October 21, 2011

It's been a few days since Josh's surgery and I have been back and forth between the hospital and home. Sometimes I seriously don't even know what day it is. The first part of the week was really hard for Josh, he was in a great deal of pain and was very worried that his bowels might not start up. He was really struggling and did not feel like getting up and out of bed. Yesterday was a different story though and he started getting up first thing in the morning and went for walks and did some physical therapy too. All of it paid off and he finally passed gas last night! He got the nasal gastric tube out and finally got to start on clear liquids last night. His first request was strawberry jell-o! Today he started passing more gas and had his first bowel movement. I have never been so happy about bowel progress in my life! He has been to physical therapy today and been working very hard. Day before yesterday I was here when the surgeon came in to look at the incisions and drains, I am pleased to say that it all looks so good. He has three drains in his abdomen and the doctor thinks he will probably go home with two of them. It also looks as though he will probably be discharged on Monday. Thank you all so much for the prayers and support.

All our love,
Josh and Kalyn

October 17, 2011

Today has been a very long day and I am sorry I have not given you all an update earlier than this.  We woke up at 5am this morning and Josh was back in surgery by about 7am.  Our friend Sarah and Josh's cousin Katie sat with Wendy and I at the hospital this morning.  The surgeon had planned on reversing the ostomy, putting in a port for chemo, and putting something on the wound (close to a graft) to help it heal.  When he got in there though he had to do things a bit differently.  The reversal of the ostomy and port went the way he had planned but when he got to the wound he discovered that there was a large infected abcess under the bottom portion of it.  There was basically a ton of fluid and drainage just hanging out that we had no clue about.  He drained the fluid and then cut out Josh's old wound from his first surgery and then proceeded to close up the muscle and skin.  He no longer has a gaping wound or ostomy to deal with!  The surgeon also put in three drains to make sure he does not get another abcess.  They are worried about infection so he is on a strong antibiotic and lots of pain meds.  They are hoping that his wound will stay closed and heal  properly, only time will tell.  Josh has been sleeping most of the day but came through the surgery really well.  He is very exhausted and a little upset that he has a nasal gastric tube down his throat.  This tube drains everything from his stomach so that the doctors can monitor his bowels to see if he will begin to pass gas.  He won't be able to eat anything for a couple of days until they know for sure that everything is working as it should.  Thank you all so much for all your continued thoughts and prayers.  I am asking for a couple of specific prayer requests: 1) Pray that he will recover well and have no complications;  2) Pray that all of his intestines and colon do what they are supposed to.  I will keep you all posted as to how things are going in the next few days.

Lots of Love,
Kalyn

October 13, 2011

Big news for everyone today...Josh will be having his surgery on Monday morning at 7am to reverse the ostomy and put his port in for chemo.  He is so ready to get rid of the ostomy bag but is still a little apprehensive about another surgery.  We are so thankful that his body is ready to undergo another surgery and that he will be on his way to better health again. 

We have even bigger news...we found out this morning that we will be adding a baby boy to complete our family!!!  We are so excited and overjoyed, we were hoping all along for a boy and I had a feeling the last couple of weeks that a boy was what we'd get.  God sure was listening to my yearning heart!  Embyr went with us today to the sono appointment and got to be a part of it all...she is super excited!  She is now saying that she wants to name him Curious George!  She is going to be a great big sister to this little brother of hers.  Everything looked great with him and we got some great 3D pics.  Josh is so thrilled to have a little man around the house. (he kind of feels out numbered sometimes!)

Josh has to be at the Round Rock Hospital Monday morning at 5:45 am and I will be with him as he undergoes this next surgery.  His mom will be at home with Embyr and I was wondering if maybe someone would like to volunteer to come sit with me.  I know it's early but I do much less worrying if I have someone to talk to and pray with.  Let me know if any of you would like to come sit with me.  Today has been a great day and we are so elated that our little family will be complete soon (with Josh beating cancer and being whole again too!).  Thanks again to all of our family and friends, we love you all so much!

Josh, Kalyn, and Embyr (and our little boy too!)

