It's that time again...

[Doc Nock]

Chip,

Aside from the stress you and the family are enduring throughout this experience, may I say how much I personally appreciate your efforts to keep us updated!!!

I check this regularly, even at work. Been around here long enough to remember the other operations and you guys have a special place in my heart!  

Sounds like things keep inching forward... change is a process, not an event...so forward is good...

Prayers continue, my friend!

[Nosight]

As said above ,have been watching and praying for all sence first saw this post.

Am glad to see all is going forward in a great direction.

As the wife and I pray for you and yours we have to keep reminding ourselves that this will be done on Gods timetable not ours.

We will keep all of you in our prayers..

Later..... Buzz and Kelly

[Hooked]

A few updates:

His surgeon and staff came by this morning.  They took him off the oxygen and said that even though his stats may be lower off the oxygen they are still higher than they were before the surgery.  The doctor's original order was to put him on more oxygen if his pulse ox fell below 85.  Last night he was stabilizing at 83 off the oxygen so they put him back on it.  The doctor changed the order to 80 as the low, so he should'nt have to go back on the oxygen.

It is funny, the nurses and respiratory therapists fight over who is going to get Garrett.  The little guy is a magnet to people with his personality!  Praying he will be able to use that for the Lord someday!  He must be a huge magnet for them to fight over him, when they have to put up with his high maintenance, over demanding parents!

There was no change in his x-ray from yesterday, so he still has some fluid on that right lung.  They are giving him different things to get him to move more fluid.

More good news was his white blood cell count is down more from yesterday.  Whatever was causing the fever, his little body has been able to fight off.

Hoping tomorrow will be the day to go home, if not Tuesday.  No one will tell us for sure, but it mostly seems to be centered around getting rid of the fluid on his right lung.  We learned through his first two surgeries that you don't count on anything until it happens.

Was joking with Momma that her two week hospital vacation will be over soon (she hasn't left the hospital since we arrived for surgery).  My joke didn't go over very well!

[Doc Nock]

Thanks for the update.  If he's better than he was on 02, then that is a good thing.

Sometimes,medical folks can be so human and just not piece things together perfectly, eh?  

Wish the fluid would just "go away", but perhaps that is for a reason in His plan?

So happy to read that things are better.

Suzie will forgive any faux pas in the humor department when she gets some rest!  

Mamma bear's cub is hurting and Momma bear got no sense of humor!  

It'll all work out! Prayers for a timely discharge to go home when all is as it should be so there are no emergency returns!

Keep the Son in your eyes!

[Hooked]

IT'S INDEPENDENCE DAY!!

We're going home!!  Sorry, that's all for now...keyboard is getting fuzzy!

THANK YOU, LORD!

[Doc Nock]

PRAISE GOD FROM WHOM ALL BLESSINGS FLOW!!!

May God continue to bless the Jones family and watch over Garrett so there be no rebound issues.

Independence Day indeed! Will Smith would light your cigar today if he knew!  

Thank you, Jesus!!!

[4dogs]

This one Independance day yous will never forget...congradulations...go home and enjoy, celabrate and worship and thank GOD !! I'm very happy for you guys, I got a special firework I'm sending skyward tonight.

[StoneAK]

God bless on your journeys home.

[Killdeer]

   

[Hooked]

We have been home since yesterday afternoon. G is doing great! He is happy to be home, though he may have overdone it a bit yesterday.

Still has alot of oral meds to take, which is a fight every time, and we have to watch for signs of fluid building up in his right lung again. He has a follow up appt on Thurs for chest x-rays, lab work, and an echo.

[Doc Nock]

Prayers continue that his return home will be a long, long one without complications.  Whatever arises, Garrett couldn't have better parents to be watching over him... and His Father in Heaven seems to have taken quite a shine to the li'l tyke too!  

That is a big "Thank YOU, Lord!" Right there!

Keep us posted. Prayers continue!!!

