Pictures and a movie!

Almost a smile

Thinking about Geometry

cars on the crib-fish on the blanket-sport

stuff on the outfit and no pink

Practicing Karate

Is it time to eat yet?

Joseph "the movie" --coming soon to a theater near you!

(hit the play button)

Life is wonderful!

Kenny

Two Doctors--Two good reports

Joseph was seen by his cardiologist (heart doctor) on Monday and his ENT (ear nose and throat) doctor today. The doctors agreed that he is doing well and he just needs to stay healthy and keep growing. We thought that the cardiologist was going to want to see him at least every two weeks but he said to come back in 6 weeks. That was a good indication that he is doing well. Dr. Lewis, the cardiologist, was so good to him and he commented that he was the best behaved infant that day. I think that Joseph is comfortable in the medical world because he spent his first five weeks of life there. Maybe that will lead to his being a doctor when he grows up--That would be cool.
Joseph is being a little fussy lately during the day but he sleeps like a champ at night. We are worried he may be getting a cold. We really hope not because it will make breathing through his tubes that much more difficult. He almost at the halfway point on the tubes and they will come out in about 6 weeks. Unfortunately, that has to be done in surgery. After what he has been through it should be a piece of cake.
The visit to the cardiologist took us back to Children's Hospital. It was a little eerie being back and brought back the emotions we felt as we walked through the hallways. It was great to leave there and go home. It is a fine place, but it is soooooo good to have your child leaving there with you.
We were able to visit the NICU while we were there. We saw a few of the nurses that took care of him. They said he looked great and bigger. Nurse Dana said she reads the blog so ---HELLO DANA! Thanks for taking care of Joseph! Nurse Lindsey reads this too --- so a big shout out to NURSE LINDSEY. 3rd floor NICU ROCKS!
The blog is a little random tonight--lack of sleep will do that. I will have some pictures to post tomorrow. Sorry there are none with this blog. Thanks to all who continue to read this and to pray for Joseph. You ROCK too!
God Bless,

Kenny

Finding a routine

OK OK OK I did not make the Thursday night deadline for the next post. I had the best intentions. I had the camera in my hand and was heading to the computer when there was a request by my kids to spend some time with them. Somehow I misplaced the camera and did not find it until today. That sounds like a pretty thin excuse but it really happened.

We have shifted into a routine again but it is one that is easily disrupted by the cry of our new little child. He has a pretty good attitude but I think he got a little spoiled at the hospital. He always had someone right there and now he has to learn just a little patience. Joseph continues to feed well and he gained five ounces from Monday to Friday. He is sleeping OK at night and only wakes up a few times to feed. We really appreciate that! Here he is resting up in his new bouncy chair before feeding again.


Now to Children's Hospital. I wanted to write about how anyone can get involved with the hospital. The hospital is like good insurance. You hope you never have to use it, but if you do you are really glad it is there. In our case the hospital may very well have saved our son's life. They have amazing staff and the hospital of the future will be completed in 2010. The hospital is supported through incredible fundraising efforts and through service and support guilds. Our contacts with the groups we are involved in really came through for us. Bonnie McClure coordinates all the guilds for the hospital. I think there are about 30. I mentioned before that Mary and I are involved in the Spiritual Care Guild and I am a member of the Men's Guild. The Spiritual Care Guild supports the religious services at the hospital. There is a full time Catholic Priest at the hospital and many other religions are represented. They even have a training program to teach chaplains for other hospitals. The guild is a great group and the fundraising events are creative and fun. The men's Guild is newer and hosts a yearly Texas Hold 'em Poker Tournament. The next one is in May 2008. The dues are just 50 bucks and the commitment is fairly minimal. I have been tasked with finding at least two new members. Please let me know if you join so I can get my free poker chips for finding new members. Bonnie sent me this information on how to join: "For anyone wanting to join the Spiritual Care Guild or the Men's Guild, please direct them to our office - 323-361-2367. Connie Harding is the president of the Spiritual care Guild and John Winnek is the presidents of the Men's Guild. Another easy way to support the hospital is to donate blood. They have a new donation facility and the staff is very friendly. For anyone who wants to donate blood, call the Blood Donor Center - 323-361-2441 to schedule an appointment. If anyone has any other kinds of CHLA questions, have them call me at 323-361-5431." Bonnie was very helpful during our stay at the hospital. Tell her you are a friend of Joseph and that will make you an automatic friend of Bonnie. She is an amazingly kind and dedicated person and a true ambassador for the hospital.

