Ding Dong The Picc Is Gone!

We went home from the hospital yesterday, worship music blaring, giving thanks for His healing. We continue to pray for Zane's complete restoration of health and protection from infection.

During his cleft lip and palate repair last December, Zane contracted a blood infection. Before treatment and healing of the infection, we believe that some of the bacteria got walled off in his nose and went undetected for a couple of months. When it presented as an abscess in early March, he had a MRI done, which we believe wasn't read correctly, and certainly wasn't treated as aggressively as needed. After a couple months of failed oral antibiotics, we insisted on alternative actions through a specialist -- who ordered an emergency nose surgery on Friday, April 30. Dr. S, our plastics surgeon, came back from his vacation that evening to perform the surgery and they removed a teaspoonful of bacteria from the tip of Zane's tiny nose. Everyone was in disbelief! After five days of IV treatment in the hospital and six more days of an IV drug through a PICC line at home, they announced him healed and removed the line yesterday.

There is still some discoloration in the nose skin, but they believe it is consistent with tissue healing from surgery. Zane's ears were also perfectly clear today -- the first since this all started and the most convincing factor to us that there is healing.

Since the surgery, Zane has been talking and jabbering so much more. We think the pressure off his face has been a great relief to him and he just can't help but make fun, new sounds and we love hearing all that he has to say! Zane is also saying 'hi', it is very cute!

Zane weighed 20.9 pounds and measured 2'9" today. Our little guy is growing and getting stronger. It does our hearts good to see him healing. He has some patches of skin irritation on his face, hands and arms from all the hospital tape, but it's healing as well and before long the color will be back in his cheeks and his eyes will be clear and bright.

We pray for a new season of health for Zane.

Just before surgery and following...

Playing under the hospital bed...gotta find something to do when you're stuck in a 10'x10' room for five days.

First time out of the hospital room in five days and soaking up some sun!

Protecting the picc line during some bath fun.