[Rookie@51]

That fight you have to deal with on the meds is the same fight that has worked so hard to keep our little buddy alive. I think I know where he learned it from too.
We will continue to cover ya'll in prayers and ya'll continue to shine forth that fighting spirit for Garrett to feed off of. PRAISE GOD for it all and thank Him for what the future hold even when it scares you to death to think about it. God said He walks closer than a brother with us. PRAISE GOD for you all and the way you have affected my life thru this whole thing. Thanks for letting us have a look see into what was a very scarey time in your family and thank you Father for lighting the path for us all to see that we are not alone in these dark times. Chip, as others have said, better than I could say it, What a blessing your family has and will continue to be to me.. Still praying for you all......Dusty

[Hooked]

We have been home a few days and all is well!  Still fighting Garrett whenever it is medicine time, but (as pointed out by Dusty) I wouldn't change his stubborn, fighting spirit for anything.

He is so funny because he sits there making any excuse he can think of:  my tummy hurts, I'm tired, I want to go to bed, I'm hungry, etc.  He also usually asks for chocolate milk, apple juice, or water before he will take it.  Whichever one he doesn't already have is what he asks for.  Then when you bring it to him he won't take it because he wants it in a different cup, LOL!  Twice now I have had to pretend like I was calling a nurse to come over and give it to him before he would take it.  And he will only take it from Momma.

Today he started something new.  Whenever someone asks him how he is feeling, he doesn't say a word, he just lifts up his shirt and shows them his incision and chest drain holes.  They say a picture is worth a thousand words!

Suzie takes him in tomorrow for chest x-rays, lab work, and an echo.  Please pray for all to go well for both Garrett and his Momma, as I am glad I won't be there for the blood drawing for the lab work!!!!

Thank you, Lord!  And thank you to everyone who has been praying for our little buddy!

[Doc Nock]

Thanks for the update, chip.

Fiestly lil bucko, but as you and others have said, praise God for a fighting spirit!

glad you can laugh at his antics... poor Suzie, though, having to be the only one he relates to for the bad stuff (in his mind).

Sure hope the Lord at least smiles when I don't want to take my "medicine" from this worldly realm...

Y'know we all got you folks covered in prayers for Garrett moving forward and praises for all He has done so far!

Lord in your mercy...

[BenBow]

Praise God and prayers for continued healing

[Hooked]

Garrett is doing well!  He has has good and bad days but each day that passes means more healing.

He has had two follow up appts with x-rays and lab work.  He still has some fluid on his right lung, no better but no worse than when he was released from the hosp.

[Doc Nock]

Been wondering, Chip! Thanks for updating.

Prayers continue for continued healing, fluid to go 'bye-bye', and that li'l rascal to be back to his impish self running amuck of all sorts of "boy escapades".

Lord in your Mercy, hear our prayers for li'l Garrett,  his sisters, and his tireless parents. Amen

[Hooked]

Not alot to update on at this point, which is a good thing!

Garrett is healing more each day.  His last check up still showed some fluid on his right lung, but it was maybe a little better.  The cardiologist is a little concerned that his oxygen stats aren't higher.  They were in the upper 80's and they want them to be in the low 90's.  If that doesn't improve they might have to do a cath procedure to seal off more collaterals (new blood vessels the body creates to try and compensate for his condition).  But we were told it could be a long time before that is needed.

He is still fighting his meds every time!  But they did reduce them by one diuretic.  Still taking two along with his other heart medicines.

Once again, thank you for all your prayers!  And Thank you, Lord for taking care of Garrett!

[Doc Nock]

Wish it were as glowing a report by now as in times past with other surgeries, but the good news is abundant, none the less!  

Prayers of thanksgiving are surely in order for all Garrett has been brought thru and over come this go around! Thank you, Lord!  

Not quite sure why the 02 Saturation isn't higher and yea, 90's are preferred... good thing they don't still have him on o2 at home.

Have to smile reading he's fighting meds... that has to be a picture right there...

We're about due for some pics of the li'l rascal to update my failing memory bank!

Prayers continue, Chip!

[Hooked]

Here is the most recent pic I could find on the computer.  It was 4th of July, the day we came home form the hospital.  We were at the neighborhood block party.  He was still a little pale and didn't last very long, but he had fun!