Our completely confusing and happy week!

Andrew on his way to the operating room     

Sometimes when I write these posts I feel like I'm recapping a dramatic soap opera on television. Well this week's episode was crazy! When we last left off we were letting Andrew rest on the vent until the end of the month. Every two weeks we get a new doctor. This is a teaching hospital so they do a lot of rotations. On Monday Andrew had a new doc. This one is a little more aggressive with treating then the others have been. So he says, "There is no reason to wait until the end of the month. Let's do a bedside bronchial scope and see how he is doing". So on Tuesday a ENT (ear, nose and throat) doc came to Andrew's bedside and stuck a small camera down Andrew's breathing tube. Within seconds of looking down he said, "I can see where the collapse is. Let's get him up to the operating room on Thursday so we can get a better look". After the ENT doc left our doc this week came by the room to talk to me. He said based on the cat scan Andrew had done in August and what they just saw with the bedside scope he is going to need a trach. He asked me if I wanted the trach put in on Thursday when he goes up to the Operating room or do I want to have it done in Colorado. I said Colorado. So he started planning our transfer for next Thursday. By later that afternoon they had the medical team assigned and the jet ready. Everything was moving really quickly.

So now for the good part. Andrew went to the Operating Room yesterday (they still wanted to take a look at his throat to make sure he is safe to fly for the transfer). The procedure took about 35 minutes. The nurse came out to the waiting room and told me to go to a conference room so the doc could talk to me. I was praying they were just going to tell me he was stable enough for the transfer. The doc came in and said, "everything looks great". I said you must have the wrong room. My son was diagnosed twice with severe Tracheobronchial malacia. The doctor said, "nope everything looks fine". ???? A family member that lives near by kept me company yesterday and we both looked at each other dumbfounded. Nothing is wrong?? I have been reading up on trach maintenance. I was as ready as you can be for my son to need a trach. The doctors are even dumbfounded. But yesterday's operation was the clearest view of his throat so if they say nothing is wrong with his throat then nothing is wrong. Yesterday I felt so happy and confused. The docs really don't know what to make of it. They think he either made a miraculous recovery or the problem is further down in his lungs. Let's go with the first option! The plan is now to stay here and not transfer. They are going to start weening him off the breathing machine on Monday. Basically we went from needing a trach to taking him off the breathing machine. I really don't even know what to say or think other then God is good!