Good Evening KSG,
It has been a while since I have posted. Some of you may know that I have been away for my new job for little less than 2 weeks. I never realized how hard it would be to be away from my family. The aching in my heart left me restless most of the nights.
Thank God for putting Natalie (Auntie N) in our lives during the time I was gone. She has truly blessed our family! It was sad to see her go today... Tavyn did not want to let go of her embrace as she was leaving. They had such a great bonding experience, it got to the point to when Natalie would leave the room Tavyn would cry for her to return! She is awesome.
Some other awesome people to mention... lately Gretchen and I have been falling behind in house projects that we want to complete before Kolton comes home. So this weekend co workers, friends, and neighbors rallied at our house to put us a couple of steps closer to getting the projects completed. I felt as though I was on the set of America's Home Makeover (just on a smaller scale with a way smaller budget). Many Thanks to all of you who helped!!!
On other honorable mention... one of my old clients from J&J is sponsoring Kolton in the upcoming March of Dimes walk. You can find information in regards to what she is doing for our family on our guest book page, she posted a website link there. Please do what you can to support her on behalf of Kolton and the cause of the March of Dimes.
On to Kolton... coming home from my travels to see him was amazing, he grew so big!!! In fact his weight today was 5lbs 10ozs!!! He actually has a little double chin now! In anticipation for his upcoming surgery he will be having some tests done, MRI's, etc. The surgery date is still tentative we will know for sure as we get closer, it is still a day to day process.
I apologize for not posting lately we just have been swamped with life! We will try to keep on top of it more frequently. The new features to this website is great. We have the capability to add more pics, in fact I uploaded some tonight. ENJOY!
Well I'm off to bed, keep those guest book postings coming because they keep us going. And seeing that we are about half way through this we need all the continued support we can get.
All of our love,
The Thompson Tribe
Tuesday, March 31, 2009
Sunday, March 22, 2009
March 21, 2009
KOLTON HIT 5lbs TODAY!
Kolton is doing great! We're a little over a week from his first surgery. He is starting to get the hang of this nursing thing. He can hang with it for almost 10 minutes. Now that he's 2 months old he will start his immunizations. He eye exam was good. He still has mild ROP, but the blood vessels have now grown into zone 3 (this is a good thing). He'll have another eye exam next week to continue monitoring. He likes being in his big boy bed. He can look around and tracks all the lights and sounds.
Natalie and Tavyn have become fast friends. None of us are going to want her to leave. We're so glad we have her for another week. She has been so much more to me then an Aunt. She has helped heal my soul in a time when I really needed it.
And all of your postings truly keep Kyle and I going. We're always saying did you read this one or that one. Each post means so very much!
Much love-
The Thompson Tribe
Kolton is doing great! We're a little over a week from his first surgery. He is starting to get the hang of this nursing thing. He can hang with it for almost 10 minutes. Now that he's 2 months old he will start his immunizations. He eye exam was good. He still has mild ROP, but the blood vessels have now grown into zone 3 (this is a good thing). He'll have another eye exam next week to continue monitoring. He likes being in his big boy bed. He can look around and tracks all the lights and sounds.
Natalie and Tavyn have become fast friends. None of us are going to want her to leave. We're so glad we have her for another week. She has been so much more to me then an Aunt. She has helped heal my soul in a time when I really needed it.
And all of your postings truly keep Kyle and I going. We're always saying did you read this one or that one. Each post means so very much!
Much love-
The Thompson Tribe
Friday, March 20, 2009
March 16, 2009
Dear Friends & Family,
Kyle & I had a difficult week emotionally. The reality of the severity of the banding procedure that Kolton will endure is just slowly creeping into our heads. Mortality rates are just not something you plan on having to worry about for your children. We are reminded to just enjoy each moment and to not worry about what we do not have control over. God's plan is at work and we are trying not to question but to have faith. Fortunately, we have all of you helping us through. My HR colleagues at VK purchased a house cleaning for us! I cried when I got the phone call. Life gets so out of balance and you really do appreciate the simple things like clean toilets and kitchen floors. VK is an amazing place to work! I mean really - who does that?!? And the members of Mt.Olivet and our neighbors continue to ensure we are eating well. I have no idea when we'd find time or energy to get to the grocery store, plan meals, and cook. We are forever grateful to have all the help.
And then Aunt Natalie flew all the way from Hawaii to stay with me the next 2 weeks while Kyle is traveling for work. She is such a breathe of fresh air and has so much positive energy. And I think she even managed to bring the Hawaiian sun with her - it was 64 degrees today! Minnesotans live for that kind of weather. And of course, she's already spoiling Tavyn and Kolton.
Thankfully, Kolton is doing really great! He is up to 4lbs 13oz and has moved into an open isolette. It has much more of a crib feel. It seems actually somewhat normal to not have a "lid" over him. We can scoop him up and hold him much more easily. I am trying to teach him to nurse. And he is starting to get the hang of it. Even though he will have to re-learn this post-op, it should be easier for him to do so if he can get the hang of it beforehand.
And Congrats to Kolton's primary nurse Diana - she got engaged on Friday!!! And a huge Thank You to Mary and Rose and Deb and the many nurses (sorry I can't name you all but you are all equally important) that care for Kolton like their own child. Each time we call to check on him we get a positive, friendly, calming voice that gives us every detail - twice if we ask.
Stay tuned for new pictures.
Much love-
The Thompson Tribe
Kyle & I had a difficult week emotionally. The reality of the severity of the banding procedure that Kolton will endure is just slowly creeping into our heads. Mortality rates are just not something you plan on having to worry about for your children. We are reminded to just enjoy each moment and to not worry about what we do not have control over. God's plan is at work and we are trying not to question but to have faith. Fortunately, we have all of you helping us through. My HR colleagues at VK purchased a house cleaning for us! I cried when I got the phone call. Life gets so out of balance and you really do appreciate the simple things like clean toilets and kitchen floors. VK is an amazing place to work! I mean really - who does that?!? And the members of Mt.Olivet and our neighbors continue to ensure we are eating well. I have no idea when we'd find time or energy to get to the grocery store, plan meals, and cook. We are forever grateful to have all the help.
And then Aunt Natalie flew all the way from Hawaii to stay with me the next 2 weeks while Kyle is traveling for work. She is such a breathe of fresh air and has so much positive energy. And I think she even managed to bring the Hawaiian sun with her - it was 64 degrees today! Minnesotans live for that kind of weather. And of course, she's already spoiling Tavyn and Kolton.
Thankfully, Kolton is doing really great! He is up to 4lbs 13oz and has moved into an open isolette. It has much more of a crib feel. It seems actually somewhat normal to not have a "lid" over him. We can scoop him up and hold him much more easily. I am trying to teach him to nurse. And he is starting to get the hang of it. Even though he will have to re-learn this post-op, it should be easier for him to do so if he can get the hang of it beforehand.
And Congrats to Kolton's primary nurse Diana - she got engaged on Friday!!! And a huge Thank You to Mary and Rose and Deb and the many nurses (sorry I can't name you all but you are all equally important) that care for Kolton like their own child. Each time we call to check on him we get a positive, friendly, calming voice that gives us every detail - twice if we ask.
Stay tuned for new pictures.
Much love-
The Thompson Tribe
March 13, 2009
Happy Friday Kolton Support Group,
We apologize that it has been a few days since we posted last. We also thank you for your continued support and prayers, WE NEED THEM! It has been a rough week for us, not Kolton. Juggling the work/life balance is a little bit more challenging than we anticipated especially with one of us at the hospital every night. We know this is temporary and we can make it through. We keep reminding ourselves that this is but a nanosecond in the span of our lives.
On to the man of the year: Kolton! He continues to amaze us with his fight, he looks really good. When I saw him yesterday he was weighing in at 4lbs 8ozs, that is double his birth weight. When I was kangarooing him last night he actually did a couple of "push ups", he placed his tiny hands on my chest lifted his head up then pushed himself up. It was so incredible to see my little guy physically show so much strength! He has a tentative date for his banding procedure, it is April 6th. With this procedure there are two routes that he can go: first his blood/oxygen saturation levels will stay the same (which is what we want) or second his levels can drop and he would have to be put on life support (this is very serious and we don't want this). One thing to realize about these surgeries... it is rare that they do the procedures on premies it is typically done on full term babies. This is why they are being extremely cautious with every move with Kolton. So we need him to continue to grow at this point and rest for his surgery.
Since I have been back to work and out in the field I ran into an old account yesterday where one of the staff shared with me the story of her friend's son how he had the same heart condition and same operation. He is now 8 and doing great!!! We are very thankful that my Auntie from Hawai'i is coming into town tomorrow. We can us the extra help, since I'm leaving for work for 2 weeks.
We welcome your continued support and prayers.
All of our love,
The Thompson Tribe
We apologize that it has been a few days since we posted last. We also thank you for your continued support and prayers, WE NEED THEM! It has been a rough week for us, not Kolton. Juggling the work/life balance is a little bit more challenging than we anticipated especially with one of us at the hospital every night. We know this is temporary and we can make it through. We keep reminding ourselves that this is but a nanosecond in the span of our lives.
On to the man of the year: Kolton! He continues to amaze us with his fight, he looks really good. When I saw him yesterday he was weighing in at 4lbs 8ozs, that is double his birth weight. When I was kangarooing him last night he actually did a couple of "push ups", he placed his tiny hands on my chest lifted his head up then pushed himself up. It was so incredible to see my little guy physically show so much strength! He has a tentative date for his banding procedure, it is April 6th. With this procedure there are two routes that he can go: first his blood/oxygen saturation levels will stay the same (which is what we want) or second his levels can drop and he would have to be put on life support (this is very serious and we don't want this). One thing to realize about these surgeries... it is rare that they do the procedures on premies it is typically done on full term babies. This is why they are being extremely cautious with every move with Kolton. So we need him to continue to grow at this point and rest for his surgery.
Since I have been back to work and out in the field I ran into an old account yesterday where one of the staff shared with me the story of her friend's son how he had the same heart condition and same operation. He is now 8 and doing great!!! We are very thankful that my Auntie from Hawai'i is coming into town tomorrow. We can us the extra help, since I'm leaving for work for 2 weeks.
We welcome your continued support and prayers.
All of our love,
The Thompson Tribe
March 9, 2009
Good Morning,
Brief update... Kolton did great this weekend he is now 4 lbs 5 ozs. He looks great. He doesn't have that premie look anymore, he looks like a small full term baby. I know it feels as though his surgery being pushed back seems like a setback but the risks involved if they went ahead and did it is very scary. He may be getting out of his incubator soon and into a bassinet. This will allow him to self regulate his own body temp. It is hard to believe that this Wednesday he will be 8 weeks old!!! Big Milestone. I was talking to one of the MDs yesterday and he admitted that we truly have a miracle baby... he said that they didn't know if he would have made it through that first night of his birth. It sounds like there may be a medical journal/article written up on Kolton.
On a separate note I wanted to emphasize that Gretchen and I are open to letting everyone share our family's story and website with anyone and everyone you know. We are very open with it.
Have a great week and we will post soon.
