Surgery # 5

Chance under went yet another surgery this week... he was scheduled to go in on Wednesday the 28th, however he ended up having a bit of an episode that altered the plans a bit! That afternoon as they were preparing him to go in for surgery, however Chance ended up having what looked like a slight seizure... before we knew what was happening his chest had tightened up, he had turned purple and stopped breathing. As we watch helplessly at his bedside not knowing what the outcome would be they finally bagged him and started manually pumping air into his little lungs. They then decided that it was time to finally inti bate him again after struggling to keep his oxygen levels and heart rate up. A while later after things had calmed down a bit they informed us that he would be going to surgery on Friday instead and that the episode that he had, had was most likely due to the fluid in his chest. Well Friday finally came and we were nervous for yet another day that week for the biggest surgery that would decide our son's fate! We were met this day by several family members there to offer their love and support as we took them in one by one to see Chance. Surgery that day was suppose to take place at 12:30 p.m. but as usual the surgical team fell behind with another case and so he was unable to go until 2:30 p.m. the procedure was to take about 3- 3 1/2 hours. When we finally saw Dr. Myers at 5:30 p.m. we were all relieved to hear that things went very well... she informed us that our prayers had been answered and that when she removed the patch on his belly she was pleasantly surprised to see that the cyst that had been causing him so much grief had disappeared! and that she was finally able to see his stomach,liver, large and small intestines! and they all look healthy!!! Dr. Myers also said that she was able to reattach his bowels!!! however she did have to remove 4 cm. of intestine and also his appendix and cecum. this is a similar picture of what was done.

Dr. Rebeka L. Meyers

Lately Chance has definitely had his better days right now he is on a long road to recovery yet again and the edema that seems to have over taken his little body doesn't seem at the current time to be getting any better, but we just pray at this time that the clouds will soon part and we will be on our way home TOGETHER!!!

Exhibation

This week Chance is doing rather well... last night they exhibated him in hopes to stimulate him to breath a little more on his own. The breathing line that was in his mouth was removed and replaced with a type of nasal tube instead. We were finally able to see his upper lip for the first time since he was born! So far it looks as though he has his Dad's mouth, ears, and feet and his mom's nose, hands, and chin. Dr. Myer also came and examined him the other day and was at first thinking that she would go in and do another surgery on him the week of Thanksgiving, however after seeing how well he was progressing and how good his stomach looks she has decided to give him one more week in hopes to go in and remove the cyst and re-attach his bowels and close his belly!!! Everyone at the hospital has been so impressed with how much his stomach has healed and reduced in size! Also they started him on fat free breast milk this week and is doing well with it! and he also took his first pacifier today! Each day Chance becomes more and more alert and likes to look around at things in his isolet. He responds to the sound of Mom and Dad's voices and loves to hold hands! We were also able to hear his first cry the other day! In some ways it's exciting to hear your baby cry for the first time but under the circumstances it breaks your heart... you are unable to hold and comfort your child, a simple hand on his tiny little head never seems to be enough.

two months old!!!

Chance is now two months old!!! despite all the obsticals he has stayed strong! We are happy to say that he is doing well. He has had a couple of really good weeks so far this month and we continue to see him improve each day. This week Dr. Myer stopped by to see him and said that she would like to try some new feedings. They decided to start him on a formula called preframil, it contains very little to no fat so that his little belly will hopefully be able to tolerate it better, if it works they will start him on spun breast milk (breast milk that has been spun to separate out the fat). However as far as the swelling goes, Dr. Myer informed us that she won't do any further surgeries on him until he is no longer producing liquid from his chest tubes. So far they were able to get rid of the chest tube on his right side, now we are just waiting on the left one. Also they are doing weekly eye exams, and watching them closely to be sure that the vessels in his eyes continue to develop normally. They are also going to start weening him off his morphine! their hope is to get him completely off by his next surgery. We continue to pray for these good weeks... It is definitely a miracle to see him grow and develop and change each week, and we are so very blessed to have him a part of our lives.

swelling

The week started out quite good! Chance was doing rather well considering and things seemed to be looking up for a change... until Thursday. Mike called to check on him Thursday morning to find out that Chance had a rather rough night. He had started retaining the fluids that they had been putting into his little body, therefor began to swell immensely weighing 3lbs and 10oz with fluid. His little ears looked to be about three times what they should be and his sweet little face was hardly recognizable... The nurses tried to prepare us for what we would see, but there really is no preparation for something like this. They tried several things to get the swelling down, theyve ran lasiks at least twice a day and also albumin. They said that one of the problems was that his urine out put was low and just wasnt able to get rid of it on his own. Yesterday they finally decided to put a chest tube in, they had inserted one earlier the day before to drain some fluid that he had on his lungs but decided to leave this one in until the swelling goes down. That night just hours after putting the chest tube in the swelling began to decrease, so far they have received 320cc's of fluid from his tiny little body. Later that night we went back to check on Chance and he is starting to look like himself again, the swelling in his face is still pretty sugnifficant but is getting smaller each day. Thursday Dr. Myer will be back to check on him to see if there is a need to go back to surgery sooner than anticipated. One thing that some of the nurses are concerned about is that the pressure from his belly is putting to much strain on his kidneys making it difficult for him to pass urine. "we pray for weird things here" as the nurses at Primary's say, the first month its poop this month its pee!! So far Chance is doing a bit better but is yet in need of many prayers... we are so very grateful for all that have been offered up so far in his behalf and ours.

