new update on Stephen...

Sorry I haven't posted until now. Things have been extremely hectic.

Paul is gone for his 2-week annual training. I really wish he was here right now. Stephen and I planned to drive to see him Saturday at his location for the family fun day, but I don't know if that is happening now. By the way, I am super proud of him because he got his acceptance letter from seminary. He has chosen to attend Liberty online. He was going to attend a local seminary (New Orleans Baptist) with a small sister branch here where we live, but there were issues with financial aid and whatnot. But Liberty gladly accepted his money (government money, why wouldn't anyone want that? haha) and his Chaplain candidacy, which has has also been approved for. He's also decided to go through the Full Gospel church's chaplaincy program. It's about the closest thing to non-denomination there is.

Stephen has had another ear infection (ugh), so he was feeling pretty yucko. Then the antibiotics started kicking in. My mom came over to spend some time with him, and on Tuesday we took him to the swimming pool. He was feeling great and having a ball.

Then yesterday was the day to have his new feeding tube/Mic*Key button put in. It only took the doctors/nurses about 5 minutes to switch out his old tube and put in the new one. But I know it was painful for him and he was fussy the whole day. There was some swelling last night and some light bloody discharge, which I was told was normal. But he was refluxing bad again and spit up a ton of formula from his feedings, which I am still being told by doctors "shouldn't" be happening since he had the Nissen surgery in December. I think right now it's just due to the new tube and swelling. Thanks to Prevacid/CaraCream it had been a LOT better.

Well, this morning the site around his tube was extremely swollen/puffy, red, and there was more blood. It defintely did not look right to me so I called one of the NP's on her cell phone. She's awesome and said to come to the clinic immediately. So by the time we got there, Stephen was screaming and not feeling well obviously.

Doctor comes in, takes a look and says "Ooooh boy..." Great, just what I wanted to hear. Apparently there was already a slight infection when he had the other feeding tube, and taking it out/putting in the new one irritated the infection even more. His stomach looks horrible. :'( But the button is nicer because he doesn't always have the long tube dangling down. I can detach it. 

So now he is on 2 huge doses of antibiotics, one for the ear infection and now for this. The worst part is that he is not well or happy, again, and we probably don't get to go see Daddy this weekend. :( Doctor also said that if the infection gets any worse in the next 3-4 days or doesn't improve, they'll admit him to the hospital because it could wreak havoc on his poor little body and he won't keep anything down food-wise. :(

Please just keep our little family in your prayers. I'm exhausted, mad, and just wishing I could heal Stephen myself. I would sell everything I own and live on a deserted island as a Castaway for the rest of my life if that is what God wanted and it meant Stephen's medical problems were all said and done. Please pray also that God's Truth and His voice drown out the lies from the pit, which keep telling me that somehow this is my fault and that S needs a better Mommy. Satan keeps trying to destroy my heart and soul and suck out any happiness that I have each time my sweet baby boy has to deal with something else.

Thank you for praying. Will try to update again soon.