I will write again early next week and post some more pictures. Joseph has a doctor's appointment on Monday and I will let you know how that goes. He still has a few more hurdles to get over but he is well on his way to full health. That is an accomplishment we can all be proud of.

God Bless,

Kenny Lund

There's no place like home

Tonight we sat as a family and watched a little bit of the Dodger game. We were all there--even Baily the dog. It was our first time all together at home in one room. It was great. We had forgotten how wonderful moments like that are. A nice boring evening is sometimes the best evening there could be.

Joseph is feeding very well and sleeps OK at night. He saw his pediatrician today and everything checked out. He needed a follow-up blood test and after two tries Mary took him home. He has had enough of that. We will get that another day. Now is the time to grow and to continue to heal. Here is a picture of his first bath at home. It is amazing how good the scar on his chest looks.

The girls are being very good about holding him. They have to work so hard to contain their excitement. Here is Megan holding him:

They love their brother so much even though several months ago they all wanted another sister because according to them, "boys are gross." Their Auntie Ann is in town to help out. She is a pediatric nurse and has been areal help through all of this. She has been so great that we even let her hold him:

Every day now we count our blessings and ask God to bless this wonderful community brought together by a special little kid named Joseph. It is one of several miracles that have happened over the last 5 weeks. Keep the faith.

Love,

The Lund family

p.s. The next update will be Thursday night. We will include some info on Children's Hospital and ways to be involved, in that post.

JOSEPH IS HOME!

Yes you read that correctly. We can use the word "home" now because he is actually at home. They surprised Mary on Sunday morning and told her she could take her son home. What great news. On Friday they moved Joseph up to the sixth floor. This was great because it meant that Joseph was doing well. But it was tough on us because it meant we had to have someone with him 24 hours a day. Poor Mary had to pull night duty because they started allowing her to nurse Joseph. So it was really music to her ears that she could go home and not have to sleep in the "hospital barkalounger." Clare was able to tell her sisters that her brother was coming home. You could hear the screams of joy all the way to the Arizona border. Here he is in his car seat ready to go:We said goodbye to the sixth floor but we had to stop on the third floor to say goodbye to the great staff there. Here are of few of his AWESOME nurses:
They took our picture---don't we look happy?


Steve and Christina helped us get the last minute things ready for the homecoming. The girls were so excited they could almost fly! Up the driveway came the car and there was Joseph and mom!! More shrieks! Who would hold him first? Who could change him first? (yes they actually argue over who gets to change him) Who gets to feed him? Hold on girls---form a line. We will all get a chance.

We are finally---five weeks to the day of his birth and less than two weeks after open heart surgery---all together at home. Life is wonderful and we sings songs of praise. We thank God for his blessings and our family and friends for getting us through this. We could not have done it without you. Our miracle boy is home and all is well.

This next week I will post pictures of his life at home. Unfortunately, Joseph has to stay at home and hunker down. He is not yet up to his birth weight and he has some growing to do. He systems are recovering and he cannot get sick. We are going to be protective for awhile. But we promise to post many pictures.

Here are a few to start:
Clare, the proud big sister, gets to hold her little brother at home and she does not have to wear that yellow gown!

Time to start playing baseball. He will be out on the field soon! Thanks Paul for the cool baseball stuff!