Before and After Chest Tube

Before His Chest Tube On Friday Night

After his Chest tube Saturday Night

Surgery # four

Today Chance had his fourth surgery... we started out the day to come with a rough night last night, his vitals up and down for the last couple of days, his heart rate in the 170's to 180's, his oxygen had been fluctuating, and later yesterday evening the drain that he had in the opening in his belly was starting to become clogged and backed up. Later that night and into this morning the nurses and doctors tried their best to keep the fluid contained, but were unsuccessfull, there was just to much of it, and started leaking out. He was scheduled to go into surgery today at 2pm but fortunately they were able to get him in an hour early. The procedure took roughly two hours... Dr. Myer and her attending came to meet with us after a while to tell us that he did good. However they were unable to do what they had wanted, which was remove more of the infected tissues, because it wasn't soft enough. so this time around they cleaned out the fluid as usual and stitched a new kind of patch on his belly and pulled the two ends of his perforated bowel outside of his stomach and covered it with a Vaseline gauze so the fluid will drain out his abdominal cavity instead of in. Dr. Myer also informed us that with this new patch they wouldn't have to do another surgery on him for another three to four weeks, she wants nature to take it's course and soften up his bowels and scar tissues so they can finish what they started. Now the good news for the day was that none of the bowel tissues as far as she could tell was damaged or dead, so that in it self is a huge blessing!!! Tonight Chance is doing much better and resting comfortably...Our little mirical has long road still ahead of him, but so far it is evident that our Father in Heaven has carried him every step of the way... we thank all who have kept him and us in your prayers... truely words can't say enough. PS. sorry the system is down and we will add pictures as soon as we can.

Surgery # three

Chance will be going in for his third surgery this week, and as of now it is set for Thursday. They will again be checking to see if the scar tissue and the cyst have softened, and to change his bandages. So far this week he is doing well! yesterday they switched his oscillator to a different ventilator so that he will have to work his lungs a bit more, and seems to be doing great! Also he pooped again this week!!! this time is was with out help!!! his night nurse Diane was kind enough to save it for us... kinda gross but never the less interesting to see. Tomorrow they will be doing more blood cultures to be sure that he is still clear of infections.
Chance is becoming more and more active each day, it so much incredible to see how much he changes each week... on rare occasions you may see him with his little eyes open, looking at the world around him. He is also proving to be quite the lady's man already!!! he has several of the nurses fighting for the opportunity to be his primary nurse! The doctors and nurses at the Primary Children's Hospital are truly incredible and we can't begin thank them enough for all that they do for us and our little miracle.

One month old! ( 2nd surgery)

Today Chance is going in for his second surgery to get his bandages changed and to check on his progress. Before he went in this morning he was doing well they had turned down his ventilator quite a bit and said that his little lungs are functioning very well on their own, however with all of his surgery's still to come they are likely to keep him on the osolator until all surgeries are finished. They will still leave his little belly open until the cyst that is in his stomache has softened up so that they are able to remove it safely, then they will be able to close him up and we can again begin the recovery process. Chance's surgery went well today, Dr. Myers said that she is supprised and very pleased with how well he is progressing and that she was also able to see where the rupture in his bowel occured and that the scar tissue is beginning to soften. However the cyst is not yet small enough to remove at this time. We have a long journey ahead of us and are only half way there, but know that like the poem footsteps in the sand, our Father in Heaven has carried us every step of the way.

stomach surgery

Well it has been an interesting week with lots of obstacles to overcome. Chance got transfered to Primary Childrens last night, for surgery on his stomach to find out exactly what was wrong. We were told that he had an abcess in his abdominal cavity, and that is about all they knew at the time. His surgery was schedule for 3 oclock on Sept. 28, and so we waited, they took him down to surgery a little before 3 and the waiting game continued until after 5 when the surgeon Dr. Meyer came out and informed us that the surgery had gone well. and that they were able to drain the abcess,but that it was not over yet he has a lot of scar tissue on his intestines and they can't clean it all off until he is older and stronger. She said that it could be any where from one to six weeks before he is ready so in the mean time they left his stomach open they put a protective dressing over it. She said his condition is called cystic meconium peritonitis. Meaning that sometime while inside the womb, his intestine ruptured and leaked into his abdominal cavity. She said he did really well and that he was recovering, when we got up to see him he was still sedated and they would keep him pretty sedated to help him with his pain. he had a pretty rough night as they were trying to get all his meds right to keep him as stable as possible, but other than recovering from a pretty major surgery he is doing pretty well. We will keep everyone posted on what happens, and just ask for your continued prayers for Chance that he will continue to grow and get stronger so they can finish this surgey and get his little belly taken care of. We thank everyone for their thoughts and prayers in our time of need words can not express what they mean to us THANK YOU.

