Gtube (hopefully) surgery

After our trip to Utah last week Hailey has been scheduled to have gtube surgery on April 17th at Primary Children's. By the way, the trip was all right. There were a few bumps in the road including me locking my keys in the car before we left home, but we made it!! :-)

Even after all the testing they are seeming a little hesitant to just do a gtube. 

A gtube goes directly into the stomach. A j-tube goes directly to the intestine. With a gtube, the stomach can expand, allowing you to give tube feedings several times throughout the day with breaks in between instead of lugging a feeding pump everywhere you go. 

A j-tube ONLY allows continuous feeding, which means always lugging the feeding pump and being tethered everywhere you go--plus having to go to the emergency room if the tube comes out. So, naturally I would REALLY be excited if we could get a gtube. 

To decide which is best for Hailey, we will be checking her in a few days before surgery. They will pull the NJ tube (currently in her intestine) up into her stomach--which makes it an NG tube again. If she can tolerate feeds in her stomach again they will let her have a gtube. If not, it's a J-tube. 

I am really stressed about the whole thing, another surgery, more time where she is sitting in the hospital without being able to work on developmental milestones, etc. However, I believe doing this will keep her from getting a Nissen, which I am grateful for.

Please pray that she can tolerate the gtube. I can't even express the blessing it would be to carry her around without having to be constantly tethered to something (which has never happened in her life). 

This last couple of weeks have been emotionally difficult as heart surgery was pushed to a later date, my dear friend Katie's son had his 2nd surgery, and another dear friend, Heather, lost her baby girl after their 2nd surgery. I guess it just reminds me how fragile and precious life is, what an enormous gift to be healthy--something I have enjoyed and taken for granted my whole life.

It was wonderful having General Conference after the last couple of weeks. There were so many reminders that God is in charge and that we can put our trust in Him completely. There was one particular talk, where someone told a story of a little girl named Saylor who was in a plane crash with her family. She was the only survivor. She walked over a mile, barefoot, following the light from someone's house. Even when she couldn't see the light at times during her journey, she trusted that it was still there and pressed on in hope and faith. I do not currently see the light at the end of this tunnel, but I know there is hope and happiness ahead if I can just hold on to the Savior and my testimony of Him.

I am so grateful for my friends and family! Thank you all for your help, love, many kindnesses and prayers.