All of our Love,
The Thompson Tribe
Brief update... Kolton did great this weekend he is now 4 lbs 5 ozs. He looks great. He doesn't have that premie look anymore, he looks like a small full term baby. I know it feels as though his surgery being pushed back seems like a setback but the risks involved if they went ahead and did it is very scary. He may be getting out of his incubator soon and into a bassinet. This will allow him to self regulate his own body temp. It is hard to believe that this Wednesday he will be 8 weeks old!!! Big Milestone. I was talking to one of the MDs yesterday and he admitted that we truly have a miracle baby... he said that they didn't know if he would have made it through that first night of his birth. It sounds like there may be a medical journal/article written up on Kolton.
On a separate note I wanted to emphasize that Gretchen and I are open to letting everyone share our family's story and website with anyone and everyone you know. We are very open with it.
Have a great week and we will post soon.
All of our Love,
The Thompson Tribe
March 6, 2009
Just a brief update...
Kolton continues to be doing very well. He is at 4lbs 3oz (as he had lost a couple oz and then gained it right back). He eats 38ml every 3 hours. He is very content to snuggle, eat and grow. While it is difficult knowing it will be a longer road to get him home, the most important thing is that he will come home. God knows the right timing and we just have to be patient.
Thank you for all the compliments about our strength. It is not really us, but all of you that makes it possible for us to keep going. We are relying on your strength, your constant prayers, your surrounding us with encouragement. Your postings and emails help us more than you know. We just have some much for which we are grateful. Like Tavyn, Kyle and I doing the "Hotdog Dance" from Disney's Mickey Mouse Clubhouse every morning to start our day. Nothing like some pure silliness to get you off on a good start. Tavyn laughs with enough delight to last the whole year. And the dog just thinks we're all nuts.
Thanks so much!
Love-
The Thompson Tribe
Kolton continues to be doing very well. He is at 4lbs 3oz (as he had lost a couple oz and then gained it right back). He eats 38ml every 3 hours. He is very content to snuggle, eat and grow. While it is difficult knowing it will be a longer road to get him home, the most important thing is that he will come home. God knows the right timing and we just have to be patient.
Thank you for all the compliments about our strength. It is not really us, but all of you that makes it possible for us to keep going. We are relying on your strength, your constant prayers, your surrounding us with encouragement. Your postings and emails help us more than you know. We just have some much for which we are grateful. Like Tavyn, Kyle and I doing the "Hotdog Dance" from Disney's Mickey Mouse Clubhouse every morning to start our day. Nothing like some pure silliness to get you off on a good start. Tavyn laughs with enough delight to last the whole year. And the dog just thinks we're all nuts.
Thanks so much!
Love-
The Thompson Tribe
march 5, 2009
Good Afternoon KSG,
I hope this message finds you well.
Gretchen just got off the phone with the surgeon. Kolton's surgery is going to be postponed and here is why: in order to do the operation he has to be 4lbs (which he is 4lbs 3ozs now) and he has to have a good echocardiogram. His recent echocardiogram did not come back to where it needed to be. His left ventricle is not developing as it should, it is thin and weak. In order for that side to get stronger, they will have to do another procedure first. It is essentially putting a band around the heart allowing the left ventricle to strengthen (somewhat like resistance training with weights in the gym). This procedure will take place when he is about 5lbs 8ozs, so in a couple of weeks, hopefully. Once he heals from that procedure(about 2 to 3 weeks), he will go in for the original procedure of switching the great vessels. This pushes the time that he will come home to about "Mayish"?
Some new good develops with his eyes have been happening! It is looking as though his eyes are developing as they should and the mild ROP is diminishing!!!
Today's news was like getting hit with a Train, it will take a little bit for us to process all of this. We can only ask for your continued outreach and prayes!
We will post soon.
All of our love,
The Thompson Tribe
I hope this message finds you well.
Gretchen just got off the phone with the surgeon. Kolton's surgery is going to be postponed and here is why: in order to do the operation he has to be 4lbs (which he is 4lbs 3ozs now) and he has to have a good echocardiogram. His recent echocardiogram did not come back to where it needed to be. His left ventricle is not developing as it should, it is thin and weak. In order for that side to get stronger, they will have to do another procedure first. It is essentially putting a band around the heart allowing the left ventricle to strengthen (somewhat like resistance training with weights in the gym). This procedure will take place when he is about 5lbs 8ozs, so in a couple of weeks, hopefully. Once he heals from that procedure(about 2 to 3 weeks), he will go in for the original procedure of switching the great vessels. This pushes the time that he will come home to about "Mayish"?
Some new good develops with his eyes have been happening! It is looking as though his eyes are developing as they should and the mild ROP is diminishing!!!
Today's news was like getting hit with a Train, it will take a little bit for us to process all of this. We can only ask for your continued outreach and prayes!
We will post soon.
All of our love,
The Thompson Tribe
March 3, 2009
Good Evening Kolton Support Group (KSG),
I hope this message finds all of you well. This will be a short email tonight (bedtime). Thank all of you for the outpouring of support and prayers. As of tomorrow Kolton will be 7 weeks old and 1 week away from his surgery. I found out that it is scheduled for 0830.
Kolton is still progressing very well. He finally hit the 4lb mark!!! So by time he has his surgery he may be a little bit heavier. Gretchen has spent the last couple of evenings with him. I have not been able to see him, I have a little head cold and can't risk exposing him to anything.
Our other son Tavyn is still doing good. He is going through the velcro phase, where he sticks to us like velcro and will not let us out of his sight.
Have a great night and a wonderful day tomorrow.
All of our love,
The Thompson Tribe
I hope this message finds all of you well. This will be a short email tonight (bedtime). Thank all of you for the outpouring of support and prayers. As of tomorrow Kolton will be 7 weeks old and 1 week away from his surgery. I found out that it is scheduled for 0830.
Kolton is still progressing very well. He finally hit the 4lb mark!!! So by time he has his surgery he may be a little bit heavier. Gretchen has spent the last couple of evenings with him. I have not been able to see him, I have a little head cold and can't risk exposing him to anything.
Our other son Tavyn is still doing good. He is going through the velcro phase, where he sticks to us like velcro and will not let us out of his sight.
Have a great night and a wonderful day tomorrow.
All of our love,
The Thompson Tribe
March 1, 2009
Good Evening KSG,
I hope everyone had a great weekend. Thank all of you for the continued support and prayers. We need them... the thought of the upcoming surgery honestly has been eating at our subconscious a little. On one hand we are scared beyond belief for our little Kolton, on the other hand we are excited to get over this big hurdle. I think of the saying, "Don't worry that you're not strong enough before you begin. It is in the journey that God makes you strong." I admit it has been a spiritual workout! It is ironic how we chose Kolton's middle name of Isaiah... if you have not read that book of the bible lately, I encourage you to. A lot of what we have been going through, we have found a lot of specific passages from that book that has really spoken to us.
On to Kolton... as you will notice I have posted a couple of new photos. He looks great! Just a smaller, blonder version of his brother Tavyn. He is now 3lbs 13ozs!!! 10 more days to his surgery. His calorie intake has increased. He is still moving around a lot, in fact I found that he rolled himself onto his belly again today! He is amazingly strong. His placement on the growth chart is still a concern, but we should find out some more about that later.
We are very fortunate that right after the surgery for a couple of weeks my Auntie from Hawai'i will be visiting us to help out. I have a gut feeling at that point we are going to need all the help we can get!
Have a wonderful week and we will post again soon... keep those messages coming.
All of our Love,
The Thompson Tribe
I hope everyone had a great weekend. Thank all of you for the continued support and prayers. We need them... the thought of the upcoming surgery honestly has been eating at our subconscious a little. On one hand we are scared beyond belief for our little Kolton, on the other hand we are excited to get over this big hurdle. I think of the saying, "Don't worry that you're not strong enough before you begin. It is in the journey that God makes you strong." I admit it has been a spiritual workout! It is ironic how we chose Kolton's middle name of Isaiah... if you have not read that book of the bible lately, I encourage you to. A lot of what we have been going through, we have found a lot of specific passages from that book that has really spoken to us.
On to Kolton... as you will notice I have posted a couple of new photos. He looks great! Just a smaller, blonder version of his brother Tavyn. He is now 3lbs 13ozs!!! 10 more days to his surgery. His calorie intake has increased. He is still moving around a lot, in fact I found that he rolled himself onto his belly again today! He is amazingly strong. His placement on the growth chart is still a concern, but we should find out some more about that later.
We are very fortunate that right after the surgery for a couple of weeks my Auntie from Hawai'i will be visiting us to help out. I have a gut feeling at that point we are going to need all the help we can get!
Have a wonderful week and we will post again soon... keep those messages coming.
All of our Love,
The Thompson Tribe
Feb 27, 2009
Good Evening KSG,
Sorry for the delay in postings. Being out of town, I was unable to post and Gretchen had her hands full with running the household for the week. I'm back now, and had a wonderful time with my new job, but I have to admit I sure did miss my boys and wife. Gretchen had a great first week back to work, I'm so proud of how strong she has been this week. We are doing very well, so far, balancing the work/life relationship.
Enough about us... after my flight got in tonight I rushed over to the hospital to see our little Kolton. He looks great!!! He is able to fit into some of the little premie outfits we have for him. It was very cute tonight, he was periodically smiling in his sleep (and no it was not gas). His new feeding schedule is going great, he is eating as he should. His weight is now at 3lbs 11ozs. He is becoming more and more active, in fact before I left out of town I watched him roll over from his back to his stomach! Yeah I know, crazy. For those of you with children you know kids are always rated in percentiles to where they should be in their growth. I don't want to alarm any of you with the following information. According to the premie growth chart Kolton is only in the 3rd percential for weight, height, and head size. It is speculated the reason for this low rating is due to the calories he is burning working his heart and lungs? When the calories should technically be going to his growth instead. After he has his heart surgery, things should revert to normal growth for him. This is about it in regards to his situation.
I had the pleasure of meeting a gentleman this week that shared with me a story of his nephew that was born with the same heart condition. It was reassuring to hear what he had to tell me. His nephew had the surgery right away and was able to live a normal active life. Sports, playing, being a boy, the whole enchilada. His nephew is now starting his freshman year at a major Midwest university.
Words can do no justice to how thankful we are as a family for the continued support we receive on a daily basis. Your prayers, positive thoughts, cards, postings, watching Tavyn, helping us with our home, watching Naboo, meals, etc!!!
I'm hope to get some updated pictures this weekend for all of you.
All of our love,
The Thompson Tribe
Sorry for the delay in postings. Being out of town, I was unable to post and Gretchen had her hands full with running the household for the week. I'm back now, and had a wonderful time with my new job, but I have to admit I sure did miss my boys and wife. Gretchen had a great first week back to work, I'm so proud of how strong she has been this week. We are doing very well, so far, balancing the work/life relationship.
