets stronger every day. Went to St Jude today to meet with Dr. McGregor and everything is in order for Monday’s surgery.
The fact that I was able to stay in Memphis is a great blessing. It would have been very difficult for Linda if I was not here. Thank you again 3001 for allowing me to be here tending to Kayla’s needs.
Tomorrow will be a busy day at St Jude. Lab work, anesthesia consultation, respiratory therapy consultation and a Pre-Op visit at the surgery clinic.
First day out of the hospital was great. The picture below is misleading, Kayla was actually happy to be out and about but as soon as she saw the camera, went into picture pose mode. Pain and discomfort has been minimal.
Not much to report in the next few days. We have appointments at St Jude on Thursday, Friday and Sunday in order to get ready for Monday 21st.
We have enjoyed the many blog entries with words of encouragement. Thank you for taking the time to pray for us.
Dr Muhlbauer order a MRI this morning to see if he had been successful in removing the tumor from the spine. One hour later we had the results and he indeed had cleaned up the spine, inside and out. We really did not know how complicated and risky this surgery was, until now when everyone is happy and almost surprised that Kayla is moving her legs. With our help she has been taking small walks inside the room and this evening she ventured into the hallways of the fifth floor. A physical therapist came to visit and brought a walker for Kayla to encourage her to walk more frequently. Dr Muhlbauer indicated he may be monitoring Kayla for the next fifteen years and that is just fine with us.
She will be discharged from the hospital tomorrow morning and she could not be any happier. We just need to figure out a way to keep Alex away from her. As far as we know the second and final surgery will take place on Monday July 21st. Please continue to cover Kayla in prayer.
Another good day for Kayla. She has started to eat solids and her appetite has improved. She has also been taking small steps. At times it seems like progress is slow but when I saw her back today revealing an eight inch long incision along her spine, I understood why. The brace may need a few adjustments before fitting perfectly, we’ll work on that this coming Monday.
Linda has not left the hospital since Wednesday. Please pray for strength and patience as she watches and helps Kayla recover.
Kayla had a good day again. No pain, no headaches, more liquids, some chicken noodle soup, a new brace and a few steps.
She has been pain free for the most part, she is obviously uncomfortable mainly because she cannot get out of bed. She has made it abundantly clear she does not like the hospital and she wanted to go home today. Well, we all know is a little more complicated than that but every day that goes by we are closer to ending this last chapter.
She is not eating a lot but she is keeping everything she eats. Perhaps tomorrow she will be able to eat solids. The brace was finished today and after a few adjustments, she was ready to try it on. Consist in two pieces, front and back and it fits like a shell supporting her back. As expected she is not very happy about wearing it all day long but that is something we are going to have to deal with.
Finally tonight she managed to take a few steps to go to the bathroom and then back to bed. This is a remarkable recovery considering what she had gone through just two days ago. Our thanks to the staff and nurses at LeBonheur Children Medical Center who have been first class in caring for the needs of Kayla.
The day after surgery has gone well. Early today Kayla experienced some nausea and headaches but at the end of the day she was in much better spirit. She has been moved from ICU to a hospital room and before I left the hospital tonight she was watching a movie (the Aristocats) and drinking Sprite. Linda is staying with her overnight.
The plan for tomorrow is for her to start wearing a back brace and take a few steps. We will remain in Memphis through the second surgery on July 21st plus some recovery time.
Our prayer needs at this time concern the strength and stability of her spine.
Surgery got started at around 8:30 am and lasted for about 4 hours. Hourly updates kept us encouraged. We saw Kayla around 1:30 pm, she was awake but in pain. The motion on her legs and feet was normal and the surgeon was pleased with the outcome. He indicated that the tumor was not as dry as he wanted it, which means lots more work and risk during surgery. A considerable mass was removed including several roots of the tumor.
She will remain in ICU for the next few days until she is stable enough to be transfered to a hospital room. Her pain is being medicated with morphine, so will be somewhat sedated for the next couple of days. The biggest mass of the tumor is still inside and will be removed on July 21st through a second surgery.
Now that the tumor mass from the spine has been removed, there is a concern regarding the stability of the spine. She will be wearing a brace for the next nine months in order to allow the bone and tissue to heal and grow. Please pray for her spine to become stable and grow stronger.
The surgeons describe the tumor as being wrapped around her spine, we believe however that the arms of the Father are wrapped around Kayla and trust in his mighty power and never ending love to be with her.
Taken this morning before surgery
Its a go for surgery tomorrow morning at 8:30 am. Please pray for the surgeons to find a DRY TUMOR or better yet no tumor at all.
Tomorrow’s surgery is designed to remove part of the tumor that is palpable in Kayla’s lower back and is also wrapped around her spine. This is the most delicate part of the surgery because of the location. The approach will be directly from her back. The largest part of the tumor will be removed on July 21st through a large incision in her front lower abdomen.
We are at St Jude in Memphis once again, for what we believe is the final chapter towards Kayla’s healing.
Blood work done today showed normal counts, so we are on track for surgery on Wednesday at 8:30 am.
We’ll meet with the neurosurgeon tomorrow and will also be moving to the Target House. This is a housing complex sponsored by Target and consist of furnished apartments for the families that will stay for extended periods of time.
As we are finding out more details of the upcoming surgery, the level of concern is also rising, more with Linda than me. Please pray for God’s peace to be upon us as we provide love and support for Kayla.
My heart felt thanks go out to all of you, but specially to the 3001 family for their continued support, your blessings have given me the oportunity to be with Kayla during this critical time of surgery and recovery.
We have our marching orders from St Jude:
Sunday Jul 6
Travel from Mobile, AL to Memphis, TN. This is generally a eight hour trip with some good stops in between.
Monday Jul 7
Blood work, visit with the Oncologist and visit to LeBohner Children Hospital where the surgery will take place.
Tuesday Jul 8
Visit with Neurosurgeon
Wednesday Jul 9
Surgery at LeBohner is schedule for 8:30 am.
I will post more details as they become available.
Thank you again for your prayers and support in this last phase of Kayla’s healing.