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It’s been a week since we came home from the hospital and I’m finally stopping to write about it. Many have asked us exactly what was wrong with Seth and I figured I should take a little time to let you know. First, I will give you a short summary of the issue and then, for you more detail oriented people, I’ll write the long story.

Summary:


What Seth had is called an intussusception. Intussusception occurs when a portion of the intestine folds like a telescope, with one segment slipping inside another segment. This causes an obstruction, preventing the passage of food that is being digested through the intestine. It’s not known for sure what causes this, though it is relatively common between the ages of 3 months and 6 years, especially in boys. The first thing done to treat Seth was an air enema. This is exactly what it sounds like. The air was meant to blow through the intestines and straighten them back out. It didn’t work so the doctors told us they would need to operate and fix the telescoped intestine in surgery. They thought the problem had fixed itself when he received the anesthesia and relaxed (which happens often). But as I watched Seth the next day, I could tell he wasn’t getting better. They took him back for another ultrasound on the third day and saw what they thought was a recurrence (which is also happens often). During the second surgery that afternoon, they realized that they had missed the real issue in the first. He not only had an intussusception, but it was further down than usual and was doubled back into itself in a way that they surgeon had never seen before. Because the intestine was so damaged, they had to cut out 6 inches and reconnect it. Seth began to recover almost immediately. By the middle of the next day, we saw a couple smiles (which we hadn’t seen for days). He is doing beautifully now and we are so thankful.



Ok…now our week; the loooong story (partly just to meditate on and share what God has done through this ordeal)



We woke up on Sunday, my very first Mothers Day to a smiley baby. He ate what he would normally eat and sat to play with his toys. Within that first hour we could tell that he was getting more and more irritable. We didn’t think a whole lot of it and chalked it up to a tooth that was trying to come through. But he was getting more and more upset. We went to church and Seth screamed in the nursery even when I decided to stay in with him. Then…he started to throw up. I got Josh and we headed home. As we were driving, Seth would scream for about 2 minutes and then fall asleep. Then he would do it again. Over and over. When we got home I held him as he slept. He NEVER lets me do that. He always wants to sleep in his crib and be left alone. He began the screaming again and I could tell that he was exhausted but in a ton of pain. Next he started throwing up bile. I called a friend that I always call with sick baby questions. I am so thankful for her willingness to come and check him out. She recommended that we take him to urgent care. The words had barely left her mouth when Josh and I grabbed our shoes and headed out the door. In Urgent Care, they took him in for X rays and, suspecting an intussusception, they sent us to the ER. Seth got an IV for fluids and was sent by ambulance to MOTT Children’s hospital in Ann Arbor for an ultrasound to see if the suspicion was correct.



As I sat in the ambulance with Seth, I was in a daze. I had no idea what we were in for that week. God brought to mind something I had heard only the day before. At a bridal shower, the bride was given the advice to hold onto her husband loosely. To hold onto her children loosely. To trust them completely to God. As I looked at my sweet baby. Exhausted and hurting…not able to tell me what was wrong, I thought of those words over and over and wondered if it was something that I could do.



When we got to the hospital (around 11pm), they gave Seth morphine and I could feel my own body relax. Watching him in pain was the hardest part of that day. They saw in the ultrasound that it was indeed what they thought and Josh and I were both relieved. At least now they would know how to fix it.



He went to get the air enema as I explained in the summary. Poor baby. When I found out that it didn’t work I was horrified. Next option: surgery with a chance of recurrence in the next 24 hours. They told us that the operation was a success (4am). Josh and I were exhausted and relieved. My Grandma had handed me some money when we ran out to go to Urgent Care, so we decided we would get a hotel while a friend had offered to stay with Seth. When we woke up I was anxious to get back and see how he was doing. Sadly, as we waited with him through the night, we saw no improvement. Later that night (Monday night), I asked to speak to a doctor because Seth was still in pain and had just begun to throw up what looked to me like blood. I was feeling more helpless than I ever have before. He would be sleeping then would wake up with pain and try to crawl around the crib. I wanted to trade places with him so many times. Finally after another ultrasound, it was said that there was in fact a recurrence. They found out later, as I said in the summary, that instead of a recurrence, it was just far more advanced and complicated than they had ever seen.



During all this time there were so many people praying for us. We are so thankful. Josh and I were both exhausted; emotionally and physically. But we didn’t snap at each other. We worked together as a team. We have no doubt that was because of God answering prayers for strength and unity for us. I actually felt cheerful sometimes when I could have been angry or worried. We saw God working in our hearts through what was a very difficult experience. He also blessed and encouraged us through others. Many people gave us money for hotels and food so that we could all stay together. We got so many emails with encouraging words and we needed every single one.



Yes, we could have lost Seth. We didn’t. The Doctors found what they had missed in the first surgery and we are so thankful. But, if we had lost him…God would not be any less loving. He would be just as good. We are so thankful for more time with our son but we are learning now what it means to hold on to him loosely.

“You will give him perfect peace whose mind is stayed on you, because he trusts in you.” Isaiah 26:3

At home before we went to Urgent Care

At Urgent Care waiting to hear x-ray results

ready for the horrible air enema

just out of 2nd surgery