Enough about us... after my flight got in tonight I rushed over to the hospital to see our little Kolton. He looks great!!! He is able to fit into some of the little premie outfits we have for him. It was very cute tonight, he was periodically smiling in his sleep (and no it was not gas). His new feeding schedule is going great, he is eating as he should. His weight is now at 3lbs 11ozs. He is becoming more and more active, in fact before I left out of town I watched him roll over from his back to his stomach! Yeah I know, crazy. For those of you with children you know kids are always rated in percentiles to where they should be in their growth. I don't want to alarm any of you with the following information. According to the premie growth chart Kolton is only in the 3rd percential for weight, height, and head size. It is speculated the reason for this low rating is due to the calories he is burning working his heart and lungs? When the calories should technically be going to his growth instead. After he has his heart surgery, things should revert to normal growth for him. This is about it in regards to his situation.
I had the pleasure of meeting a gentleman this week that shared with me a story of his nephew that was born with the same heart condition. It was reassuring to hear what he had to tell me. His nephew had the surgery right away and was able to live a normal active life. Sports, playing, being a boy, the whole enchilada. His nephew is now starting his freshman year at a major Midwest university.
Words can do no justice to how thankful we are as a family for the continued support we receive on a daily basis. Your prayers, positive thoughts, cards, postings, watching Tavyn, helping us with our home, watching Naboo, meals, etc!!!
I'm hope to get some updated pictures this weekend for all of you.
All of our love,
The Thompson Tribe
feb 25, 2009
Well... Kyle and I have successfully transitioned full stream back into work. We try to alternate nights at the hospital and at home. So when one of us is at the hospital caring for Kolton the other is at home getting Tavyn time. This week has been tricky as Kyle is out of town and I'm trying to be everywhere at once. But, it's only temporary and we are very grateful to have jobs! Enough about us, you want to know about Kolton.
He weighs 3lbs 10oz!!! He should have no issues making it to his surgery weight at this rate. There really is not a lot to report which is good news. He will have another eye exam this week to monitor the ROP, but other than that we are on cruise control.
We are trying to get our heads around the reality of what he has to go through with his surgery. Since I don't think any amount of processing will really prepare us, again prayer is the solution. Every night and day leading to, we are giving the worry to God so that we can focus on the amazing little boy we have here and now.
Much love-
Gretchen
He weighs 3lbs 10oz!!! He should have no issues making it to his surgery weight at this rate. There really is not a lot to report which is good news. He will have another eye exam this week to monitor the ROP, but other than that we are on cruise control.
We are trying to get our heads around the reality of what he has to go through with his surgery. Since I don't think any amount of processing will really prepare us, again prayer is the solution. Every night and day leading to, we are giving the worry to God so that we can focus on the amazing little boy we have here and now.
Much love-
Gretchen
Feb 22, 2009
Good Sunday Morning KSG,
I hope this posting finds all of you well. Thank you again for all of your continued support and prayers. Well this next week will be a big adjustment for our family. Gretchen and I go back to work. Tavyn already started back in day care last week and he adjusted back into his old routine just fine. We'll see how Gretchen and I do?
Kolton is doing great... he is looking more and more like a tiny baby rather than a sock monkey. In other words he is filling out. We have noticed that he is starting to get preferences, like he likes his area quiet... any outside noise gets him upset. He likes to sleep on his belly and he seems to be very content when he is swaddled up.
He is at 3lbs 6ozs and 16 3/4 inches long. This week they will be doing tests to see if he is producing red blood cells as he should be and he will be getting a test to see how his bones are developing. He will also get another eye exam this week to check for ROP. His feedings are going to change now... they will try feeding him every 2 hours instead of the continuous 24 hour feed. This will teach him to work towards eating every 3 hours as most newborns do. So that is about it.
I'm getting ready to head off to see him in a few minutes. Again thank you all for everything that you have done for us!
All of Love,
The Thompson Tribe
I hope this posting finds all of you well. Thank you again for all of your continued support and prayers. Well this next week will be a big adjustment for our family. Gretchen and I go back to work. Tavyn already started back in day care last week and he adjusted back into his old routine just fine. We'll see how Gretchen and I do?
Kolton is doing great... he is looking more and more like a tiny baby rather than a sock monkey. In other words he is filling out. We have noticed that he is starting to get preferences, like he likes his area quiet... any outside noise gets him upset. He likes to sleep on his belly and he seems to be very content when he is swaddled up.
He is at 3lbs 6ozs and 16 3/4 inches long. This week they will be doing tests to see if he is producing red blood cells as he should be and he will be getting a test to see how his bones are developing. He will also get another eye exam this week to check for ROP. His feedings are going to change now... they will try feeding him every 2 hours instead of the continuous 24 hour feed. This will teach him to work towards eating every 3 hours as most newborns do. So that is about it.
I'm getting ready to head off to see him in a few minutes. Again thank you all for everything that you have done for us!
All of Love,
The Thompson Tribe
Feb 20, 2009
Happy Friday! Kolton is gaining weight very easily now! Barring any set backs, he should have no difficulties making it to his surgery weight. He had a very busy Thursday with the ROP eye exam and 2 echocardiograms. There is some dilation of his vessels in the eye that they are calling Stage 1 ROP at this point. The likelihood that this will correct itself with age and the heart surgery is very great. He will have another eye exam next week. The 2 echos were to start prepping for his surgery. The cardiologist need to be very familiar with his anatomy and any other potential abnormalities prior to surgery. We should hear the results of those today.
Kangarooing with Kolton continues to go extremely well. It is the highlight of our day to be so close to him. He looks so perfect. He looks much more like a "normal" baby just in miniature size. He's actually getting cheeks. When he is awake, he is very alert and tracks our voices with his eyes.
Kyle and I were given a tour of the units he will be transferred to pre- and post- surgery. It made the heaviness of the situation very real. But, I think the tour will help us process and be prepared for the actual day. Not including prep time, the surgery itself will take 4 to 6 hours. Right now, we are just enjoying watching Kolton grow! Again we are reminded to just take one day at a time.
Much love to all,
Gretchen, Kyle, Tavyn & Kolton
(Naboo too - the dog)
Kangarooing with Kolton continues to go extremely well. It is the highlight of our day to be so close to him. He looks so perfect. He looks much more like a "normal" baby just in miniature size. He's actually getting cheeks. When he is awake, he is very alert and tracks our voices with his eyes.
Kyle and I were given a tour of the units he will be transferred to pre- and post- surgery. It made the heaviness of the situation very real. But, I think the tour will help us process and be prepared for the actual day. Not including prep time, the surgery itself will take 4 to 6 hours. Right now, we are just enjoying watching Kolton grow! Again we are reminded to just take one day at a time.
Much love to all,
Gretchen, Kyle, Tavyn & Kolton
(Naboo too - the dog)
Feb 17th, 2009
Today's big news... Kolton has his artiral switch surgery scheduled for March 11th. The date is flexible should he not be at the targeted weight, but given his average weight gain he should be just fine. Kolton currently weighs 1.4 kg which is about 3lbs 3oz. He needs to be 2 kg for the surgery which is about 4 lbs 6oz. His eye exam will actually be Thursday (not today). He will also have an echo cardio gram on Thursday.
We feel the momentum of everyone's support and prayers. We can not help but to wake up with pure joy in hearts knowing that we have so many people routing for Kolton! It just makes us smile. And smiles infect the entire body making us feel strengthened in a time when you're not sure where the renewal to keep moving forward will come from. The story of footprints in the sand constantly comes to mind as we know we are being carried through this with the hands of God and all of you!
Much love-
The Thompson Tribe
We feel the momentum of everyone's support and prayers. We can not help but to wake up with pure joy in hearts knowing that we have so many people routing for Kolton! It just makes us smile. And smiles infect the entire body making us feel strengthened in a time when you're not sure where the renewal to keep moving forward will come from. The story of footprints in the sand constantly comes to mind as we know we are being carried through this with the hands of God and all of you!
Much love-
The Thompson Tribe
Feb 16, 2009
We hope everyone had a wonderful Valentine's Day weekend! Thank you for the continued postings and prayers! It is still overwhelming for us to know we are surrounded by so much love and support! It is amazing but we are constantly surprised by the blessings we continue to find in the most unexpected places. Funny what happens when you decide to focus on what is right and good instead of the laundry list of complaints.
Kolton is doing well. He has been taken off the C-PAP and put on the High Flow Cannula. The C-PAP kept a constant pressure in the lungs and delivered O2. The High Flow just delivers O2. This means Kolton is doing more of the work to breathe. So far he has not had any apnea spells and we pray this remains the case. He is much more comfortable on the High Flow and doesn't try to pull it off like he did with the C-PAP. His weight remains at 3lbs. His calories may be upped slightly as he is now burning more calories. He will have a second eye exam on Wednesday to check and monitor for any signs of ROP again.
Much love-
The Thompson Tribe
Kolton is doing well. He has been taken off the C-PAP and put on the High Flow Cannula. The C-PAP kept a constant pressure in the lungs and delivered O2. The High Flow just delivers O2. This means Kolton is doing more of the work to breathe. So far he has not had any apnea spells and we pray this remains the case. He is much more comfortable on the High Flow and doesn't try to pull it off like he did with the C-PAP. His weight remains at 3lbs. His calories may be upped slightly as he is now burning more calories. He will have a second eye exam on Wednesday to check and monitor for any signs of ROP again.
Much love-
The Thompson Tribe
Feb 12, 2009
Good Evening KSG,
Thank you for your continued support for our family. You can't imagine how much it helps us to hear from you and to read posts from all of you. We look forward everyday to read your words of encouragement whether it is one sentence to several paragraphs, it is all uplifting.
On to Kolton... he is now off of his ventilator again. He is back onto his C-PAP. I can tell you that he loathes it, he is constantly struggling and fighting with it. When this happens it stresses him out, then it wears him out, then his stats decline. Continue to pray that he relaxes and accepts the C-PAP. I'm a little frazzled tonight myself... it is hard to see your child struggling so hard with something that is detrimental to his health and life. I just want him to grow, stay stable; so he can have his surgery, heal, then come home!
On another note, Gretchen and I were able to get a car this morning, so now we have a way to go back and forth to the hospital. One less thing on our list.
I was also able to finish another book with Kolton tonight, "Season of Life". This book was recommended to me by my brother in IL. A book about "Building Men for Others" (ie - turning boys into real men). A book that I beleive ever father and son should read... it is a quick read and based around football, so pretty easy for us guys. There are 7 topics that go into building men for others:
False Masculinity
The relationships that make a real man
Working for a transcendent cause
Accepting Responsibility
Leading Courageously
Enacting justice on behalf of others
Empathy
I want to touch on empathy and how your empathy has helped us. I will let a quote from the book spell it out for me: "To me, the number-one criterion for humanity has to be empathy. Without that, we're reduced to being nothing more than animals - you know, self preservation, power, issues like that. But when you have empathy, when you can understand the amount of suffering in this world, the pain that so many people are living in, and the causes of all that pain, then you can have a cause beyond yourself. I think the alleviation of pain is a fundamental root or seedbed for understanding some kind of cause." "Yeah, well, it's about getting connected to other people, allowing them to live with dignity and status," Joe said. "It's never enough to just to be sympathetic with the pain others are feeling. You also have to understand what causes the pain, and then you have to do something about it. You have to figure out how you can make changes to help alleviate the pain. And, again, I think empathy has to be the key."
