Starting Over!

Okay folks, hang on because we are going for another ride! 

We are starting over from square one! 

So as you all know, Ira has already had 2 surgeries. With the first she had the mucus fistula and ileostomy bag. With the second they reconnected her and hoped she would get better and things would start working correctly, then we'd be able to go home.

 Attempt #1 = FAIL

*If at first you don't succeed, try try again!!

*Don't give no for an answer!!

*Just keep swimming!!

(Every other "don't give up quote"...enter here!) 

To explain...after Ira's first surgery, her body started stooling out of her incision. Her body had made its own mucus fistula internally, and was leading her stool out the path of least resistance. Dr. H (head of the surgical team...his job is literally bowel problems!) said that he was pretty sure that her bowel had perforated again, and the reason for that was because there is a part of her bowel that just doesn't work at all. We have no clue why it doesn't work, but looking back he wishes really badly he would have just taken that part out while he had the chance. But he was trying to be hopeful and give her body time so that it may heal up and start working correctly on its own.

Eventually, her body closed up that hole, and that's when we all got excited because she was finally stooling through her bottom! Well, we got excited...not for no reason, but not the reason we were wanting! After her body stopped leaking stool out of her side, Dr. H was nervous that something like this would happen. She'd get sick. Thankfully, she didn't/hasn't gotten near as sick as she could. Her body...rather than continuing to stool out her side, closed one hole, backed up the upper part of her bowel (because remember that one section of her bowel doesn't work at all), and created another hole on the other side of her abdomen! Well that hole and mucus fistula, unlike the 1st one didn't have a way to get the fluid/stool outside of her body! So she was stooling out, internally! That's why she got sick! Her bowel perforated again, her body got an infection, her belly got very swollen, her fevers were high and finally they caught the build up of fluid/stool. So they placed a catheter into her abdomen to drain the build up...they got out 3 ounces of fluid.

>>GAME  PLAN!!!<<

1. Let her heal this week and get this infection under control, hopefully that means delt with!

2. Not this week, but the next...go in for surgery #1 (technically surgery #3), make a mucus fistula and ileostomy again...AND place a feeding tube into her stomach! (Will explain the feeding tube in a minute)

3. Wait until she recovers and they make 100% certain that all her colon works (feed her)...wait a little longer...preform surgery #2 (technically #4)  and reconnect her bowels.

4. Heal up, start feeds, teach her to eat from a bottle during the day and get a constant feed during the night through her feeding tube, then....GO HOME!!!! 

So yes, we will have a daughter with a feeding tube in her stomach.

No, you will not see it! (Unless you ask!)

No, you cannot touch it!

Yes, it's awesome!

Yes, it kind of makes me nervous! But oh well!

No, it will NOT be forever!

Yes, that means it will be temporary!

Our baby girl will be 100% PERFECT and pooping like a champ before we all know it! 

The reason she will have a temporary feeding tube is to help her gain weight faster. She will have the feeding tube, which looks just like a cap to a beach ball that you put your mouth on to blow up, and she will have it until she gets a little older. How long? Don't know. Don't care. It will be placed right on the side of her stomach and her clothes will cover it up.

We will have to change it out, just like an earring and put a bigger one in as she grows and eats more, but like I said this is just temporary! 

Eventually, they will just pull the feeding tube out and her body will heal that spot up all on its own, so there is no surgery needed to take out the feeding tube! 

Now...the Game Plan could be effected in a major way IF Dr. H, while in surgery...sees that Ira's colon looks AMAZING!! If it does look amazing, he may be able to just take out the bad section of bowel, reconnect and be done. We are all pretty confident that her colon works correctly because we have seen it, but Dr. H says...better to be safe than sorry. With this upcoming surgery she will lose more bowel, but if you didn't know...as your body grows so does your bowels. Your body makes more bowel as you grow and develop. So Ira will be fine as she gets older and has more bowel!. Either way,  this upcoming surgery, they will either make a mucus fistula and an ileostomy, or they will reconnect the two bowels. The rest of the plan will be the same IF all things go accordingly!

Your constant prayers have been much appreciated, but prayer warriors, we ask that you still make mention of Ira Jo! We've been on such a long journey and still have months to go.

Thank you for all your love and support

~Linden, Lani, Ada Lou & Ira Jo