I realize I haven’t done a very good job keeping y’all up to date on the details and the latest with Caden’s upcoming surgery. I want to keep you informed, because we appreciate so deeply your prayers and the ways you cover and carry Caden with your kind thoughts and prayers, and I am grateful for the opportunity to give you the information you need/want to pray more specifically.
Next week Monday (the 24th), we will spend the day at the hospital doing pre-op (echocardiogram, blood work etc). Then we will sleep at home, and head back in the next morning for his surgery. The surgeon (the same one who performed his first surgery) explained that they will cut through the scar tissue from his last surgery to open his chest (and also that this portion of the operation is the lengthiest and riskiest part). Once his chest is open and he’s on bypass, they will replace his pulmonary valve with a larger donor valve, and they will also patch his pulmonary artery where it’s been narrowed by scar tissue. The entire surgery will take at least a few hours and we will wait in the same waiting room we sat in five years ago for about 6 hours, updated with phone calls from nurses (side bar: I am not relishing being back in that room and waiting for those calls).
This surgery is much less complicated than his first surgery was. Nevertheless, the surgeon explained it's not without risks, particularly of bleeding and infection. They will most likely not have to leave his chest open, which is a relief.
After surgery, Caden will spend a few days in the Cardiac ICU at Egleston, and then a few more days in a step down room (private room where we can sleep with him). Overall, he will spend about a week in the hospital, and then another week of recovery at home (which is astonishingly quick recovery-time in my opinion). Anyways, we have so much lovely family who will be helping with the other two while we are in the hospital and helping Caden get better.
While Caden remains cheerful and excited about his surgery, Jayci leans much more distraught and anxious. After we told them about surgery, she pulled me into the other room and told me I didn't want to scare Caden but I'm really nervous. I want to trust Jesus but it's so hard, I'm afraid something will go wrong. I wish this had never happened to his heart. To which I had no good answers except Absolutely baby, me too. But we are going to have to choose to trust in the goodness of God together. We prayed and I cried a lot afterwards. Yesterday, Jayci’s teacher called to tell me she was upset about Caden and wanted to talk to me.
It’s been difficult to balance preparing our own hearts, preparing Caden and Jayci, and making practical plans for the next weeks. All that to say, we are so grateful for you all and your continued prayers and support and help. I am not sure we could walk through this without each of you.
We would love continued prayers for peace for all our hearts. For the surgeon and doctors/nurses. For the surgery to go perfectly, and recovery to be easy. That Isaiah would sleep for his aunts/uncles/grandparents, and that Jayci wouldnt be afraid. Pray particularly for Caden's unspoken fears, and for wisdom for Adam and I in how to love him and support him well through all of this.
Thank you all! And we will do our best to keep you updated on his progress etc here so I don't have to answer individual texts/emails etc and can instead focus on loving our sweet little buddy. If you want more ways you can help, let me know and I'll try to point you in the right direction!