October 10, 2011

In a couple of days Josh will have been home two weeks!  Time sure doe fly...also on Wednesday we have an appointment with the surgeon.  He will determine if Josh is ready to have his ostomy reversed so that his bowels can start working again.  Please pray that he is ready for this surgery, he will be so happy to get rid of his ostomy bag.  We also are in need of some very strong prayers for his mental state and attitude.  He has become very depressed and is having a hard time seeing that everything will be okay.  We are all trying to encourage him but it seems like his mind is just tired and depressed.  He gets cheered up a bit when friends and relatives come to visit but other than that, he is struggling on a daily basis.  Please, please pray for his spirits and attitude to come up and be able to keep fighting this hard battle.  I thank you all so much for your prayers, letters, donations, love, and support.  Each and every one of you touch my heart everyday and I KNOW that God has great things in store for us!

With much love,
Kalyn

Monday October 3, 2011

Today we are celebrating Josh's fifth day home and we are also celebrating the birth of Chad and Tessa's new baby.  Karver Clark Whitaker...born this morning weighing 6lbs. and 9oz., both mommy and baby are doing great!  We are so excited to be Aunt and Uncle again. This evens up the Whitaker house hold, three girls and three boys now.  They all got settled in their new house last week and now they get to bring the new baby home to it.  God is so great!  Not much to report on Josh, he has been to physical therapy today and did really great.  It wore him out but he did almost everything they threw at him.  He will have PT three times a week and will be going to see the surgeon next week to see if his proteins are high enough for him to have surgery soon.  He also gets wound care three times a week as well, his wound is looking much better.  It has been a good transition getting him settled at home, he was a little hesitant but everything went fine.  He is trying to get into a normal daily routine and also trying to do some exercising at home too.  We are just so happy to have him home and it's just so good to have our family in one place again!

Lots of Love,
Kalyn and Josh

Wednesday September 28, 2011

Great news everyone....we are going home today!!! We are waiting to be discharged and are ready to goooo HOME! We also have more great news....we got approved for Medicaid yesterday! There is a person in the hospital that pushed our application through (not through disability) and got us all approved. I already had pregnancy Medicaid but now Embyr has insurance too. What an answered prayer!! The Medicaid is retroactive back to August 1st, that means we still have a lot of bills from July before his hospitalization. We are truly blessed to have such a great weight lifted off our shoulders.

Josh is doing so much better, he got his wound vac off on Monday and just has a regular dressing over it. He will be coming back to the hospital three times a week for outpatient rehab and they will also redress his wound on those days. He has been walking without a walker the last few days and getting stronger. He will be getting his ostomy reversed in about two to three weeks...more hospital time but we are so happy he will start gaining more weight after he has that surgery.

We are so overjoyed and thankful today...we are also so grateful to all of you for your constant love, support, and prayers! We love you so much!

Josh and Kalyn

Saturday September 24, 2011

First things first...today is our seventh anniversary!!!  I am so happy to have Josh here with me to celebrate it and to know that I didn't loose him.  I have faith that we will have many more.  I have a lot to catch you all up on since I have not blogged all week.  Tuesday I wasn't feeling well and I found it harder than usual to get back in the swing of things.  I am so thankful that Josh's mother has been here to help with everything.  Josh is getting much better, he is walking further everyday and working harder with physical therapy too.  Yesterday the surgeons came in and removed the last three retention rods on his wound (these things were causing him a lot of pain) and said that it is looking so much better.  They also say that he may be able to get rid of the wound vac by Monday.  His wound isn't completely closed yet but they say that it should grow new skin and make a scar soon.  His proteins have sort of plateaued  but we are hoping that they will go up more soon.  All the doctors seem to think that they will and when they get a bit higher he will be able to have his ostomy reversed before the next chemo treatment.  He has been learning how to take care of the ostomy bag and how to empty it, because pretty soon he will have to be doing it at home with no help.  The hospital is looking to release him some time this next week.  We don't know if he will be going to rehab or home...we're still crossing our fingers that he will be able to get some sort of rehab before he comes home.  He is a little apprehensive about coming home without it.  The last few days he has been trying extra hard to do normal things like he would be doing at home.  He's wearing normal clothes during the day and sitting up in the chair for all of his meals.  He is walking further everyday and even walked outside yesterday!  He still needs a walker for most of his walks but has actually done a few without it too.  I am so proud of him for pushing himself so hard when I know he still isn't feeling very well.

Josh and I both want to thank everyone who has donated to his medical fund recently.  We are so touched that all of you didn't even hesitate and are willing to give as much as you can.  We are both so overwhelmed with gratitude and want all of you to know how special you are and how much we love you!

Thanks again...with all our love,
Josh and Kalyn