Well, the wait is over. Surgery is complete. She has been straighten out to about 27-29 degrees. This is great really!! Before surgery she was about 48 and 65 degrees. She should be a good balance. She is still in the operating room having the final little touches then she will move to the recovery for a bit. She will be in the PICU tonight forsure because of her history. Her Dr. is really excited about how well everything went. He was full of smiles.
Keep up the prayers for her to keep up the great work at life! She is a fighter! Her doctor calls her a "very special little girl". Something we all already know. She is a gift from God and I am blessed to be her mom for one more day. Thank you God for all your gifts, help us NEVER to take you or your work for granted. Amen amen!
Please praise Him! He is the great physician! Also pray for quick healing.....
God is great!!! All the time!!!
Friday, December 12, 2008
update #2
We just received another update and Kasi is doing well. At this time she is getting her own blood and is not receiving a transfusion. This is a praise God! He is faithful and in control of all that is happening in the operating room!
Her rods and screws have been placed and the next step is to be making adjustments. Pray for her flexibility. The more flexible she is the better correction they are able to make. This is a big part of her quality of life when she is older. The straighter the better. :-)
They will be taking X-rays and when they feel like they have the best correction possible they will start the bone fusion. It will be another 1-2 hours after that before she is done with surgery.
At this time her heart is holding strong.....keep praying! God is good!!!
Thank you for all your prayers.....God is with her and around her. We can feel the strength of all of your prayers. God is here!!!
Her rods and screws have been placed and the next step is to be making adjustments. Pray for her flexibility. The more flexible she is the better correction they are able to make. This is a big part of her quality of life when she is older. The straighter the better. :-)
They will be taking X-rays and when they feel like they have the best correction possible they will start the bone fusion. It will be another 1-2 hours after that before she is done with surgery.
At this time her heart is holding strong.....keep praying! God is good!!!
Thank you for all your prayers.....God is with her and around her. We can feel the strength of all of your prayers. God is here!!!
update
The nurse just came out and told us that everything is going good in the operating room. Things did start out a little slower than expected, but they are running smoothly. The nurse will be back in about 2 hours for another update or when they have put the screws in. Whatever one comes first. Keep praying.....God is answering and is in all the little things as well as the big things. He has worked in the room already getting her lines in smoothly. Praise God, He is good!!!
Continue to pray for total healing! God can make her absolutely straight even if the Dr.'s don't think they are able to. We know God can do immeasurably more than we could ever ask or imagine..... Read it Eph. 3:20
Believe!
Continue to pray for total healing! God can make her absolutely straight even if the Dr.'s don't think they are able to. We know God can do immeasurably more than we could ever ask or imagine..... Read it Eph. 3:20
Believe!
Kasi is in....
I just want you to know that this is my second attempt at this because my computer shut down on me.....UGH! That would be the first request....no more shutting down. :-)
Our day started out today at about 4:00 am and which we woke up and started getting ready for our big day. Kasi, well she slept until about 4:30. Good for her. It was hard to sleep last night at first when it started to really hit Kasi and she started to cry, and rightfully so. She is a strong little girl who has been through so much in her little life, she understands more than we even know. So we prayed together and she slept holding my hand all night. God is good....
We got up here to the hospital at about 5:30 this morning and walked into a very busy registration room. God is going to be very busy today giving peace to all those who need it! Kasi was at peace this morning which is another.....Praise God!
After the registry room we were put into a room in which they got Kasi ready, kindda. She had her blood taken, in case of her needing a transfusion, and they hooked up to a pump that will help circulate her blood around her legs. It is really like a big blood pressure cuff for her legs.
From there we went to the surgical waiting area. At this time she said "see you later" to her Grandparents and Ron and I went into the next room with her. I said a prayer with her because she once again started to cry, of course, and God gave her His peace. At that time Pastor Dave came in, while she was getting an IV that didn't work, bummer, and also had a great prayer with her. She then started to smile and be her funny self again. Not totally, but I was trying to help a little with that. They did give her a pretty pink surgical "hat" to wear and when I went into the room I asked them all to sign it and give it to her for a souvenir. They said they would, so she will be able to show you all the people that are in there for her during surgery.
One thing about Kasi's surgery that is different than most is the fact that they are going to have to check her legs and arms continually to make sure that her spinal cord is not compromised. This means that the anesthetic will be given continually through an IV instead of switching to gas. So, at the end of surgery the chances of her being on a breathing machine is greater than with gas. That is another prayer request for all of you....
She will be in surgery for at least 6 hours, but the 6 hours has not really started yet. They gave us a pager that will update us all of the time. And the nurse said that at the first update we can start the 6 hours. Also, when the "6 hours" is finished, she will still be in the room getting ready for the PICU, peds ICU. I put the 6 hours in quotes because the chances of her being in longer is pretty good. I will let you know as I get information.