God bless you all,

Kenny and Mary

Going to Disneyland

Today was a very good day for Joseph. He is eating better after hitting a plateau at 30cc's. He can now go up from there. His numbers are all good and the cardiologists have taken him off one more medicine. He is doing so well that when the doctors were on rounds tonight I said I was looking forward to him being at h___ (rhymes with Rome.) The nurses and a few of the doctors said to me don't say they "H" word out loud. It is bad luck . It is kind of like packing up the gear in baseball before the game is over. It will guarantee a loss. Instead of saying the "H" word they all say "Disneyland." So, if an infant is close to being discharged they all say "oh how nice---he is going to Disneyland." Well hopefully in several more days we can take Joseph to Disneyland!

Several times over the last few says Joseph has smiled. I have been trying to capture that smile with the camera to no avail. Here is the closest I have come so far:

That is Clare holding Joseph. On Wednesday we packed up the kids and took all of them down to the hospital to see their brother. Joseph went from the crib and into each of the girls eager arms. Not once during the visit did he wake up! Unbelievable! But they were pleased as could be to be there with Joseph. Here are a few more pics of the encounter:

I look forward to reporting to you that we are all safe and sound at Disneyland.

Peace,

Kenny and Mary

p.s. Please remember the other infants in the NICU in your prayers. There are a few that really need the help.

Happy One Month Birthday Joseph!

Wednesday at 10:38AM will mark one full month since the birth of Joseph Edward Lund. It has been an amazing month. Joseph has new nasal passageways, an improved heart, and more well wishers than can be counted----so please, no gifts! He is one really fortunate little boy.

I find it hard to believe that he is one month old---and yet, the day of his birth seems so long ago. This journey has been a most amazing one and though it has been very difficult at times, Mary and I have had a front row seat to small miracles, large miracles, incredible acts of love and kindness, sacrifice, surgical skill, compassionate care, the bridging of faith, and the tremendous healing power of prayer. We have learned so much and it has given us new perspective on the world. I was talking to a father who had gone through a similar experience several years ago. He said that he was forever changed by his journey. We are forever changed by ours. The change is not a bad change at all but I certainly would not wish the situation on anyone.

Today Joseph continued to get better. He is up to 30cc's of milk at feeding. This puts him more than 1/3 of the way to full feeds. He was more fussy today indicating that he is getting to be more like a typical baby. He was awake more in the evening and asleep more during the day. WE HAVE TO GET THAT TURNED AROUND BEFORE HE COMES HOME! We are missing enough sleep as it is. He has been able to stay in the NICU because they are out of bed space on "the floor." That is fine with us but we know the move will be soon. The doctors are happy with his progress but there is not a firm date that he can come home.

Here are a few pictures from today:

Sorry but there are no pictures today of him with his eyes open.

Joseph is one month old and we say a prayer of thanks for this miracle baby and all the family and friends we can share our joy with. Have a great day today!

Peace,

Kenny and Mary

More Progress

Today they began to talk more about Joseph's move. He may go to the 6th floor or even back to Glendale Adventist Hospital. It all depends on how many beds they have. It is a good sign because they think he is strong enough to graduate from the NICU. We were hoping he would stay in the NICU until he goes home but that looks unlikely at this point. We will deal with that when we know for sure. Today Cardiology visited him. They took out the leads for the pacemaker so he is down to an IV and a PICC line. They are doing a few more tests but hopefully they will consider his heart "good to go." The surgeon said that would mean he could be going home soon! He feeding increased and can take his medication by mouth now. That does not seem possible considering where he was just 7 days ago. His recovery is happening too fast for us to comprehend.

Elizabeth had her first day of school and her Auntie Cindy picked her up and brought her to the hospital. They let her feed Joseph. The other girls are thoroughly green with envy but they will get their chance soon enough.

I wish I could write more but I am trying to catch up on sleep in anticipation of his homecoming. Hopefully there will be more time tomorrow.

God Bless,

Kenny

Another Great Day!

