Another "Yipee!!"

Hey everyone. It's official. The line is coming out. The words were spoken yesterday afternoon. Immediately after I got off of that phone call, I called our surgeon, Dr. Danielson, in St. Pete. We have a consult Aug. 10th and the date of the actual "removal" will be determined then. I'm hoping I can rush Dr. Danielson. But I'm pretty sure he'll be stoked just seeing Chase! He's the man who got to see the "final results" of what Chase's bowels look like. He's the doc who removed all the bad stuff, reconnected the good stuff, and opened the door (literally) for Chase's first poopie! Yea Dr. Danielson!!!! We can't wait to see him!!!!

So here's how it went down. On Monday we went to the peds. to weigh Chase and to have Colton's 2 yr. check-up. Colton is doing great by the way. Just growing up too fast!!!! He did have to get a shot, poor thing. But as soon as I said the word "cookie" he was good. Like the shot never happened. (Tip for moms: bring a cookie on shot days!) His height has finally caught up with his weight. He's always been a little chunkmeister, but he's growing into it now. :(...I'm gonna miss the pudge, but I guess they have to grow up sometime.

And Chase weighed in at a whopping 20lbs. 10oz.. That's a 10 oz. gain in just a week and a half.....with no supplementation. He did this all on his own!!!! (Well, him and our very wonderful Father who has blessed Chase and this family time and time again.)He has become quite the little muncher. He eats and drinks ALL DAY LONG!!!!! But that's what we want!!! (Even though those late night feeds are rough on daddy and I, we'll take it over the alternative!)

So I called Boston to give them the news. They had to "talk about it" and they would get back to me. But they also gave us his lab results from our visit up north. All his labs were good! Along with the usual labs, they tested his vitamins. His Vitamin A, K, and B12 were great. But his vitamin D and E were borderline low. I had to explain to them that we don't see sunshine right now because the mosquitos out here are the size of dogs so we stay inside. Hence our pastey complexion in the summertime :)~ Seriously. I'm not joking. So that is why the Vitamin D is low. But just to be safe, Chase will be taking a vitamin daily called ADEK. But what kid doesn't need some type of vitamin, right?? His iron was also borderline low so he's going to take an iron supplement as well.

So if this is all we have to worry about daily, I think we're doing purdy good!!! Of course we'll always be watching him for dehydration and my job as a professional poop-inspector will be a lifelong duty. (Please forgive the "duty." Didn't realize it 'til I wrote it. But it is kinda funny!)

But we also got another unexpected "yahoo!" moment during this phone call. Danielle, our Boston nurse (whom we love, love, love) told us about the citrine amino acid. (Forgive me if I don't explain this very well.) They've recently found a link between the citrine # and the length or amount of bowels. The more bowels, the higher the citrine count. So naturally, kids with SBS will have a low citrine #. And the more bowels you have the higher the count. Danielle said that Chase has an unusually high # for a child with SBS!!!!! What does this mean you ask???? It means Chase's bowels have grown well along with his growth and the bowels he does have left, are doing a really good job of compensating for the bowels he does not have. She told us his number was really low back in October when we first got to Boston to start the Omegaven and now his # is in the double digits!!!!!!!

I immediately thanked our Lord and Savior for this report because I know it's ALL HIM. I told my husband that if they went in to look at his bowels (which they won't because we won't put Chase through that again) but IF they did, I bet they would be pretty surprised at what they found. I bet God has lengthened and fattened up those bowels to function just as He intended bowels to function. The docs would probably have another "huh?" moment. (We are starting to pile up on these moments!!) He is functioning with supernatural bowels you know!!!!!!!!!!

So (sorry, getting all worked up!) after two days they called back to tell us it's okay to take out the line. HALLELUJAH!!!!!!! For a child who was first off, not suppose to live at all, to a kid who would be on TPN for years, and now a 1 yr. old little boy about to take his line out........God has brought us a long way and in a short amount of time. Only possible through Him, but all things are possible through God!!!!!

They also said we'll be taking out his mic-key button in the early fall. And Chase is doing really well with transitioning from his Neocate formula to Soy milk. So, needless to say, Chase is "Kickin' Short Gut's Butt!!!!"



YAHOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!