I think that is all for now.....we are still waiting for the pager to go off, so don't start your watches yet. It will be a long day! God is with her. We can't ever be separated from Him or His power. He loves her more than you or even me!!!
Keep praying....God is good!
Love to you all!
Jodi
I will be updating again soon!
Our day started out today at about 4:00 am and which we woke up and started getting ready for our big day. Kasi, well she slept until about 4:30. Good for her. It was hard to sleep last night at first when it started to really hit Kasi and she started to cry, and rightfully so. She is a strong little girl who has been through so much in her little life, she understands more than we even know. So we prayed together and she slept holding my hand all night. God is good....
We got up here to the hospital at about 5:30 this morning and walked into a very busy registration room. God is going to be very busy today giving peace to all those who need it! Kasi was at peace this morning which is another.....Praise God!
After the registry room we were put into a room in which they got Kasi ready, kindda. She had her blood taken, in case of her needing a transfusion, and they hooked up to a pump that will help circulate her blood around her legs. It is really like a big blood pressure cuff for her legs.
From there we went to the surgical waiting area. At this time she said "see you later" to her Grandparents and Ron and I went into the next room with her. I said a prayer with her because she once again started to cry, of course, and God gave her His peace. At that time Pastor Dave came in, while she was getting an IV that didn't work, bummer, and also had a great prayer with her. She then started to smile and be her funny self again. Not totally, but I was trying to help a little with that. They did give her a pretty pink surgical "hat" to wear and when I went into the room I asked them all to sign it and give it to her for a souvenir. They said they would, so she will be able to show you all the people that are in there for her during surgery.
One thing about Kasi's surgery that is different than most is the fact that they are going to have to check her legs and arms continually to make sure that her spinal cord is not compromised. This means that the anesthetic will be given continually through an IV instead of switching to gas. So, at the end of surgery the chances of her being on a breathing machine is greater than with gas. That is another prayer request for all of you....
She will be in surgery for at least 6 hours, but the 6 hours has not really started yet. They gave us a pager that will update us all of the time. And the nurse said that at the first update we can start the 6 hours. Also, when the "6 hours" is finished, she will still be in the room getting ready for the PICU, peds ICU. I put the 6 hours in quotes because the chances of her being in longer is pretty good. I will let you know as I get information.
I think that is all for now.....we are still waiting for the pager to go off, so don't start your watches yet. It will be a long day! God is with her. We can't ever be separated from Him or His power. He loves her more than you or even me!!!
Keep praying....God is good!
Love to you all!
Jodi
I will be updating again soon!
Sunday, December 7, 2008
A little history
Over the past week I have had a lot of questions about Kasi and her surgery that is coming up. I am hoping this will answer some of those questions for all of you.
Kasi was born with a coarctation of her aorta, which means there was a narrowing in her aorta. Although there are many babies born with this, Kasi's was rare in the place in which this coarctation was and the collaterals that had grown around it. She ended up having her aorta rebuilt when she was about 3 months old. We were in the hospital for a total of about 60 days and she had 3 surgeries in that time. She was a very sick little baby for a long time.
At this time her aorta is now re-narrowing and the vessels that feed into her major lower extremities are also narrowed. This means that her blood pressure in her upper body is higher than in her lower body. This includes her spine. That brings me to her back and the challenges she has with it.
When Kasi was about 4 I noticed she had a "hump" on her back and took her into the Dr. right away. She was sent to a specialist and we discovered that she had scoliosis. Of course Kasi couldn't have the normal scoliosis, she had to have something very rare in which she would get scoliosis when she was very young. So, at the age of 5 she started wearing a brace 23 hours a day. This has been a long haul with bracing since she is now 12. She currently wears a night brace and a day brace. This has held her to a minimal curve up until a few months ago. Her back has now progressed to a severe curve in which surgery is necessary.
This surgery will be about 5-6 hours long in which she will have 2 rods put into her back. She will have her back fused first and the rods are to hold the fusion in place. With everything that is going on with her heart this might be more challenging than the normal spine surgery. She will gain about 2 inches during surgery, in which she is very excited about, but we are not sure what will happen to her aorta. Since most patience that have this surgery don't have aorta problems there is no way to know what happens when someone is straighten out. Maybe nothing at all will be affected by this, but it still is a concern. Also, the blood supply to her spinal cord because of the narrowing in her aorta makes this a little more difficult as well.