Joseph hit some more milestones but I think this quick story says it best. Christina, my younger sister, has been helping watch Joseph at the hospital so Mary and I can spend some time with the other kids at their events. She saw him Saturday morning and then again today. She walked in to his room. By the way, his room has changed. Joseph was in a private room but now he is in a larger room with up to six infants in it. (I like to think that he moved to a much larger private room and he just has a bunch of friends over) But it was the same room as Saturday although they had moved a few kids around. Christina walked up to Joseph's bed and saw such a change from Saturday that she looked around to make sure she was in the right place and even checked his name tag on the crib. It was Joseph alright. He has really changed and looks so much better. This is him sleeping today:
I think you can see why Christina did a double take. He looks like a a happy little baby just ready to go home! Going home will still take awhile as he must be able to tolerate "full feeds" (as the nurses say) That is about 75 cc's every three hours. Today he went from 3 cc's to 10 cc's. Hey---it's a start!
It was very nice to attend mass at Saints Felicitas and Perpetua Church today. They prayed for "baby Joseph" and many people came up to say they had seen the blog. I am constantly amazed at how many people read the ramblings of a grateful father. I am pleased to be able to share this journey and to have you walking along with us. It has made all the difference.

Peace,

Kenny

Go Team!

It has been a day of success for several teams. We were able to watch our daughters play soccer and all three teams did well. The Dodgers beat the Giants and that always makes us happy. However, the most important team victory today occurred today in the NICU. Joseph had his breathing tube removed!!! Here are the before and after pictures

I think you will agree that the second picture is much better. He still has a nasal cannula just to provide moisture. He is completely breathing on his own. Mary and I kept commenting on what a difference this is compared to one week ago. Last Saturday we were looking at emergency heart surgery. Now we are amazed at how fast he is recovering and are looking forward to the day he will be coming home. It is a TREMENDOUS SUCCESS for his team. His team is made up of doctors, nurses, technicians, respiratory therapists, family, friends, priests, sisters, people who did not even know him but prayed for him just because someone asked, saints, and parents. It is a team effort and we are winning!

The next step is feeding. They may start him tonight with very small feedings to get his stomach working again. He has shown such resilience that his doctors have high expectations to get him up to full speed over they next several days.

It is a great day and we give thanks to God for this success.

God Bless,

Kenny and Mary

Moving day

This morning Joseph was moved from the CT-ICU back to the NICU. That was done because he is doing very well and because the CT-ICU is packed and in need of bed space. However, he did not move with all the technology surrounding him and that is a good thing. In the last 36 hours he has had his chest tubes removed, his central line removed, he was taken off of the pace maker, taken off sedation and heart medications, his arterial line was removed, and his oxygen setting was lowered. It reminded me of Pinocchio losing all his strings and becoming a real boy. He is operating more on his own and doing a good job of it. He still has some issues with his lungs operating fully but they tell us this is common after the surgery and he will be up to speed soon. It will really be a great day today if they can remove his breathing tube. That should happen later today but may be done tomorrow.
Mary and I are doing better as Joseph does better. The girls are in school and soccer begins tomorrow. It is almost beginning to feel normal again. We still have a ways to go but it will nice to be out watching the kids play on the soccer field tomorrow. I can imagine 5 years into the future when Joseph will join the throngs of kids out running around and having fun kicking the ball. It is comforting to have those thoughts instead of the others that have been bouncing around in my head. The "what if" game is a cruel one that parents go through when their kids are in the hospital facing surgery. I have talked to many of the parents in similar or much tougher circumstances in the hospital. There is a unique bond of understanding as you help each other stay hopeful and positive because it is so easy to slip into despair. Again, I am brought to the realization of how important you all have been to us through this. You shielded us from the darkness of despair.
I hope to bring you more good news tomorrow. Thank you for your interest and prayers.

Peace,

Kenny and Mary
p.s. I do not have the camera with me so I will post a picture later.

