Ok, so things are going well, but my little boy has been in surgery since 10 am and its almost 8 pm. I'm starting to get a bit anxious. He's 5, almost 6 days old now and not even 6 lbs anymore. He's such a little thing to have to go through all of this.
I have to say I feel much more relieved since we were transferred. The other hospital we had been sent to had only one dr who had ever worked with his condition and he had only seen it once about 2 years ago. After his birth they decided to transfer him to Seattle Children's Hospital and I couldn't be happier about it. It's even farer from home than the other high risk hospital we were at, but so well worth it. Besides, its not like I'm going to go home without my baby anyway. Bradley is their 4th case of extrophy this month and there's another case scheduled for friday. There are only about 100 cases a year in the US and a good portion of them are sent here to Seattle Children's Hospital. They had a patient who came all the way from Texas a few weeks ago. We are definitely in the best hands possible. And they do things much differently here than they would have anywhere else. I am so much happier with their way of handling things.
They have even been paging us on a pager they provided us for that purpose about every two hours all throught the surgery.
If we had stayed at Madigan they were going to do several phases of surgery. The first one alone would have him in traction for 30 days with his legs straight up in the air in an unnursable position. he would also been in the NICU for at least 4-6 weeks for that one surgery. At Children's they do almost everything at once. They'll have to do another surgery at 2 or 3 for continence and possibly to lengthen the urethra (we won't know about that until after he comes out of surgery). He will be placed in a very strange sounding cast and be in the NICU for 24-48 hours. He will recover at the hospital for about a week and then be allowed to come home. he will have 2 catheters, but poop in a diaper. We will have to bring him in for weekly checkups for about 3 months. I much prefer this method of treatment!!! I get to take my baby home. Our last update from surgery they said he's starting to look like a regular little boy!!! I feel so blessed that things are turning out so well for my precious little child.
I have to say I feel much more relieved since we were transferred. The other hospital we had been sent to had only one dr who had ever worked with his condition and he had only seen it once about 2 years ago. After his birth they decided to transfer him to Seattle Children's Hospital and I couldn't be happier about it. It's even farer from home than the other high risk hospital we were at, but so well worth it. Besides, its not like I'm going to go home without my baby anyway. Bradley is their 4th case of extrophy this month and there's another case scheduled for friday. There are only about 100 cases a year in the US and a good portion of them are sent here to Seattle Children's Hospital. They had a patient who came all the way from Texas a few weeks ago. We are definitely in the best hands possible. And they do things much differently here than they would have anywhere else. I am so much happier with their way of handling things.
They have even been paging us on a pager they provided us for that purpose about every two hours all throught the surgery.
If we had stayed at Madigan they were going to do several phases of surgery. The first one alone would have him in traction for 30 days with his legs straight up in the air in an unnursable position. he would also been in the NICU for at least 4-6 weeks for that one surgery. At Children's they do almost everything at once. They'll have to do another surgery at 2 or 3 for continence and possibly to lengthen the urethra (we won't know about that until after he comes out of surgery). He will be placed in a very strange sounding cast and be in the NICU for 24-48 hours. He will recover at the hospital for about a week and then be allowed to come home. he will have 2 catheters, but poop in a diaper. We will have to bring him in for weekly checkups for about 3 months. I much prefer this method of treatment!!! I get to take my baby home. Our last update from surgery they said he's starting to look like a regular little boy!!! I feel so blessed that things are turning out so well for my precious little child.
thinking of you and your precious little one, and wishing him a speedy recovery.
's to you and your sweet boy. I read up on his condition a bit and it is so wonderful that kids have a better recoup rate and quality of life now than even 5 years ago! And it sounds like his surgery is going just swimmingly. I am sure he is going to be a superstar througout his recovery...soaking in all the love from his wonderful family 
: for your little one for a fantastic outcome and healing and for you mama, for peace and comfort.