Kasi is having this surgery this coming Friday, Dec. 12, at 7:30 am. She will be in the PICU for 24-48 hours and from there she will go to the floor. She will most-likely have about a 7 day stay in the hospital and the rest of her recovery at home. Kasi will not be attending school for a few months because her back will take about 3-6 months for the fusion to heal. At first she will be able to sit for about 20 minutes and then have to walk or lie down. She will have a few months for recovery and about 6 mos to 1 year for full recovery.
I hope this updates you all a little bit about this path we are on and can help you in your prayers for her. This is a very stressful time for us, but we know and hold on to the fact that God is in control. Nothing that happens will change the fact that He loves us and that He is the Lord!
Please pray for peace in the coming days and weeks. As her mom, and having walked a long road with her before, I already anticipate what is to come. "Be still and know that I am God"....that is what we know, and we cling to this! Kasi's has three verses that are her favorite verses that I would love to share with you. It helps you know a little about who she is as well.
Ps 73:26 My flesh and my heart may fail, but God is my strength of my heart and my portion forever.
Jer. 29:11 "For I know the plans I have for you, "declares the Lord, "plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future."
Romans 8:37-39 in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us. For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord.
She is strong and is holding on to these things she knows to be true. She has experienced them in the past and will continue to hold on to these truths.
Kasi was born with a coarctation of her aorta, which means there was a narrowing in her aorta. Although there are many babies born with this, Kasi's was rare in the place in which this coarctation was and the collaterals that had grown around it. She ended up having her aorta rebuilt when she was about 3 months old. We were in the hospital for a total of about 60 days and she had 3 surgeries in that time. She was a very sick little baby for a long time.
At this time her aorta is now re-narrowing and the vessels that feed into her major lower extremities are also narrowed. This means that her blood pressure in her upper body is higher than in her lower body. This includes her spine. That brings me to her back and the challenges she has with it.
When Kasi was about 4 I noticed she had a "hump" on her back and took her into the Dr. right away. She was sent to a specialist and we discovered that she had scoliosis. Of course Kasi couldn't have the normal scoliosis, she had to have something very rare in which she would get scoliosis when she was very young. So, at the age of 5 she started wearing a brace 23 hours a day. This has been a long haul with bracing since she is now 12. She currently wears a night brace and a day brace. This has held her to a minimal curve up until a few months ago. Her back has now progressed to a severe curve in which surgery is necessary.
This surgery will be about 5-6 hours long in which she will have 2 rods put into her back. She will have her back fused first and the rods are to hold the fusion in place. With everything that is going on with her heart this might be more challenging than the normal spine surgery. She will gain about 2 inches during surgery, in which she is very excited about, but we are not sure what will happen to her aorta. Since most patience that have this surgery don't have aorta problems there is no way to know what happens when someone is straighten out. Maybe nothing at all will be affected by this, but it still is a concern. Also, the blood supply to her spinal cord because of the narrowing in her aorta makes this a little more difficult as well.
Kasi is having this surgery this coming Friday, Dec. 12, at 7:30 am. She will be in the PICU for 24-48 hours and from there she will go to the floor. She will most-likely have about a 7 day stay in the hospital and the rest of her recovery at home. Kasi will not be attending school for a few months because her back will take about 3-6 months for the fusion to heal. At first she will be able to sit for about 20 minutes and then have to walk or lie down. She will have a few months for recovery and about 6 mos to 1 year for full recovery.
I hope this updates you all a little bit about this path we are on and can help you in your prayers for her. This is a very stressful time for us, but we know and hold on to the fact that God is in control. Nothing that happens will change the fact that He loves us and that He is the Lord!
Please pray for peace in the coming days and weeks. As her mom, and having walked a long road with her before, I already anticipate what is to come. "Be still and know that I am God"....that is what we know, and we cling to this! Kasi's has three verses that are her favorite verses that I would love to share with you. It helps you know a little about who she is as well.
Ps 73:26 My flesh and my heart may fail, but God is my strength of my heart and my portion forever.
Jer. 29:11 "For I know the plans I have for you, "declares the Lord, "plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future."
Romans 8:37-39 in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us. For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord.
She is strong and is holding on to these things she knows to be true. She has experienced them in the past and will continue to hold on to these truths.
Tuesday, December 2, 2008
From a sister's heart
This is Aubree and I am Kasi's younger sister. I would say little, but at this time I am taller. I know that when she is through with her surgery the chances of her being taller than me is possible, and I am glad about that. I am also scared and nervous because of the recovery and I am worried about the results. Kasi is fun, funny, and also nice (sometimes) and I don't want to see her go through this. I pray that Kasi makes it through the surgery and that she won't be scared. I know that God is always watching over us and He will be watching Kasi and taking care of her. Thank you for your prayers....Aubree
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