Transfer

Well all has been well since his surgey on his heart, Chance has been recovering rapidly and doing very well. They were still concerned about his stomach and sent him to Primary Childrens Hospital this morning for a CT scan and a Contrast Enima, The results of those showed he has a absess in his abdomen, and slight calcium buildup by his liver. Around seven o'clock tonight we will be going with them while they transport Chance to Primary Children's Hospital where he will remain until he is either ready to come home or is no longer in need of a surgical team to assist him. However they informed us that he would more than likely need to undergo more surgery in order to drain the absess with in his abdomen... when we find out when we will let everyone know. Now for some good news! WE HAVE POOP!!!!! when they performed the contrast enima today the nurse informed us that he FILLED his diaper! he may have lost a few ounces in the process but the bowels are working! Again we can't thank everyone enough for all that you do and for all the prayers and support you have given us!!! We love you all!!!

Week three (surgery)

It is now week three for Chance, who has been through so much in life thus far! today is the day that he went in for surgery to repair the shunt in his tiny heart.We started the day meeting up with family at the hospital to give him a name and a blessing.His Dad did a beautiful job, the spirit was exceptionally strong as Mike and Jim laid their hands on his tiny little head... After we finished with the blessing the nurses started to prep Chance for his big day as Mike and I watched at his bed side.After about an hour the time finally came for Mike and I to go back to the waiting room where we all waited anxiously to hear word.The surgeon that worked on Chance today is said to be one of the best there at the U and we were very fortunate to have him.

A while later Mike and I decided to see if we could get an update on his progress, as we were walking down the hallway, we ran into his surgeon who had just finished. He told us that the surgery was a success and that Chance had done real well. After we breathed a sigh of relief, he proceeded to tell us that just after the surgery his vitals began to bounce back and he was resting comfortably.Mike and I continued on to see our tiny baby... looking at him as he lay there on his belly sleeping... a sense of peace and comfort comes to you in knowing that our Heavenly Father has a special plan for our little boy, and he is in good hands.

two weeks old

Chance is now two and a half weeks old!!!

The doctors and nurses say that despite how sick he is, he is doing well... he's a fighter!

We have had our share of difficult times so far but no matter how tough things have been all we have to do is look at him and know that he is strong and our Father In Heaven is taking good care of things...

Chance has finally opened both of his eyes and curiously looks around when ever he can, which usually tends to be early in the morning or really late at night.

He has had some improvements over the last few days, he is now down to just one infection now instead of four! however they will continue his antibiotics for a while longer.

Michelle had the opportunity to hold our little boy for the first time last week!!! and also to change, with him her first diaper, however she wasn't quite quick enough and the poor little guy ended up with a slight shower!

Week two

Chance is now a week old and is still okay. Everyday is full of its ups and downs, testing the waters seeing what he will allow them to do and not. Every day they adjust his oxygen levels and his glucose intake. over the weekend he started to develop an infection from some of the lines they had running into him, they are treating those and he has been doing good with the treatments. They started feeding him milk before the infection started unfortunately they had to stop the feedings till he is better. Chance is doing as good as can be expected of him, at this point in time . This has been a very trying week both emotionally and physically, on all of us we want to say thank you to everyone that has called or showed their support for us Thank you words alone are not enough to show the gratitude that we have for all of you. we especially want to thank our families for all they have done and are still doing for us, in these trying times. It takes these times to sometimes realize the blessing our heavenly father has given us. and how dependent upon him that we are. It is through our faith in him and his son that we know that this is but a brief moment and it will pass and he will have been here with us through the entire time and is always with us. For that we are eternally grateful.

first days of life

Chance James Prince
Born: September 01, 2007




It has been a crazy couple of days. that we have had. To start off Michelle Was life flighted to Salt Lake on Thursday afternoon, They said she was hour glassing, and having some pretty good contractions. In Idaho Falls they started her on medications to control the contractions, they continued those same medications in Salt Lake. They were able to stop the contractions by Friday and she started doing really good. She was doing well until Saturday Night when she started having problems and they decided to deliver Chance for his Moms benefit and his. Luckily they had made it 48 hr after receiving some steroids to help develop his lungs. Once they started, every thing happened quickly and he came popping out the doctor made a great catch. and in a flash he was gone into the New born ICU, where they have been taking care of him since. He was 1 lb and 110z and 12 inches long when born. He responded well to the treatments they were giving him and continues to do well, Michelle recovered quickly and we spent a couple extra days in the hospital to make sure she was ok after the problem that she had on Saturday. Were are grateful for the blessings the Lord has given us and for this beautiful baby boy. Our families are amazing and we are grateful for all they do for us. THANK YOU to every one that has helped and had us in their prayers.