RECOVERY REPORT
Update for William Goforth

April 27, 2002

 

RECOVERY REPORT: 

Today, William is recovering well from Thursday's laser eye surgery to interrupt the progression of ROP. There has been no bleeding, which is an answer to prayer! Further evaluation as to the outcome of the surgery will have to wait until his next weekly eye exam. We so appreciate your fervent prayer on the baby's behalf, and we continue to covet your ongoing prayers for favorable results from this surgery.

 

UP TO THE MOMENT. . . William is 3 months and 6 days old today! (and imagine, he's not even due until May 15th!):

It was a delight Thursday to enter the NICU and walk right passed William. (You see, sometimes his location is changed from one station to the other.) Why would that be delightful, you ask? Well, I was looking for him in his usual infant isolette or incubator when the nurse had to point me back the way I had come. Lo and behold! There he was, next to his "Prayer Bear"—in a proper hospital crib. Another answer to prayer!—Gran's prayer. Every "promotion" in the intensive care nursery is a celebrated accomplishment. 

 

 

Despite Thursday's surgery, and except for one isolated choking episode, (when the milk went down the wrong tube—his tube), this week William managed to successfully complete his "orientation" to Bottle Feeding 101, with the introduction to—first 3 and then 4 cc's of his mother's milk. Then for the next bottle feedings, he tripled his intake for his daddy. Way to go, Coach! Yet another answer to prayer! It truly is an endurance skill for Baby William. Thankfully, he continued to gain weight, steadily increasing to 4 lbs. 5.9 oz. (even though he probably burned up more calories than usual from all the work it now takes, sucking and swallowing his meals.) :-) He will continue to be supplemented by gavage feeding until he progresses to around 40 cc's per feeding. (For those of you who missed Metric Math 101, like me, I've been told that 29cc's = 1 oz.) Therefore, every fraction of an ounce is a triumph.

 

Now that he is off the Oscillator, the Ventilator, and the CPAP, he is back on the nasal cannula with the oxygenation now turned down to 35%—the lowest setting ever for him. Still another answer to prayer! Without the hindrance of all those other tubes, he is able to spend more quality time with Mom and Dad in kangaroo care, which is a therapy that places the preemie on the parent's chest—skin to skin. Experts believe it is one of the best strategies to help preemies thrive. We believe there's one more strategy which helps preemies thrive, and that's prayer care to the Ultimate Expert, our Heavenly Father. Which brings us to the purpose of these updates, after all, and that is to make our prayer requests known to all of you, our faithful prayer partners...

 

PRAYER REQUESTS:

Since the "Four Wheelers" are headed out for over a week on a ministry tour, we ask that you would please join us in extended prayer that:

a. the most recent laser eye surgery would prove successful in preserving William's vision.

b. the baby would continue to improve his skill at bottle feeding and eventually at breast feeding.

c. William would continue to steadily increase his endurance and amount of intake for each feeding.

d. as the blood clot continues to dissolve, the Lord would completely heal the hydrocephalus, therefore, eliminating the need for a permanent shunt.

e. the crease in his soft palate would completely heal now that the ventilator tube has been eliminated.

f.  the supplemental oxygenation (via the nasal cannula) would continue to be lowered and soon completely eliminated.

 

WORD FOR THE DAY: 

Along with Dad and Mom's touch, in the spiritual sense, here's the ultimate kangaroo care touch...

"But Jesus said, 'Suffer little children, and forbid them not, to come unto Me; for of such is the kingdom of heaven.' And He laid His hands on them..." (Matthew 19:13&14). May God's healing touch be made manifest to our grand-Baby William and to all your loved ones, as well.

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