Cayden loves baseball!

So my tall and very thin son has always lived for football. He's played flag football and tackle football. He has lived and breathed football. We've always tried to get him to try other sports and have been unsuccessful until this year - his friends convinced him to try baseball. Surprise, surprise.....he loves it! He is getting better with every practice and game. It is so much fun to watch him play. Right now he plays short stop for the Kanosh Rays. He says he is done with football now cause he's found his niche. Of course he'll still watch it, collect the football cards, and critique all the players but he says his new life is all about baseball.

He's a real boy now....

Our little Porter is getting better fast! He no longer has to wear the neck brace. He's completely off the feeding tube and eating on his own. The only catch is that his left side has some nerve damage so when walking or crawling his leg will give way sometimes. Hopefully that is just temporary and will heal with time. Mel said he's teasing everyone and trying to run everywhere! He's so happy to have the neck brace off and to be mobile. Most of all he's just happy to be at home.

I lost the cord to my camera to download my pics....so here is an old picture. From L to R Chase, Porter, MaKenna, Kelton, and Austin.

The Body Cast

Porter is at Shriner's Hospital right now waking up from the anesthesia. He was put in a body cast to keep his spine aligned correctly so it can heal. He will be coming home tonight as soon as they can get his vitals to stabilize. He'll go back in a couple of days to make sure it is comfortable and keeping everything in the right place. Keep up the good work Porter buddy!

Porter at home....

Melanie is taking Porter to Shriner's Hospital tomorrow to be put in a body cast. The back brace isn't keeping his spine aligned. He will still wear the neck brace as well. He will be on his feeding tube another week and then they'll do more blood work to see if his pancreas is working properly. Mel says she runs him to his Primary Care Physician, physical therapy, and his neck doctor each week. Uhg....not to mention the other 4 children that she's taking to scouts, baseball, and school. She is doing pretty good though I think.

Porter is coming home!

I haven't had a chance to post at all today till now. Mel called this morning and said they are discharging Porter tomorrow. He will go home with his neck and back brace and his feeding tube. She'll be monitoring his blood pressure several times a day and he'll go back for physical therapy I'm sure.

I'm scared to have him go home......you know all the what if's. Mel is just so dang excited that they will all be together at home and is confident she'll be able to take care of him.....I'm sure she will do a great job. She's been doing alot of his care while he's been in the hospital anyways. 17 days at PCMC is enough time for anyone to be there.

I love you Porterelli!

Day 15

Today Porter is doing ok. He has pancreatitis. They've put a feeding tube in again that goes all the way to his intestines since the enzymes from his pancreas are disrupting his digestive system. He's doing good with his physical therapy....crawling and walking with assistance. But it makes him so tired. His favorite thing is to go for rides in his wheelchair. He'll probably be in the trauma unit another week or so. He has also started rolling onto his stomach now, which isn't good for all the monitors and IV's, I'm sure. Little bugger!

Day 13

Mel called me this morning and told me that Porter isn't eating solid foods. He complained of his tummy hurting so they did an xray and he is "backed up". His blood work came back showing signs of something wrong with his pancreas now too. So they took out the feeding tube and he is on IV therapy again. Good hell! Anything else for this poor kid?? Every dang time we think he's in the clear something else happens. Hopefully they can figure out how to help him without doing surgery......Oh and his PIC line had blood clots in it and they couldn't flush those out either so they took it out and are just drawing blood wherever and whenever they can. Melanie said he doesn't even cry that much anymore, just says owie. That makes me sick too cause he must be used to the pain now. Now doctors are saying they are going to keep him in the trauma unit indefinately. I'm sad today.

I think we are all doing better now

This past week I've been up North. It was a very long week and I'm glad to be home. Porter is doing so well. Chris, Cayden, and Casey got to see him for the first time on Saturday. He is looking so good now. He is still struggling with eating solid foods and as soon as he can do that, they will most likely send him home! He has been doing some physical therapy to move his arms and legs and will continue that for quite awhile. He still has to wear his neck brace and back brace, which is so uncomfortable. I was rubbing his legs, kinda tickling him, and he said "no no. owie" I asked him how he got hurt and he said "fall". So he must remember what happened. He loves to play with his slinky and was trying to growl at me like a monster.....that was so cute but I'm sure it hurt his throat. He will be on blood pressure medication for the next year or so because of the stress on his one remaining kidney. We are still unsure of what effect the nerve damage will have on him...time will tell. It will be so good to get him home but it's going to be so hard on Melanie to take care of him and her other kids....she's one tough cookie.