Thank you for your empathy and easing our pain as we take this day by day.
Have a great night!
All of our Best,
The Thompson Tribe
Thank you for your continued support for our family. You can't imagine how much it helps us to hear from you and to read posts from all of you. We look forward everyday to read your words of encouragement whether it is one sentence to several paragraphs, it is all uplifting.
On to Kolton... he is now off of his ventilator again. He is back onto his C-PAP. I can tell you that he loathes it, he is constantly struggling and fighting with it. When this happens it stresses him out, then it wears him out, then his stats decline. Continue to pray that he relaxes and accepts the C-PAP. I'm a little frazzled tonight myself... it is hard to see your child struggling so hard with something that is detrimental to his health and life. I just want him to grow, stay stable; so he can have his surgery, heal, then come home!
On another note, Gretchen and I were able to get a car this morning, so now we have a way to go back and forth to the hospital. One less thing on our list.
I was also able to finish another book with Kolton tonight, "Season of Life". This book was recommended to me by my brother in IL. A book about "Building Men for Others" (ie - turning boys into real men). A book that I beleive ever father and son should read... it is a quick read and based around football, so pretty easy for us guys. There are 7 topics that go into building men for others:
False Masculinity
The relationships that make a real man
Working for a transcendent cause
Accepting Responsibility
Leading Courageously
Enacting justice on behalf of others
Empathy
I want to touch on empathy and how your empathy has helped us. I will let a quote from the book spell it out for me: "To me, the number-one criterion for humanity has to be empathy. Without that, we're reduced to being nothing more than animals - you know, self preservation, power, issues like that. But when you have empathy, when you can understand the amount of suffering in this world, the pain that so many people are living in, and the causes of all that pain, then you can have a cause beyond yourself. I think the alleviation of pain is a fundamental root or seedbed for understanding some kind of cause." "Yeah, well, it's about getting connected to other people, allowing them to live with dignity and status," Joe said. "It's never enough to just to be sympathetic with the pain others are feeling. You also have to understand what causes the pain, and then you have to do something about it. You have to figure out how you can make changes to help alleviate the pain. And, again, I think empathy has to be the key."
Thank you for your empathy and easing our pain as we take this day by day.
Have a great night!
All of our Best,
The Thompson Tribe
Feb 11, 2009
Good Evening KSG,
I hope this message finds all of you well. Thank you for your continued support of our family, if it wasn't for all of you we would have a lot harder time trying to make it through this.
Today Kolton is celebrating 4 weeks in the BRW(Big Real World)!!! I understand that he had a good day today, Gretchen was with him all day. He is now 2lbs 13 ozs. Gretchen was able to get foot prints and hand prints today and compare them with his first day prints... wow what a difference! He sure has grown. He had his ROP exam today and no diagnosis yet... apparently due to his heart condition they can't get an accurate reading. So they will try again in another week. Otherwise it is the same chant for him "Grow, Grow, Grow, Stabilize, Stabilize, Stabilize!"
Gretchen and I had an interesting start to the week. Our only car broke down last night, the back axle is in serious need of repair. This morning we were very frustrated and upset about the situation. It was an obstacle to getting in to see Kolton. We started to fall into the trap of, "Oh God, why us, why now..." But before we even said those words something happened. We started to talk about the blessings we have, all of the positives... Kolton stabilizing, Tavyn being healthy, Gretchen providing plenty of food for Kolton, me getting a new career, etc. Once that happened, other good things happened, our neighbor loaned us their car, the auto shop worked with us to get us a loaner car (no charge) until our car is finished (which will be Tuesday). This is a good example of when we tend to go down the negative, pessimistic path you tend to attract negative/bad things, yet if you keep an open mind and heart and go down the positive, optimistic path you welcome positive/good things.
I want to leave you all with this... whether you are our family, friends, loved ones, or complete strangers... every day we receive input from all of you to wish us well and boost our spirits, we have had the wonderful experience of seeing the best in humanity and we are greatful for that. Since this has happened, we have never felt alone... we feel as though our family has grown to encompass all of you.
God Bless and Good Night,
The Thompson Tribe
I hope this message finds all of you well. Thank you for your continued support of our family, if it wasn't for all of you we would have a lot harder time trying to make it through this.
Today Kolton is celebrating 4 weeks in the BRW(Big Real World)!!! I understand that he had a good day today, Gretchen was with him all day. He is now 2lbs 13 ozs. Gretchen was able to get foot prints and hand prints today and compare them with his first day prints... wow what a difference! He sure has grown. He had his ROP exam today and no diagnosis yet... apparently due to his heart condition they can't get an accurate reading. So they will try again in another week. Otherwise it is the same chant for him "Grow, Grow, Grow, Stabilize, Stabilize, Stabilize!"
Gretchen and I had an interesting start to the week. Our only car broke down last night, the back axle is in serious need of repair. This morning we were very frustrated and upset about the situation. It was an obstacle to getting in to see Kolton. We started to fall into the trap of, "Oh God, why us, why now..." But before we even said those words something happened. We started to talk about the blessings we have, all of the positives... Kolton stabilizing, Tavyn being healthy, Gretchen providing plenty of food for Kolton, me getting a new career, etc. Once that happened, other good things happened, our neighbor loaned us their car, the auto shop worked with us to get us a loaner car (no charge) until our car is finished (which will be Tuesday). This is a good example of when we tend to go down the negative, pessimistic path you tend to attract negative/bad things, yet if you keep an open mind and heart and go down the positive, optimistic path you welcome positive/good things.
I want to leave you all with this... whether you are our family, friends, loved ones, or complete strangers... every day we receive input from all of you to wish us well and boost our spirits, we have had the wonderful experience of seeing the best in humanity and we are greatful for that. Since this has happened, we have never felt alone... we feel as though our family has grown to encompass all of you.
God Bless and Good Night,
The Thompson Tribe
Feb 8, 2009
Good Evening KSG,
I hope this message finds all of you well. Once again, thank you for your continued support that comes in all forms.
For those of you that were on the look out for a freezer for us, you can stop. We ended up acquiring one on Friday evening.
Gretchen and I finally felt comfortable enough to go out on a date. Some of our neighbors watched Tavyn and the Hospital staff had Kolton. It was nice for the both of us to get out, we realized that we have not been out together on a date since before Tavyn was born. Time flys.
I'm sure a lot of you want to know how Kolton is doing. Gretchen spent Saturday with him and I spent Sunday with him. We both spent some good Kangaroo time, it is amazing how his numbers are better when we kangaroo with compared to when we don't. He is looking good and doing good. He did lose a little weight when he had his bout last week. So he has not yet hit 3 lbs. He is currently 2lbs 11 1/2 ozs. His stats are good his oxygen levels came down drastically, but he is still receiving assistance with his breathing. This week he is going to be going for a new round of testing for Retinopathy of Prematurity (ROP). This is a potentially blinding disease, birth weight is a qualifier the disease A high percentage of premies will show some degree of ROP, most will not require surgery. Follow this link to get more detailed info:
http://www.ropard.org/about_ropard.php
I believe he will be tested on Wednesday. Otherwise it is rest and grow!
Kolton and I have finished a couple of good books recently, with too many qoutes to post. We finished "Happiness is a Serious Problem, by Dennis Prager", "The Last Lecture, by Randy Pausch" http://www.thelastlecture.com/, and we started a new book called "Season of Life, by Jeffrey Marx" http://www.seasonoflife.com/. All great books and easy quick reads.
We wish all of you our best. Thank you again for all of your support, Please pray for Kolton's eyes, growth, and overall health.
From our family to yours,
The Thompson Tribe
I hope this message finds all of you well. Once again, thank you for your continued support that comes in all forms.
For those of you that were on the look out for a freezer for us, you can stop. We ended up acquiring one on Friday evening.
Gretchen and I finally felt comfortable enough to go out on a date. Some of our neighbors watched Tavyn and the Hospital staff had Kolton. It was nice for the both of us to get out, we realized that we have not been out together on a date since before Tavyn was born. Time flys.
I'm sure a lot of you want to know how Kolton is doing. Gretchen spent Saturday with him and I spent Sunday with him. We both spent some good Kangaroo time, it is amazing how his numbers are better when we kangaroo with compared to when we don't. He is looking good and doing good. He did lose a little weight when he had his bout last week. So he has not yet hit 3 lbs. He is currently 2lbs 11 1/2 ozs. His stats are good his oxygen levels came down drastically, but he is still receiving assistance with his breathing. This week he is going to be going for a new round of testing for Retinopathy of Prematurity (ROP). This is a potentially blinding disease, birth weight is a qualifier the disease A high percentage of premies will show some degree of ROP, most will not require surgery. Follow this link to get more detailed info:
http://www.ropard.org/about_ropard.php
I believe he will be tested on Wednesday. Otherwise it is rest and grow!
Kolton and I have finished a couple of good books recently, with too many qoutes to post. We finished "Happiness is a Serious Problem, by Dennis Prager", "The Last Lecture, by Randy Pausch" http://www.thelastlecture.com/, and we started a new book called "Season of Life, by Jeffrey Marx" http://www.seasonoflife.com/. All great books and easy quick reads.
We wish all of you our best. Thank you again for all of your support, Please pray for Kolton's eyes, growth, and overall health.
From our family to yours,
The Thompson Tribe
Feb 6, 2009
Happy Friday! Thank you so much for the wonderful messages! Your words truly fuel us and we just can't thank everyone enough!
Kolton is much improved. He remains on the ventilator, but is off everything else. His feedings are back at 8ml per hour and he continues to gain weight. We are so close to 3lbs! His abdomen was very swollen today so the medical team did an ultrasound to check things out. Turns out - it's gas! So I guess we pray for Kolton to "cut the cheese". God certainly has a sense of humor. On a more serious note, of course, we need Kolton to continue to develop his brain center and lungs for breathing so he can get off the ventilator. He is such a strong little boy and we are so proud of him. I read him his first Curious George story yesterday to which he opened his eyes. :)
Much love-
Gretchen
Kolton is much improved. He remains on the ventilator, but is off everything else. His feedings are back at 8ml per hour and he continues to gain weight. We are so close to 3lbs! His abdomen was very swollen today so the medical team did an ultrasound to check things out. Turns out - it's gas! So I guess we pray for Kolton to "cut the cheese". God certainly has a sense of humor. On a more serious note, of course, we need Kolton to continue to develop his brain center and lungs for breathing so he can get off the ventilator. He is such a strong little boy and we are so proud of him. I read him his first Curious George story yesterday to which he opened his eyes. :)
Much love-
Gretchen
Feb 4th pm update
Good Evening KSG,
I hope this message finds all of you well. Thank you for the rally of support in prayers for Kolton. After my trip to WI today I stopped by and saw him on the way home. He looked well, even though he is fighting, his color is good and he looks very relaxed and comfortable.
