Todays Update

It has been a roller-coaster of emotion the past 5 days. While in Virginia at Carilion for Juddah's second surgery it was unclear and less than hopeful that Juddah would be released from the hospital to travel to Seattle on Thursday for Emily's (my daughter) graduation from college. There were two choices, to travel with out Juddah and leave him in the care of the hospital, or to not attend the graduation. How to decide between the two? Since Juddah's second surgery he became leery of being held by others and would cry hard and loud.... which is not good for the pressure inside his brain, it causes more spinal fluid to be pushed up where it is not supposed to be and the doctors were working so hard to keep the fluid down. Leaving him in the hospital alone and crying when others would want to comfort him was not a choice that left my stomach calm. Not attending Emily's graduation left my stomach in knots... there just was not a good solution to this situation.  So we prayed for a miracle.. and guess what? We got it, Juddah's fluid and his head stayed flat for two days, enough time for the doctors to feel comfortable to release Juddah to come to Seattle for the graduation... YEAH! We arrived in Seattle late Thursday night and attended Emily's nursing pinning ceremony on Friday. On Saturday morning we woke to the sight of Juddah's head with a pocket of fluid showing it self strong... as the day went on, it was clear that more and more fluid was collecting and we needed to make a trip to the ER at Seattle's childrens hospital.... while there in the ER it was decided that Juddah would be admitted and that surgery was in order. The doctors in the ER talked it over and felt as tho there would be funding for Juddah to receive the surgery under charity care. We were taken upstairs to a room, checked in and waited for morning, and once again I wondered if I would get to Emily's graduation, the all school graduation ceremony was on Sunday afternoon.  Sunday morning, the morning Juddah was to receive surgery in Seattle, and the afternoon of graduation,  we were informed that there were not funds available for Juddah and that the charge for the surgery would be $50,000 or more plus the doctors fees and that the ER cost the night before was $5900..... we were released from the hospital and told to call the office of financial counseling in the morning.... They tapped Juddah's head and took off 20cc's of fluid (didn't hardly make a dent in it tho) and two hours later headed to graduation. The next morning we headed into the meeting at Seattle Childrens to talk about possibilities for Juddah... bottom line was that there just are not funds for children from out of the country. Next a call was made back to Carilion in Virginia where Juddah has been treated for the last 6 months, they were gracious and kind and put Juddah on the surgery schedule for Thursday.... The third surgery in 3 weeks. All this to say that tomorrow morning we get back on a plane and head to VA for surgery on Thursday...  Very difficult to watch the fluid collect in Juddah's head, especially when the suture line is still so very visible and one pocket of fluid is popping up just under it. It's getting stretched and just plain looks tight... right now the pockets look bigger than a ping-pong ball, but smaller than a tennis ball...  I know not why the Lord is working the plan this way, I'm sure He has a reason, and for now prayer is much needed for a safe journey tomorrow in regard to Juddah's head, patience, peace and strength.... so very thankful that team Juddah continues to lift him up in prayer, and cares so deeply about him. 

I call on you, my God, for you will answer me; 

   turn your ear to me and hear my prayer

Psalm 17:6

Prayer Warriors needed!