A very good day

I walked into Joseph's room tonight and the nurse asked "How are you doing?" My response was "How is Joseph doing?" I explained that if Joseph was doing well then I was doing well. The good news is we are both doing well.

Joseph has less medications, less pacemaker support, less breathing support and his fluid output is excellent. This is all leading to when he can operate entirely on his own. But the big event today takes a little explaining. Let me back up to before his surgery. The doctor met with us to explain the risks and benefits of surgery and what to expect after. One of the things really caught our attention. There was the possibility that he may come out of surgery with his chest still open. WHAT????? I remember thinking-- but I think I said it out loud too. I had heard of this from the NICU but I thought it was only in extreme cases. The surgeon explained that it is very common in infants and it is a normal procedure. But do not worry they said, "there is a plastic cover over the chest so you really can't see it much." There are three main reasons they keep the chest open: 1. to allow the heart to swell and give it room, 2. to allow easy access should there be some bleeding and 3. to allow easy access to keep the heart pumping should his heart have trouble beating. The surgery was done and Joseph did in deed come back with his chest open. However, the plastic cover was what looked like a simple piece of yellow saran wrap across his whole chest. You could see into his chest and it moved with every beat. I waited for everyone to panic because clearly they had made a mistake! The surgery was incomplete. But no one moved. They were as calm as could be. This was a "normal" occurrence in the world of the CT-ICU. It took me awhile to get used to this view. Then I would look away and when I looked back ---there it was again! I had to get used to it all over. It was the most amazing thing I have ever seen. I have a really good picture of it but for obvious reason will not post it here. Jump forward to today. He is doing well and they closed his chest. He looks much better! Here is what he looks like with his new scar. Hopefully it can be a badge of honor for him throughout his life. Sorry if this is a little much to show with all the stuff all over him but all that will be removed over the next few days. There is a handsome young lad under all that and it is so great to see him with his eyes open again!

We somehow got the impression that Joseph would be in the hospital 4 weeks after surgery. We were told today that we could expect to bring him home in 7 to 10 days. His numbers are good and they expect a full recovery. (I think they are getting tired of me making them repeat things like that--but it just sounds so good)

There is a group in the hospital called Spiritual Care Services. The hospital provides them office space and they have their own training program. A minister on staff put this prayer card on Joseph's bed a few days after we arrived a the hospital. It is the Sacred Heart of Mary. It shows Mary with her heart on her chest. Little did we know that Joseph's heart would be exposed as well. It is interesting how a small prayer card can be so comforting as a reminder of the prayers that were surrounding Joseph. The Spiritual Care Services are partially funded by the hospital and partly through a group called the "Spiritual Care Guild." (one of about thirty guilds that support various parts of the hospital) Three years ago we joined that Guild and we are proud to be members. We have seen first hand how important it is to help a family spiritually as well as medically. We are fortunate to have all of you supporting us this way but so many families at Children's Hospital are not that lucky. If anyone is interested in joining this guild please let us know and we will get you the information. It is a fun group and they have fun events. The last one was at the Magic Castle.

It is late so I will close. Once again--Thank you all so much.

God Bless,

Kenny

Joseph is recovering well

I have a few minutes so I am trying to keep this up to date. I am amazed at how many people are reading this blog and the notes and comments are great to read. This blog site is very basic so I am sorry I cannot respond to the comments. A few have asked how to send a note outside the blog so it is not public. Feel free to send a note to kenny.lund@allenlund.com or to mary.lund@allenlund.com. 7 years ago when Katherine had surgery, several people sent emails to her to be read when she got older. If you would like to send a note to Joseph for the future please send it to my email address. I have already saved all the comments for him and his scrap book will be quite extensive. He will have reminders for the rest of his life of how fortunate he is and the ordeal he endured.