I know a lot of you may not know of my employment situation.. so here it goes. Back in Oct the company that I worked for was preparing for the worst in with the economy and decided to do an internal merger of their sales force. Being the non-tenured rep I was let go. My last day was actually the end of Dec. Honestly I don't blame them it was a wise decision. I was bummed at first, but everything happens for a reason!!! Now that I look back I have enjoyed the time I have had off to spend with my wife and son Tavyn, take care of their needs and work a little bit on the house. How many Dad's can really say that they had 3 months of quality time with their kids? I can! I realize now that things really do happen for a reason, it is part of His plan. If I was employed during the time Kolton came into this world, I don't know how I would have managed my family, our household, and a job. I was very fortunate for things to play out as they did! I had a lot of great support from my former manager, colleagues, friends, family, Gretchen's work family, and my clients in looking for a career. As is turns out the offer I accepted today will be calling on all of my old accounts (ie, pre-established good relationships) in my old territory, with a wonderful company that feels like everyone that works there is a long lost relative (the good kind)! A "Win-Win" for the company and me and my family. I believe that this is His way off telling me that Kolton is in good hands and it is the right time for me to go back to work and take care of my families financial needs. One of the first things I will be doing is taking my wife out on a date!!! It has been a while and she more than deserves it.
I want to thank all of our neighbors in our cul de sac for taking such good care of us during our little situation. You guys are the best and we can't thank you enough for being the some of kindest people we know. We consider you guys family! We can only request continued prayers for our little figther Kolton. Thank you all for continually lifting us up.
Sleep tight!
The Thompson Tribe
I hope this message finds all of you well. Thank you for the rally of support in prayers for Kolton. After my trip to WI today I stopped by and saw him on the way home. He looked well, even though he is fighting, his color is good and he looks very relaxed and comfortable.
I know a lot of you may not know of my employment situation.. so here it goes. Back in Oct the company that I worked for was preparing for the worst in with the economy and decided to do an internal merger of their sales force. Being the non-tenured rep I was let go. My last day was actually the end of Dec. Honestly I don't blame them it was a wise decision. I was bummed at first, but everything happens for a reason!!! Now that I look back I have enjoyed the time I have had off to spend with my wife and son Tavyn, take care of their needs and work a little bit on the house. How many Dad's can really say that they had 3 months of quality time with their kids? I can! I realize now that things really do happen for a reason, it is part of His plan. If I was employed during the time Kolton came into this world, I don't know how I would have managed my family, our household, and a job. I was very fortunate for things to play out as they did! I had a lot of great support from my former manager, colleagues, friends, family, Gretchen's work family, and my clients in looking for a career. As is turns out the offer I accepted today will be calling on all of my old accounts (ie, pre-established good relationships) in my old territory, with a wonderful company that feels like everyone that works there is a long lost relative (the good kind)! A "Win-Win" for the company and me and my family. I believe that this is His way off telling me that Kolton is in good hands and it is the right time for me to go back to work and take care of my families financial needs. One of the first things I will be doing is taking my wife out on a date!!! It has been a while and she more than deserves it.
I want to thank all of our neighbors in our cul de sac for taking such good care of us during our little situation. You guys are the best and we can't thank you enough for being the some of kindest people we know. We consider you guys family! We can only request continued prayers for our little figther Kolton. Thank you all for continually lifting us up.
Sleep tight!
The Thompson Tribe
Feb 4 afternoon update
Afternoon update:
Thank you for the extra prayers today and everyday!!!!While Kolton has now been put back on the ventilator, he is starting to stabilize. The echocardiogram from today revealed that the hole in his heart is still open; however, it is small. As a result, there has been an increase in the amount of prostaglandin (the medication to help keep the hole open). This is difficult news as there a fewer options if the hole closes. While he is tolerating his feedings, they have cut them slightly and started to supplement with an IV drip of nutrients (called TPN). This is just to have him doing less work so that he can focus his energy on breathing.The medical team has also put him back on antibiotics to fight any infections. On a positive, Kolton gets weighed every night around midnight. He is now at 2lbs and 14.5oz! Grow Kolton Grow! We're almost at 3lbs! We are aiming for 4 to 5lbs in order to do the corrective heart surgery. His normal coloration is back and he is resting peacefully. I could not kangaroo with Kolton today due to the chain of events, but I did pray with him and spent a great deal of time giving him a pep talk. He knows he has a huge support team and that he is not alone in this fight. Thank you again for the extra prayers and support! It keeps us going.
Love and peace,
Gretchen
WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 04, 2009 08:00 AM, CST
Good Morning! Gretchen here, asking for continued prayer throughout the day. Kolton has had a rough morning. He is really tuckered out and not breathing deeply. When I arrived at the hospital this morning, the doctor was manually pumping air into him to assist him. He is still on the CPAP, but now also has a machine that gives him 15 breaths every minute. The next step will be to put him back on the ventilator. On a positve note, he does continue to gain weight! And the faster he can gain weight, the sooner they can correct his heart. He is a fighter, and we know we God's help and your prayers he can pull through! Keep the positive vibes flowing!
Kyle has incredible strength as he has been maitaining his job hunting and interviewing. Today he is in Milwaukee for a final round of interviews. Kyle's biggest fans (Tavyn, Kolton, Me & Naboo) are all routing for him!
God grant us all strength!
Love and peace,
Gretchen
Thank you for the extra prayers today and everyday!!!!While Kolton has now been put back on the ventilator, he is starting to stabilize. The echocardiogram from today revealed that the hole in his heart is still open; however, it is small. As a result, there has been an increase in the amount of prostaglandin (the medication to help keep the hole open). This is difficult news as there a fewer options if the hole closes. While he is tolerating his feedings, they have cut them slightly and started to supplement with an IV drip of nutrients (called TPN). This is just to have him doing less work so that he can focus his energy on breathing.The medical team has also put him back on antibiotics to fight any infections. On a positive, Kolton gets weighed every night around midnight. He is now at 2lbs and 14.5oz! Grow Kolton Grow! We're almost at 3lbs! We are aiming for 4 to 5lbs in order to do the corrective heart surgery. His normal coloration is back and he is resting peacefully. I could not kangaroo with Kolton today due to the chain of events, but I did pray with him and spent a great deal of time giving him a pep talk. He knows he has a huge support team and that he is not alone in this fight. Thank you again for the extra prayers and support! It keeps us going.
Love and peace,
Gretchen
WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 04, 2009 08:00 AM, CST
Good Morning! Gretchen here, asking for continued prayer throughout the day. Kolton has had a rough morning. He is really tuckered out and not breathing deeply. When I arrived at the hospital this morning, the doctor was manually pumping air into him to assist him. He is still on the CPAP, but now also has a machine that gives him 15 breaths every minute. The next step will be to put him back on the ventilator. On a positve note, he does continue to gain weight! And the faster he can gain weight, the sooner they can correct his heart. He is a fighter, and we know we God's help and your prayers he can pull through! Keep the positive vibes flowing!
Kyle has incredible strength as he has been maitaining his job hunting and interviewing. Today he is in Milwaukee for a final round of interviews. Kyle's biggest fans (Tavyn, Kolton, Me & Naboo) are all routing for him!
God grant us all strength!
Love and peace,
Gretchen
Feb 4, 2009
Good Morning! Gretchen here, asking for continued prayer throughout the day. Kolton has had a rough morning. He is really tuckered out and not breathing deeply. When I arrived at the hospital this morning, the doctor was manually pumping air into him to assist him. He is still on the CPAP, but now also has a machine that gives him 15 breaths every minute. The next step will be to put him back on the ventilator. On a positve note, he does continue to gain weight! And the faster he can gain weight, the sooner they can correct his heart. He is a fighter, and we know we God's help and your prayers he can pull through! Keep the positive vibes flowing!
Kyle has incredible strength as he has been maitaining his job hunting and interviewing. Today he is in Milwaukee for a final round of interviews. Kyle's biggest fans (Tavyn, Kolton, Me & Naboo) are all routing for him!
God grant us all strength!
Love and peace,
Gretchen
Kyle has incredible strength as he has been maitaining his job hunting and interviewing. Today he is in Milwaukee for a final round of interviews. Kyle's biggest fans (Tavyn, Kolton, Me & Naboo) are all routing for him!
God grant us all strength!
Love and peace,
Gretchen
Feb 3, 2009
Dear Family & Friends,
Everyday we thank you for continued prayer and support! Kolton has had a little set-back in the last day. After going back on the CPAP, he has still continued to roller coaster with is breathing and oxygenation of his blood. Yesterday's echo cardiogram revealed that the hole in his heart is starting to close slightly. This is the most likely culprit of his instability. Of course the outstanding people of Children's are watching him very closely. He was given an IV of additional fluids last night and will most likely go back on a medication to help keep the hole open. What he is going through is somewhat normal for premies at this stage with his heart condition.
On a positive note, he is now up to 2lbs 12.5oz and has gone up to 8ml per hour in feedings. I was able to kangaroo with him again yesterday, and Kyle will be there today to do the same. When we kangaroo, he remains stable. It really makes you want to hold him all day everyday.
Emotionally we are starting to feel the drain of having a family living under 2 roofs. But, we continue to hand it to God every time we start to doubt. We know with His strength and the power of all your prayers, all things are possible. Thank you so much for continuing to bless us with your prayer, love, and messages!
Love and Hugs-
Gretchen
P.S. My apologies for the typos in yesterday's post and any others going forward. :)
Everyday we thank you for continued prayer and support! Kolton has had a little set-back in the last day. After going back on the CPAP, he has still continued to roller coaster with is breathing and oxygenation of his blood. Yesterday's echo cardiogram revealed that the hole in his heart is starting to close slightly. This is the most likely culprit of his instability. Of course the outstanding people of Children's are watching him very closely. He was given an IV of additional fluids last night and will most likely go back on a medication to help keep the hole open. What he is going through is somewhat normal for premies at this stage with his heart condition.
On a positive note, he is now up to 2lbs 12.5oz and has gone up to 8ml per hour in feedings. I was able to kangaroo with him again yesterday, and Kyle will be there today to do the same. When we kangaroo, he remains stable. It really makes you want to hold him all day everyday.
Emotionally we are starting to feel the drain of having a family living under 2 roofs. But, we continue to hand it to God every time we start to doubt. We know with His strength and the power of all your prayers, all things are possible. Thank you so much for continuing to bless us with your prayer, love, and messages!
Love and Hugs-
Gretchen
P.S. My apologies for the typos in yesterday's post and any others going forward. :)
Feb 1, 2009
Kolton is now weighing in at 2lbs and 11.5oz. Kyle, Tavyn and I have nevered had trouble gaining weight so maybe there is good reason that Kolton gets that gene. :)
Unfortunately, he has had to go back on his CPAP for now to help him with breathing. The doctors believe he is just tired. The brain center that controls breathing won't be fully developed for a few weeks yet. So premies really have to think and work to breathe. I couldn't imagine trying to sleep and remembering to breathe at the same time.Other than that, he is still doing very well. He had a chest extra this morning and it looks good.
I got to kanagroo again with him last night. We were both so cozy and comfy. He actually drooled on me. What a joy! Kyle is at the hospital now and is going to kanagroo for the first time as well.
Thank you for the continued postings and prayers. It is so good to see so many familiar names, especially those that we've not connected with in some time as well as people we have never met. Technology is a wonderful thing and it is so good to hear from you all!
