Avera Happy New Year to you!

Happy New Year to you. We are spending yet another holiday in the hospital. Sam had a colonoscopy, endoscopy, a PH probe and a pill cam placed on Tuesday morning. The Prep work for the colonoscopy was a lot of work, but it went better than expected. The chair did get a work out though!

Jeff and I went back with Sam to prep him for his procedures and Jeff actually went in with Sammy while they put him to sleep. We were able to get the information we needed from these tests and that was a huge answer to our prayers! We did find out that Sam has significant reflux which means that we will need to proceed with surgery and a g-tube placement to help him feel better. We certainly did not expect this outcome when we admitted Sam 12 days ago. However, with the results of the tests and Sam's continued discomfort, we feel comfortable with what needs to be done. Surviving after the surgery is another story! Sam will have to be vented for six weeks and that means he will have an open tube attached to his tummy. As you know, our little guy likes to move around so this will provide quite a challenge for us. We also hope that this is the answer to the chronic sinus problems that he is having. His reflux can go all the way up to his sinuses and is also the cause of his eating problems the last few weeks. We expect that Sam will have surgery on Tuesday and we will remain in the hospital until then. He will most likely have another NG tube placed so that he can get the nutrition he needs to be strong enough for surgery and recovery. After the surgery, we will be in the hospital for another 5-7 days. Keep the prayers coming please! We are so thankful for the wonderful support system that we have with our family and friends! The prayers and support are keeping us strong through all of the difficult days. God Bless you all!