Currently he is sedated and doing well. He had an issue this morning with his breathing but the doctors assured us that it is normal and they can control it. Here is a picture of the technology supporting him. The goal is to slowly take him off all the support over the next week. That is his little head there in the middle. The use of technology in the CT-ICU is mind-bending. One of the doctors on call actually came into the room as a robot controlled from his home. That way he could check up on Joseph any time needed. It is so new I was not allowed to take a picture of it. he is in good hands. When Joseph first was sent down to the CT-ICU I stopped to read the Mission Statement posted on the front entrance. Here is what it reads:

I was so happy that they included the "Spiritually Supportive" line. I really knew that we were at the right place. More later....

Kenny

Humbled

Joseph is not completely out of the woods, but he is doing very well. His numbers are great, his surgery was successful, the doctors are happy and the parents are humbled. We could never adequately give an appropriate thank you for all you have done to support Joseph and our family. There are too many things people have done to count and there are things that were done that we still do not even know about. We are not even sure of everything that happened in the last four days that we did see. It is such an amazing journey and not one time did we every feel alone. I wish you all could have been there to hear the surgeon give us the good news. It was as if hundred pound weights had been lifted. We were so excited and so relieved to be on the other side of the surgery. We will try to write over the next few days to explain some of what went on. But for now we just have time to say THANK YOU THANK YOU THANK YOU! God is good, and kind, and merciful and He has worked through you to help us get to this point. We are happy to be here and we are truly humbled by all you have done. Thank God and thank you and thank God for you!

God Bless,

Kenny and Mary and Baby Joseph

p.s. I will get some pictures posted tonight--somehow
and thank you Molly for doing the updates while we were in the waiting room

The doctor's report is in...Joseph is doing great!

The doctors just visited with Mary and Kenny. They were happy to report that the surgery went well and that Joseph did great! The two holes have been repaired and the problem with the aorta was less extensive than expected. The doctors were able to do the preferred procedure for the aorta repair and thus were pleased. Kenny shared, "I made the doctor repeat the good news three times!" Interestingly enough, Joesph's heart is the size of a walnut. We discussed how lucky Joseph was to have such a talented team of doctors and nurses working on him. Mary and Kenny will get a quick glimpse of Joseph as he passes through to recovery. More to follow.

The heart repair is complete!

Joseph's heart repair is complete and he has been removed from the heart and lung machine. The doctor's are now closing him up, which should take at least another 30 minutes. Joseph will then be moved to recovery for approximately an hour. Once he completes the recovery period, he will be moved back to the Cardio Thoracic ICU, at which time Mary and Kenny will be able to see him. More to follow.

The operation is now in progress.

Joseph's heart surgery began at 9:00 am this morning. The operation should last a total of three hours. The doctor's say that they will not provide many updates while the surgery takes place. However, they did send word at 10:00 that things were moving forward as planned. More news to follow as the procedure continues.

Surgery has been delayed 1 hour

Joseph's surgery has been pushed back to 9:00 a.m. this morning. He is doing great and all of his statistics are very strong.

Surgery is Monday at 8AM

The schedule is set. Joseph's heart surgery we have hoped for and dreaded is set for Monday morning at 8AM. It should last three hours with at least one hour for recovery. The surgery that once seemed to be so far away now feels too close. As parents, we are not ready to deal with tomorrow, but we welcome the repair of Joseph's heart. We will get through tomorrow with God's Grace and the help of the community that has rallied to support our family. Thank you for your continued support!