Much love-
Gretchen
Unfortunately, he has had to go back on his CPAP for now to help him with breathing. The doctors believe he is just tired. The brain center that controls breathing won't be fully developed for a few weeks yet. So premies really have to think and work to breathe. I couldn't imagine trying to sleep and remembering to breathe at the same time.Other than that, he is still doing very well. He had a chest extra this morning and it looks good.
I got to kanagroo again with him last night. We were both so cozy and comfy. He actually drooled on me. What a joy! Kyle is at the hospital now and is going to kanagroo for the first time as well.
Thank you for the continued postings and prayers. It is so good to see so many familiar names, especially those that we've not connected with in some time as well as people we have never met. Technology is a wonderful thing and it is so good to hear from you all!
Much love-
Gretchen
January 31, 2009
Good Morning!
Kolton continues to do well. His feedings have been increased to 7.8ml per hour on a continuous 24 hour basis. Grow Kolton. Grow.
In order to get his red blood cell count high, Kolton will be starting a new medication today. Newborns naturally become somewhat anemic during their first few weeks of life. This triggers a response for the bone marrow to start producing red blood cells. Due to Kolton's heart condition, it would be dangerous to let him get anemic. In fact, the cardiologist need his red blood cell count to be higher than normal. (Hence, the medication.) By starting him on the medicine now, we can hopefully delay or skip altogether having to do another blood transfusion.
Last night I was able to kanagroo with Kolton. This is therapeutic skin to skin contact with mother and child. It helps the child start to more effectively bond, it relaxes and calms the child, and it helps with the mother's milk supply. To have Kolton nuzzled into me for the first time was incredible. We sat for an hour completely at peace and content. Another blessing of just being in the moment! We will be able to kanagroo almost on a daily basis at this point.We know his heart surgery still looms, but we are truly enjoying this precious time with him. What a fighter, and what determination!
We can't post without thanking each of you for continuing to pray, read the site, and reach out to us. We are most grateful for the continued kindness and generosity! Thank you so much for the donations to caring bridge in honor of Kolton! This site has been great for us, and I know it helps many other families as well.
Much love- Gretchen
Kolton continues to do well. His feedings have been increased to 7.8ml per hour on a continuous 24 hour basis. Grow Kolton. Grow.
In order to get his red blood cell count high, Kolton will be starting a new medication today. Newborns naturally become somewhat anemic during their first few weeks of life. This triggers a response for the bone marrow to start producing red blood cells. Due to Kolton's heart condition, it would be dangerous to let him get anemic. In fact, the cardiologist need his red blood cell count to be higher than normal. (Hence, the medication.) By starting him on the medicine now, we can hopefully delay or skip altogether having to do another blood transfusion.
Last night I was able to kanagroo with Kolton. This is therapeutic skin to skin contact with mother and child. It helps the child start to more effectively bond, it relaxes and calms the child, and it helps with the mother's milk supply. To have Kolton nuzzled into me for the first time was incredible. We sat for an hour completely at peace and content. Another blessing of just being in the moment! We will be able to kanagroo almost on a daily basis at this point.We know his heart surgery still looms, but we are truly enjoying this precious time with him. What a fighter, and what determination!
We can't post without thanking each of you for continuing to pray, read the site, and reach out to us. We are most grateful for the continued kindness and generosity! Thank you so much for the donations to caring bridge in honor of Kolton! This site has been great for us, and I know it helps many other families as well.
Much love- Gretchen
January 29, 2009
Good Evening KSG,
Thank you all again for the continued prayers and the continued help. We are eternally greatful for everything. Thank you!
You will notice that I have uploaded some new pictures for your viewing. I hope you can tell by the pics that he looks great!
2 weeks old and a day!!! He is still stable and his feedings are increasing and he is off more of his devices and rx's. All of his IV's are all out. He had a blood transfusion yesterday to keep his blood count up. If he keeps going the way he is I think he may walk out of the hospital. Grow, grow, grow!!!
We are getting to bond with him a little more now. A little more holding and touching. It is really awesome to finally scoop him up, hold him close, and listen to his little breath. Next week we may start the kangaroo process, this is where you get to do skin to skin therapy, it helps the baby bond that much more with you. What takes place is basically the unclothed baby is placed on your bare chest for about an hour. The baby picks up on your scent, heartbeat, and body heat.
The other good news is since he is doing what he is supposed to do, being stable, eating, & growing. They want to move him out of the NICU and into the ICC. Which is a big deal, it is a good sign.
Thank all of you for everything. Have a good night.
All our best,
the Thompson Tribe
Thank you all again for the continued prayers and the continued help. We are eternally greatful for everything. Thank you!
You will notice that I have uploaded some new pictures for your viewing. I hope you can tell by the pics that he looks great!
2 weeks old and a day!!! He is still stable and his feedings are increasing and he is off more of his devices and rx's. All of his IV's are all out. He had a blood transfusion yesterday to keep his blood count up. If he keeps going the way he is I think he may walk out of the hospital. Grow, grow, grow!!!
We are getting to bond with him a little more now. A little more holding and touching. It is really awesome to finally scoop him up, hold him close, and listen to his little breath. Next week we may start the kangaroo process, this is where you get to do skin to skin therapy, it helps the baby bond that much more with you. What takes place is basically the unclothed baby is placed on your bare chest for about an hour. The baby picks up on your scent, heartbeat, and body heat.
The other good news is since he is doing what he is supposed to do, being stable, eating, & growing. They want to move him out of the NICU and into the ICC. Which is a big deal, it is a good sign.
Thank all of you for everything. Have a good night.
All our best,
the Thompson Tribe
January 27, 2009
Feed and Grow! That is Kolton's theme for the next few weeks. His levels remain stable, and now we just really need to feed him and let him grow. Once he reaches 4 - 5 lbs he will undergo his corrective heart surgery (ies). He presently weighs almost 2lbs. 10oz. Currently, his milk intake has been supplemented with a nutrient rich formula. It provides a lot of what he would be getting this trimester if I were still pregnant. He looks fantastic! And his super fantastic primary nurse Diana and he made me a birthday card! What a wonderful and perfect birthday surprise.
Other big news, Kyle held Kolton for the first time today! It was awesome, and Kolton had a sweet little grin on his face the whole time. We truly felt the hand of God as father and son started to bond for the first time. What a divine moment!
Also, thanks to the wonderful firm that I work for, Virchow, Krause & Co. LLP, I will not be going back to work until later in Feb. VK has won numerous awards for being a Great Place to Work, and their support of our family during this time is one of the many reasons why. I am truly proud to work for an organization comprised of individuals that put people first and live by their stated values of integrity, passion, and stewardship. The people at VK are truly exceptional, and despite our growing size it feels more like extended family during times like this than co-workers. Thank you VK!
Other big news, Kyle held Kolton for the first time today! It was awesome, and Kolton had a sweet little grin on his face the whole time. We truly felt the hand of God as father and son started to bond for the first time. What a divine moment!
Also, thanks to the wonderful firm that I work for, Virchow, Krause & Co. LLP, I will not be going back to work until later in Feb. VK has won numerous awards for being a Great Place to Work, and their support of our family during this time is one of the many reasons why. I am truly proud to work for an organization comprised of individuals that put people first and live by their stated values of integrity, passion, and stewardship. The people at VK are truly exceptional, and despite our growing size it feels more like extended family during times like this than co-workers. Thank you VK!
January 25, 2009
Good Evening Family, Friends, & Loved Ones,
Thank you again for everything. Gretchen and I get really excited jumping on the internet once a day and reading all of the kind words out there. It helps us to keep going each day, so thank you.
Well since the family is at home, Gretchen, Tavyn, & Myself, have been sick recently, we have not been able to see Kolton for the past couple of days. Tavyn finally went all day without a fever. I know now the true aching of the heart to be with your child. Today I was feeling great, I had enough antibiotics in my body, and well rested, so I ventured out to spend the day with my little fighter, Kolton.
He is doing great and he looks really good. He looks very relaxed & comfortable, good skin color & tone, great stats, etc...
As I stated above his numbers are good. Except for his heart condition the rest of his body is functioning fine. His food has increased once again, he is taking in more and more each day. He has gained 5 ounces!!! Apparently tomorrow they are going to put him on a nutrient rich supplement with his mother's milk to help him grow and develop. To break it down, it is like adding vitamin packed calories to your diet. I had the chance to change his diaper today, holding a premie is somewhat like holding a small fragile baby bird, frail, not a lot of mass, at least that is what I equate it to. Changing a premie's diaper is a little different to, since they do not have a lot of muscle or fat on their bodies their bottoms are somewhat nonexistant. Straight from back to legs, no speedbump. He opened his eyes for a while to check me out today and gave me a little smile. That was incredible.
In regards to his heart surgery, it looks like they are going to wait till he is about 4-5 lbs. So probably in about 4-6 weeks. One of the things that they keep prepping us for is that after the surgery, more than likely he will get very sick and weak again and it will take a while to help build him back up and let him heal. I know this will be an emotionally trying time for all of us.
For those local Minnesotans that have been bringing dinner over, thank you. Seeing that there is so much going on when tend to forget what we need at home. A lot of you have offered tremendous amounts of support and for us to ask when we need something. Well with Gretchen pumping milk for Kolton, she has already filled up the freezer at the hospital, and is about to fill up our freezer at home(probably within a couple of weeks). So we need help in getting a freezer or a fridge/freezer combo so Gretchen can continue to pump for Kolton an none of that precious milk goes to waste. So if anybody here in MN knows of anybody wanting to rid themselves of their inexpensive basement/garage freezer or fridge/freezer please let us know. We just need help in getting it to our house. You can email me directly at kylebthompson@hotmail.com in regards to this matter. Thanks again for looking out for us and our family
Good Night and God Bless,
All of our Best,
The Thompson Tribe
Thank you again for everything. Gretchen and I get really excited jumping on the internet once a day and reading all of the kind words out there. It helps us to keep going each day, so thank you.
Well since the family is at home, Gretchen, Tavyn, & Myself, have been sick recently, we have not been able to see Kolton for the past couple of days. Tavyn finally went all day without a fever. I know now the true aching of the heart to be with your child. Today I was feeling great, I had enough antibiotics in my body, and well rested, so I ventured out to spend the day with my little fighter, Kolton.
He is doing great and he looks really good. He looks very relaxed & comfortable, good skin color & tone, great stats, etc...
As I stated above his numbers are good. Except for his heart condition the rest of his body is functioning fine. His food has increased once again, he is taking in more and more each day. He has gained 5 ounces!!! Apparently tomorrow they are going to put him on a nutrient rich supplement with his mother's milk to help him grow and develop. To break it down, it is like adding vitamin packed calories to your diet. I had the chance to change his diaper today, holding a premie is somewhat like holding a small fragile baby bird, frail, not a lot of mass, at least that is what I equate it to. Changing a premie's diaper is a little different to, since they do not have a lot of muscle or fat on their bodies their bottoms are somewhat nonexistant. Straight from back to legs, no speedbump. He opened his eyes for a while to check me out today and gave me a little smile. That was incredible.
