Holey Holey Holey

Little Boy Blue

After a successful trip to Chicago, we got home and we do what we always do.....wait for the other shoe to drop.  Now, anyone who knows me knows that I am a pretty positive person so by waiting for the other shoe to drop, I don't mean to sound whiny...it's just reality and it's better to be prepared for it than not.  We had had a very high and low week as a family.  Bruce and I celebrated our 10th anniversary the day before Bruce's dad, Gene passed away at 77.  So emotions were running high in the Moller household.

Three weeks into Round 4, after just two expansions and a constant watch on a wound Zac had gotten on his skin over one of the expanders -  Zac developed his trademark fever.  When his temp reached 103 one night, Bruce and I just looked at each other with that all knowing glance that a mother and father have between them and knew that Zac would need some hefty antibiotics and we would be seeing the inside of a hospital soon, spending a night (if not more) on plastic beds and pillows, separated - he home with Zoie and me comforting Zac through the night as a steady stream of nurses and CNAs interrupt his sleep all night.

Well, we weren't entirely wrong...  Upon visiting our new pediatrician, we did find Zac's fever to be high and his WBC count to also be high.  He also didn't like the way that Zac's wound looked.  But instead of rushing us to the hospital, he decided to administer a 24 hour antibiotic in the office.  It wasn't fun - blood draws and shots never are for our little ones, but when all was done, we were able to go home and rest in our own beds.  Upon returning to the pediatrician the next day, he agreed that Zac looked better but his WBC was still high which puzzled him.  So we called Dr. Bauer on his cell phone.  He explained to both Dr. Mitra and myself what steps to take, assuring Dr. Mitra that Zac did not need to be hospitalized and that we did  not need to do anything additional to the wound.  We were prescribed a 10-day antibiotic to administer at home.

Dr. Bauer instructed me to keep the wound clean and covered by either Tegaderm or Duoderm which are both basically heavy duty band-aids.  The Duoderm is to give the wound stability and keep it from growing.  The wound was draining quite a bit which is pretty gross so we have to put a fair amount of gauze over the bandage and bodice netting - which Zac calls his sexy shirt - over the trunk of his body to hold the gauze in place.  The wound also seems to be getting bigger.  While gravity is on our side because the wound is on the top of the back so the expander is not weighing heavy on it trying to push it open, expansion on this tissue expander is done, finished....out of the game, just like that.  :(

We traveled to Utah for the weekend to celebrate Bruce's dad's life.  It was beautiful!  All the Fall colors in full swing.  The kids had a great time playing outside with their cousins; Zoie digging up worms and Zac scooting along on a tricycle...back and forth, back and forth.  We got to see rivers and mountains and even the Salt Lake City Mormon Temple!  We traveled with all the necessary medical necessities.

Fishing in the River

Big toothless smile

Me, Zoie & Gramma at the Temple

When changing the Duoderm over the weekend, I noticed a little raised part at the top of the wound...upon closer inspection...to my horror I knew exactly what it was.  The very tip of the expander was getting ready to poke through the hole.  Did I freak out??  No...not really.  Well...maybe a little but it was a silent freak out.  Only my Gramma and husband could really tell.  The diagnosis...keep the hole covered and pray the expander doesn't fall out.  Seriously friends...that's it.  

So, I begin my 7 week prayer to keep the hole from expanding because 1) I know there's nothing I can do except what I am already doing  2) If anyone can keep that thing in place...He can and  3) It's the only thing that's going to keep me from going completely mental.   

My 7 Week Prayer

"God, I love you. I don’t love this situation. But I love you. Therefore, I have everything I need to keep putting one foot in front of the other and walk through until I get to the other side of this.” 

Thank you Lysa TerKeurst via my friend Denise

The good news is we still have two other expanders to fill and in the words of Meatloaf...

"Two outta three ain't bad"...

***************************WARNING PICTURE BELOW*****************************

You can see the clear expander coming out of the hole, the tip on the top left.  On the right is a remnant of Duoderm.