God Bless,

Kenny and Mary

Long days journey into night

The last twenty four hours have been the longest on record. I know that mathematically every twenty four hour period is the same, but any parent who has had a child in the hospital knows what I mean. The good news is that Joseph had a miraculous turn-a-round. He has stabilized and is in much better condition to go into surgery. Mary and I have been able to come home to regroup and catch our breath.
Last night at 7PM Joseph was transferred to the Cardio-Thoracic ICU. It is an amazing unit. They changed some of his meds and took some extreme measures. He did not respond immediately and Joseph was being set up for emergency heart surgery for this morning. His blood pressure had dropped and he was to the point that his kidneys were beginning to fail. We stayed at the hospital all night and got a little sleep at about 1am. We woke up at 5am and we were expecting more bad news. What we heard instead was that he had responded to the treatment and his kidneys had better function. He even had his eyes open and he looked dramatically better.
Joseph is not out of the woods yet, but he is in much better condition to tolerate the surgery that will be done on Monday or Tuesday. We will try to update this site as soon as we know when the surgery will be.
On the spiritual front I can tell you that we have had our struggles. The unit allowed Fr. Matt to come in to see us last night. He helped bridge our faith and after he left at about midnight thirty, he went back to the St. Francis Chapel and said a mass for Joseph. This coincided with Joseph's medical turn-a-round. Several times Mary and I have felt strong feelings of peace, even at the most difficult times. The power of prayer is getting us through. Thank you for your continued spiritual support.
God Bless,

Kenny and Mary.

Quick update

Joseph has everyone's attention in the NICU. He is watched closely. One of the NICU doctors did not like the blood pressure numbers and it still was puzzling as to why his heart condition became so problematic so quickly. He asked that they run another test. They found an additional problem in his aorta. It is a narrowing called "Coartation." This narrowing is making his heart condition that much worse. It is fixable and they will correct it at the same time they fix the rest of his heart. Things made more sense and they adjusted his medications accordingly. This helped him stabilize more but he is still in a very serious condition. They are going to transfer him to the Cardio-Thorasic ICU tonight to help prepare him for surgery. At this point he will have surgery Monday or Tuesday.

Kenny and Mary

A turn for the worse

This is a hard update to write.

Thursday seemed just fine for Joseph. Mary, Ann and Sue spent all day with him and he was alert and at times even smiled. I held him until about midnight and when I left he was OK. He had thrown up a little bit but it was not a huge concern. Friday morning was a different story. He was laboring to breathe, had thrown up some more and when the cardiologist examined him he was showing signs that his heart condition was deteriorating rapidly. Up to now, I have not written much about his heart. By all indications we had more time. We were planning on easing into this point. Joseph's heart is on its own schedule.

Joseph was born with two holes in his heart. A large hole between the ventricle chambers (a VSD) and a moderate hole between the atrial chambers (an ASD) This causes the blood to recirculate through the heart and lungs more and less blood gets out to the body. To complicate things further he has a deviation that causes the outflow to be constricted. This would normally not be a problem but it makes the holes more problematic. It is not surprising to the doctors to be at this point, but it is surprising that we are at this point right now. Instead of easing him into surgery he is being stabilized to make it to surgery. The surgery will probably be on Tuesday but they could do it any time on an emergency basis.

Yesterday was a really horrible day---and yet it was inspiring as well. The shock of each update was tempered with the realization that Joseph is in the best place possible, with the best doctors, and so many people praying for him. The doctors are concerned but not alarmed. They are reacting to Joseph and are setting the plan according to what he needs. The entire cardiology department is informed and aware of Joseph and they are ready to correct his heart condition. Now we just have to wait and see where Joseph takes us. Currently, Joseph is heavily sedated and carefully watched. Time will move very slowly this weekend as they work to get him to Tuesday. He could use a few more prayers. By the notes and messages we have received we know he is being surrounded with prayer. Heaven is being bombarded with requests for the health of Joseph. There are masses and prayers being said by the Holy Cross Fathers, the Franciscans, the Carmelites, the Dominicans, the Sisters of Saint Joseph, the Jesuits, several parishes, and a cloistered nun in the Midwest. There are individuals and families across the United States praying. This is what will carry him and sustain our family. As you pray please remember to mention the other babies in the NICU. There are about 50 babies in the almost always full third floor wing. Several do not have families and could use the extra boost of prayer.
Joseph still has a good prognosis and we are hopeful of a full recovery. I focus on that when it seems like this path is not leading anywhere. I am sure there are more surprises along the way and it is a path I would rather not go down. But go we must. Thanks to you--we are not alone.

God Bless you,

Kenny and Mary