In regards to his heart surgery, it looks like they are going to wait till he is about 4-5 lbs. So probably in about 4-6 weeks. One of the things that they keep prepping us for is that after the surgery, more than likely he will get very sick and weak again and it will take a while to help build him back up and let him heal. I know this will be an emotionally trying time for all of us.
For those local Minnesotans that have been bringing dinner over, thank you. Seeing that there is so much going on when tend to forget what we need at home. A lot of you have offered tremendous amounts of support and for us to ask when we need something. Well with Gretchen pumping milk for Kolton, she has already filled up the freezer at the hospital, and is about to fill up our freezer at home(probably within a couple of weeks). So we need help in getting a freezer or a fridge/freezer combo so Gretchen can continue to pump for Kolton an none of that precious milk goes to waste. So if anybody here in MN knows of anybody wanting to rid themselves of their inexpensive basement/garage freezer or fridge/freezer please let us know. We just need help in getting it to our house. You can email me directly at kylebthompson@hotmail.com in regards to this matter. Thanks again for looking out for us and our family
Good Night and God Bless,
All of our Best,
The Thompson Tribe
January 24, 2009
Good Morning Dear Friends and Family! We like to start everyday thanking each of you for your constant and continued prayer. You are helping to heal our whole family. The postings from each of you are read and re-read, and it is truly keeping us going.
Kolton's biggest news is that all the chromosome testing came back normal!!! Sometimes, his heart condition is the result of DiGeorge Syndrome which is related to a deletion on chromosome 22. Aside from the normal karotype test a FISH for DiGeorge was also done. And it came back negative. We are of course thrilled with this news. Having DiGeorge would have meant the potential for a whole host of additional and potentially life threatening issues.
Kolton enjoys time on his belly. He is very strong and not real fond of the one remaining oxygen tube in his nose. He has a tendency to pull it out. What a joy to see a little bit of his personality coming out. Even though it's keeping his nurses on their toes. Although, when he cries and gets upset it is very difficult to not be able to scoop him up and comfort him.We should have an update soon from the cardiac team meeting about his heart surgeries.
We are not holding him on a regular basis yet as Tavyn is still sick. We do not want to spread anything to Kolton. We want the boys to learn to share of course, but not this. Germs they can keep to themselves.
Thanks again for your love and support!
Gretchen, Kyle, Tavyn & Kolton
Kolton's biggest news is that all the chromosome testing came back normal!!! Sometimes, his heart condition is the result of DiGeorge Syndrome which is related to a deletion on chromosome 22. Aside from the normal karotype test a FISH for DiGeorge was also done. And it came back negative. We are of course thrilled with this news. Having DiGeorge would have meant the potential for a whole host of additional and potentially life threatening issues.
Kolton enjoys time on his belly. He is very strong and not real fond of the one remaining oxygen tube in his nose. He has a tendency to pull it out. What a joy to see a little bit of his personality coming out. Even though it's keeping his nurses on their toes. Although, when he cries and gets upset it is very difficult to not be able to scoop him up and comfort him.We should have an update soon from the cardiac team meeting about his heart surgeries.
We are not holding him on a regular basis yet as Tavyn is still sick. We do not want to spread anything to Kolton. We want the boys to learn to share of course, but not this. Germs they can keep to themselves.
Thanks again for your love and support!
Gretchen, Kyle, Tavyn & Kolton
January 21, 2009
Good Evening Kolton Support Group (KSG),
I hope this message finds all of you well. We can't state this enough but we want to thank all of you for your continued prayers, kind words, positive thoughts, & generous offerings. It would be hard to continue on without all of your support and prayers!
Kolton had a great first week Birthday today. It was an exciting day for me personally, I actually got to hear him cry for the first time, I can't explain to you how sweet that sounded in my ears. He is actually taking a pacifier now too. I'm happy to announce that he is on a continual feed now, that is somewhat like an IV drip, but instead it is a slow constant flow of Gretchen's milk to his stomach. In regards to breathing he is now on the C-Pap for two hours then he goes on another High flow ventilator for two hours, this is a continuing cycle in order to get him to be fully breathing on his own. Tomorrow will be another exciting day, his case will be presented at the Cardiology Board meeting. As we stated before, they will discuss his diagnosis and figure out how they are going to move forward with his future heart surgeries. Hopefully we will have a better understanding after tomorrow what the options are, the time frame, etc..
This whole message is a day late and we apologize.. our other son Tavyn ended up coming down with pneumonia and got to take a fun ride to the ER last night in the ambulance. Of course he thought it was really fun!!! Due to Tavyn's illness and our being run down we were strongly advised to stay at home today rest and get better. It was hard but it was for the sake of our other little one Kolton. We are on the mend and Gretchen will be with Kolton the next two days. Hopefully she will get a chance to talk to the cardiologists???
As I stated before we could not have made it through with out all of your support. I finally finished the book I was reading to Kolton and it was the ideal book for that time period. If you are curious it is titled Love Your Life, By Victoria Osteen. Here is another quote that somewhat explains how all of your support has helped us, "I encourage you today: Don't put the load of responsibilities for your happiness on your spouse or the people around you. Make the decision to do your part. When you fill the emotional buckets of others, you enable them to do the same for you. Strive each day to be a people builder and help make those people around you a group of winners. Success breeds success, and when you encourage others in their dreams, you are not only building great relationships, but you are setting the stage to bring your own goals and dreams to pass."
Thank all of you for filling our "emotional buckets."
Have a good night.
All of our best,
The Thompson Tribe
I hope this message finds all of you well. We can't state this enough but we want to thank all of you for your continued prayers, kind words, positive thoughts, & generous offerings. It would be hard to continue on without all of your support and prayers!
Kolton had a great first week Birthday today. It was an exciting day for me personally, I actually got to hear him cry for the first time, I can't explain to you how sweet that sounded in my ears. He is actually taking a pacifier now too. I'm happy to announce that he is on a continual feed now, that is somewhat like an IV drip, but instead it is a slow constant flow of Gretchen's milk to his stomach. In regards to breathing he is now on the C-Pap for two hours then he goes on another High flow ventilator for two hours, this is a continuing cycle in order to get him to be fully breathing on his own. Tomorrow will be another exciting day, his case will be presented at the Cardiology Board meeting. As we stated before, they will discuss his diagnosis and figure out how they are going to move forward with his future heart surgeries. Hopefully we will have a better understanding after tomorrow what the options are, the time frame, etc..
This whole message is a day late and we apologize.. our other son Tavyn ended up coming down with pneumonia and got to take a fun ride to the ER last night in the ambulance. Of course he thought it was really fun!!! Due to Tavyn's illness and our being run down we were strongly advised to stay at home today rest and get better. It was hard but it was for the sake of our other little one Kolton. We are on the mend and Gretchen will be with Kolton the next two days. Hopefully she will get a chance to talk to the cardiologists???
As I stated before we could not have made it through with out all of your support. I finally finished the book I was reading to Kolton and it was the ideal book for that time period. If you are curious it is titled Love Your Life, By Victoria Osteen. Here is another quote that somewhat explains how all of your support has helped us, "I encourage you today: Don't put the load of responsibilities for your happiness on your spouse or the people around you. Make the decision to do your part. When you fill the emotional buckets of others, you enable them to do the same for you. Strive each day to be a people builder and help make those people around you a group of winners. Success breeds success, and when you encourage others in their dreams, you are not only building great relationships, but you are setting the stage to bring your own goals and dreams to pass."
Thank all of you for filling our "emotional buckets."
Have a good night.
All of our best,
The Thompson Tribe
January 20, 2009
Good Evening Kolton Support Group (KSG),
I hope this message finds all of you well. We can't state this enough but we want to thank all of you for your continued prayers, kind words, positive thoughts, & generous offerings. I will apologize in advance but this journal entry will be considerably shorter than those in the past. The emotional, mental, and physical demands have finally caught up with our bodies and we are crashing hard, very exhausted.
Kolton is continuing another stellar day with his stats and numbers. We received a call this morning from his nurse notifying us that he is completely off of the ventilator and now he is on a "C-Pap" machine, which helps with apnea (this is a condition, where you forget to breath, typically when you are sleeping, common in premies and adults). His feeding has increased... so instead of eating every 4 hours he is now eating every 2. This is the biggest news today. He also had another one of his iv's removed, I believe that the only one's left are those entering through his belly button. He is still in the process of being weened from different devices and drugs.
Gretchen and I continue to revel in God's healing hands working before our eyes. We would like you to remember all of the other children in the NICU and their families and keep them in your prayers also.
Tomorrow will be an exciting day for all of us to celebrate, Kolton will be 1 week old at 0925!!!
Thank you all for being the wonderful people that you are, we are truely blessed to have people like you in our lives.
All of our Best,
The Thompson Tribe
I hope this message finds all of you well. We can't state this enough but we want to thank all of you for your continued prayers, kind words, positive thoughts, & generous offerings. I will apologize in advance but this journal entry will be considerably shorter than those in the past. The emotional, mental, and physical demands have finally caught up with our bodies and we are crashing hard, very exhausted.
Kolton is continuing another stellar day with his stats and numbers. We received a call this morning from his nurse notifying us that he is completely off of the ventilator and now he is on a "C-Pap" machine, which helps with apnea (this is a condition, where you forget to breath, typically when you are sleeping, common in premies and adults). His feeding has increased... so instead of eating every 4 hours he is now eating every 2. This is the biggest news today. He also had another one of his iv's removed, I believe that the only one's left are those entering through his belly button. He is still in the process of being weened from different devices and drugs.
Gretchen and I continue to revel in God's healing hands working before our eyes. We would like you to remember all of the other children in the NICU and their families and keep them in your prayers also.
Tomorrow will be an exciting day for all of us to celebrate, Kolton will be 1 week old at 0925!!!
Thank you all for being the wonderful people that you are, we are truely blessed to have people like you in our lives.
All of our Best,
The Thompson Tribe
January 19, 2009
Good Evening Kolton Support Group (KSG),
Kyle Here again taking the journal duties for the day. We want to thank all of you for your continued prayers, kind words, positive thoughts, generous offerings. I would like to start the journal with Gretchen's status... she is physically doing great after giving birth five days ago. I know a few of you have asked so, I felt as though this is some more good information that would be well received.
Another short note... Tavyn is doing great also... we are very lucky to have such an easy going, happy go lucky kid. It also helps that since he is only a year and one day older than Kolton he is not to cognizant of what is transpiring.
Today was an exciting day for Gretchen, since Kolton was born we both were only able to touch him once before and today Gretchen was able to hold his hand and help with his ventilator. Big step emotionally for us and a great sign in his stability.
In regards to Kolton's status: He has continued to keep his stats stable and his bodily functions regular. He is off another one of his medications, it was the one that was keeping the hole in his heart open and now the hole is staying open on its own. He is continually being weened from his ventilator and they are speculating that he should be off of it within a few days. On to the biggest news... his feedings have been going well and now he is being fed Gretchen's milk every four hours instead of the initial six hours. As the days progress so will the time in between feedings and the amount will increase also. His nurse today happily informed me that he is were he needs to be stat wise as a premie (essentially he is an "average joe" premie), though keep in mind this does not take into consideration his heart condition. He did have another ultrasound on his noggin today and it came back clear, so his head is still showing good signs.
