The only thing that would be different tomorrow over Tuesday is that our neurologist will be away and Dr. Haa will have to step in to read the EEG testing. But we are ok with that.
I trust that the Lord had this date in mind well before Karter ever took a breath. This is God's perfect timing and I rest in that.
So off to Children's Kurt will go this afternoon with Karter to the pre-op clinic appointment. I will stay here and do Paige's kids birthday party (a princess dress up/make up party).
Karter's surgery will be scheduled for 12:45 pm tomorrow. Here is the schedule of surgery. I will keep do my best to keep the blog updated as the day and weekend progresses.
Thanks in advance for your support and prayers, they are so important to us, we could not do this without them.
1 - Prep and Sedation- 12:45-1:15 -
Karter will receive an IV (which at times, a vein has been hard to find and get on the first go). Once the IV is started, they will put him under anesthetic. Please pray for the anesthesiologist. Once he is completely under, they will move on to the next step.
2 - Re-opening the incision - 1:15-1:45 -
They will be going back through the same incision they made last time. The hope is that they can keep the same scar as they had last time. Once the incision is made, they will move on to remove the window of bone that gives them access to the brain.
3 - Removing the window of skull to make room for the resection 1:45-2:15-
The only issue that could cause problems here is that sometimes the scar tissue can stick to the bone, this can make for a harder time when trying to remove the window of bone. Also, there is a higher chance of bleeding at this point. Please pray that there is no scar tissue that has adhered itself and that the bone comes out easily.
4 - EEG/ECOG 2:15-3:15 -
The neurologist, Dr Conolly, and EEG techs will lay grids right onto the brain to detect seizure activity. From their testing, they will determine how far back the seizures go. At this point there is no indication that the seizure activity goes back into the motor cortex, we continue to pray that way and ask that you do the same. Should they have to go into the motor cortex, Karter would lose left peripheral vision as well as experience muscle weakness on the left side. Please pray that the EEG/ECOG comes back clear and the reading happen quickly.
5 - Resection 3:15-4:45 -
This is where the surgeon, Dr Steinbok, will remove the portion of Karter's right frontal lobe. There is a 1% chance that at this point Karter could have a stroke. It is not likely, but it is a risk factor. Please pray against that. Also, there can be risk of bleeding at this point. Pray for steady hands, for accuracy, peace and clarity of mind for our surgeon. He is an amazing man, we are so very thankful he is on our team!
6 - EEG 4:45-5:45 -
They will go back and place the grids on Karter's brain again to make sure that there is no more electrical activity. Our prayer is that from this point forward, Karter would no longer suffer from Epilepsy!
7 - Replacing the skull bone 5:45-6:15-
Once all the testing is done, they will replace the window of bone. Pray that there is accuracy in this as well.
8 - Closing up the incision 6:15-6:45 -
Once the bone has been replaced, the incision will be sewn up. Karter had a great scar last time, very neat and in such a way that his hair covered it. Our prayer is that the same care is taken this time.
9 -Recovery 6:45 on
Once Karter is finished in the OR, they will take him to ICU where he will come out from under the anesthesia. They will extabate him as soon as they can and as soon as he is able to breath on his own. The sooner the better. Please pray that this can happen immediately post surgery and that there will be no difficulty with breath or with Karter's pre-existing reflux or asthma.
10 - Post surgery
Karter will remain in ICU for the first night, Kurt and I will not be able to stay with him that night but will return Wednesday morning. At some point on Wednesday, we will be transferred to the ward. We have a few friends there that are nurses. Please pray that we get a private room, that is best scenario for both Karter and myself.
2 comments:
Praying already!
Char, thank you for entrusting us with the details of Karter's surgery. Thank you also for the very specific prayer times and list so I can know exactly what to pray for as the day progresses.
Blanketing your son with prayers. Blanketing you and Kurtis with prayers. Blanketing sweet Paige and grandparents and your entire family with prayers.
God bless and keep your darling boy through every second of this day and the days of recovery to come.
{{hugs}}
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