I know some of you have brought up a question that regards his heart... some people wanted to know why this condition was not identified in his initial ultrasound while he was still in utero... this is something that they do not look for, they look for the normal sizes, shapes, and functions of the child's organs. So in other words unless they were specifically looking for his heart condition they would have never found it. If you have any more questions feel free to post them and I will answer them as soon as I get an answer from his support team at the hospital.
One other question was brought to my attention is how to mail stuff to Kolton... this is how you should address it:
Children's Hospitals and Clinics of Minnesota Attn: NICU-Kolton I Thompson
2525 Chicago Ave. S.Minneapolis, MN 55404
I wanted to close tonight's journal entry with another quote from the book that I have been reading Kolton. "Faith is a process. God leads us one step at a time. He will always put inside you whatever you need to move forward. If you need strength, it's inside you. If you need hope, it's inside you. If you need joy, determination, encouragement, God has placed them within you. So tap into your God-given resources by faith, because He will never ask you to do something that He hasn't already prepared you to do. Be open minded and open handed to what God is doing in your life today."
Move forward and He will be with you!
Have a wonderful evening! We will be back tomorrow. Thanks & Love,
The Thompson Tribe
Kyle Here again taking the journal duties for the day. We want to thank all of you for your continued prayers, kind words, positive thoughts, generous offerings. I would like to start the journal with Gretchen's status... she is physically doing great after giving birth five days ago. I know a few of you have asked so, I felt as though this is some more good information that would be well received.
Another short note... Tavyn is doing great also... we are very lucky to have such an easy going, happy go lucky kid. It also helps that since he is only a year and one day older than Kolton he is not to cognizant of what is transpiring.
Today was an exciting day for Gretchen, since Kolton was born we both were only able to touch him once before and today Gretchen was able to hold his hand and help with his ventilator. Big step emotionally for us and a great sign in his stability.
In regards to Kolton's status: He has continued to keep his stats stable and his bodily functions regular. He is off another one of his medications, it was the one that was keeping the hole in his heart open and now the hole is staying open on its own. He is continually being weened from his ventilator and they are speculating that he should be off of it within a few days. On to the biggest news... his feedings have been going well and now he is being fed Gretchen's milk every four hours instead of the initial six hours. As the days progress so will the time in between feedings and the amount will increase also. His nurse today happily informed me that he is were he needs to be stat wise as a premie (essentially he is an "average joe" premie), though keep in mind this does not take into consideration his heart condition. He did have another ultrasound on his noggin today and it came back clear, so his head is still showing good signs.
I know some of you have brought up a question that regards his heart... some people wanted to know why this condition was not identified in his initial ultrasound while he was still in utero... this is something that they do not look for, they look for the normal sizes, shapes, and functions of the child's organs. So in other words unless they were specifically looking for his heart condition they would have never found it. If you have any more questions feel free to post them and I will answer them as soon as I get an answer from his support team at the hospital.
One other question was brought to my attention is how to mail stuff to Kolton... this is how you should address it:
Children's Hospitals and Clinics of Minnesota Attn: NICU-Kolton I Thompson
2525 Chicago Ave. S.Minneapolis, MN 55404
I wanted to close tonight's journal entry with another quote from the book that I have been reading Kolton. "Faith is a process. God leads us one step at a time. He will always put inside you whatever you need to move forward. If you need strength, it's inside you. If you need hope, it's inside you. If you need joy, determination, encouragement, God has placed them within you. So tap into your God-given resources by faith, because He will never ask you to do something that He hasn't already prepared you to do. Be open minded and open handed to what God is doing in your life today."
Move forward and He will be with you!
Have a wonderful evening! We will be back tomorrow. Thanks & Love,
The Thompson Tribe
january 18, 2009 Proud poppa blogs!
Good Sunday Morning,
Kyle here! First off I want to thank all of you for your prayers, kind words, positive thoughts, generous offerings, etc... it means the world to our little family and it is definitely helping us through this time. The only thing that we know we need at this time is the continued prayers.
I just switched shifts with Gretchen so I will get you all up to date on Kolton (aka - Strong Heart, as I like to call him). He has been stable all through the night and his stats are looking normal, every time I come back from a break in watching over him the wonderful staff at Children's start the process of weening him from another drug or device. So that is good!!! He is starting to have normal bodily functions(BMs and urination) another good sign! Today they started to introduce Gretchen's milk into his system and it will be a trial and error to see how his digestive system is working. To dive a little deeper, they give him 0.1 mls every 6 hours, within 2 hours of the initial feeding they check internally to see how much has been processed. So our goal for the next couple of days is to get his digestion system working properly. He is also off of his light therapy for now which helps with his jaundice. On a separate note, I want to believe that he is picking up on voice recognition, this morning when I was talking with the staff he was facing us as we were discussing his stats, I proceeded to move over to the other side of his incubator and as I moved his head followed my voice, words cannot explain the feelings that brought me! In regards to his heart condition, I realize it is hard to explain through a blog what he has and what to expect, so Kolton's head nurse (Diana, who is heaven sent) gave me a link to explain the condition and the surgery. I highly recommend you to check out the link, it will paint a clear picture in your head: http://www.cincinnatichildrens.org/health/info/heart/diagnose/transposition.htm
Since I have had a lot of time at the hospital with Kolton, reading, thinking, reflecting. I truly believe that this whole situation is a gift... I know that a lot of you are questioning what I'm saying, but hear me out. Kolton coming into this world is the greatest gift of all, he has taught me a lot, like to live each day... don't live in the past nor the future, live in the here and now. You never know if tomorrow will ever come. He has helped me hone my patience skills, a little bit of patience goes a long way. He has taught me strength, he does not know the words "can't & impossible", we can do anything. His will to live is amazing, it makes you want to live life to the fullest and not put things off, take care of yourself mentally, emotionally, and physically. And best of all I know the lessons will keep coming.
In times like these we are tested, I believe that we are equipped with everything we need inside of us, we just need to tap into it. Staying positive is key, waking up each day in the positive is great! Miracles happen all around we need to take the time to recognize them. In the past few days I have seen them on a minute to minute basis. At times when you feel that your hands are tied always remember that God's are not. I want to share a quote out of a book that I'm reading to Kolton: "You are a person of destiny. You have an assignment and are full of gifts, talents, encouragement, and love. You have rich treasures inside you that people need. You have more in you than you realize, and you can accomplish more than you ever thought possible. No matter what happens in life, hold onto this truth, even if you don't always feel strong. Even during the times when life tries to push you down or convince you otherwise, don't allow those treasures within to get buried under your circumstances. You can rise above disappointments, negative words, and unfair situations as long as you don't lose sight of your value. Hold on to your sense of destiny. I am reminding you today of what you already know because deep down in your spirit, you know you have what it takes. You are created in the image of God. He made you exactly the way He intended, and He equipped you with everything you need. You have strength to stand strong in the midst of difficult situations, and the wisdom it takes to make good decisions. Dare to be bold and believe that you are a person of destiny because you can leave your mark on this generation. You may feel like your life looks ordinary today, but you too are writing the pages of history!".
Good Stuff!!! I know a lot of people would like to visit us at Childern's... I know that Kolton cannot have visitors at this time due to the risk of illness and/or infection. I will find out if Gretchen and I can receive visitors and where. Don't take offense but we are limiting ourselves to contact also do to the risk of carrying infections. Kolton can receive items in the mail there, ie, cards, flowers, non latex balloons, stuffed animals... Use the address of the hospital and make it Attention to NICU-Kolton I Thompson. We will continue to keep you posted via this site, since we are not allowed cells in Kolton's area, but thank you for all of the calls, texts, and emails. We really appreciated them.
Thank you all and we love you,
The Thompson Tribe
Kyle here! First off I want to thank all of you for your prayers, kind words, positive thoughts, generous offerings, etc... it means the world to our little family and it is definitely helping us through this time. The only thing that we know we need at this time is the continued prayers.
I just switched shifts with Gretchen so I will get you all up to date on Kolton (aka - Strong Heart, as I like to call him). He has been stable all through the night and his stats are looking normal, every time I come back from a break in watching over him the wonderful staff at Children's start the process of weening him from another drug or device. So that is good!!! He is starting to have normal bodily functions(BMs and urination) another good sign! Today they started to introduce Gretchen's milk into his system and it will be a trial and error to see how his digestive system is working. To dive a little deeper, they give him 0.1 mls every 6 hours, within 2 hours of the initial feeding they check internally to see how much has been processed. So our goal for the next couple of days is to get his digestion system working properly. He is also off of his light therapy for now which helps with his jaundice. On a separate note, I want to believe that he is picking up on voice recognition, this morning when I was talking with the staff he was facing us as we were discussing his stats, I proceeded to move over to the other side of his incubator and as I moved his head followed my voice, words cannot explain the feelings that brought me! In regards to his heart condition, I realize it is hard to explain through a blog what he has and what to expect, so Kolton's head nurse (Diana, who is heaven sent) gave me a link to explain the condition and the surgery. I highly recommend you to check out the link, it will paint a clear picture in your head: http://www.cincinnatichildrens.org/health/info/heart/diagnose/transposition.htm
Since I have had a lot of time at the hospital with Kolton, reading, thinking, reflecting. I truly believe that this whole situation is a gift... I know that a lot of you are questioning what I'm saying, but hear me out. Kolton coming into this world is the greatest gift of all, he has taught me a lot, like to live each day... don't live in the past nor the future, live in the here and now. You never know if tomorrow will ever come. He has helped me hone my patience skills, a little bit of patience goes a long way. He has taught me strength, he does not know the words "can't & impossible", we can do anything. His will to live is amazing, it makes you want to live life to the fullest and not put things off, take care of yourself mentally, emotionally, and physically. And best of all I know the lessons will keep coming.
In times like these we are tested, I believe that we are equipped with everything we need inside of us, we just need to tap into it. Staying positive is key, waking up each day in the positive is great! Miracles happen all around we need to take the time to recognize them. In the past few days I have seen them on a minute to minute basis. At times when you feel that your hands are tied always remember that God's are not. I want to share a quote out of a book that I'm reading to Kolton: "You are a person of destiny. You have an assignment and are full of gifts, talents, encouragement, and love. You have rich treasures inside you that people need. You have more in you than you realize, and you can accomplish more than you ever thought possible. No matter what happens in life, hold onto this truth, even if you don't always feel strong. Even during the times when life tries to push you down or convince you otherwise, don't allow those treasures within to get buried under your circumstances. You can rise above disappointments, negative words, and unfair situations as long as you don't lose sight of your value. Hold on to your sense of destiny. I am reminding you today of what you already know because deep down in your spirit, you know you have what it takes. You are created in the image of God. He made you exactly the way He intended, and He equipped you with everything you need. You have strength to stand strong in the midst of difficult situations, and the wisdom it takes to make good decisions. Dare to be bold and believe that you are a person of destiny because you can leave your mark on this generation. You may feel like your life looks ordinary today, but you too are writing the pages of history!".
Good Stuff!!! I know a lot of people would like to visit us at Childern's... I know that Kolton cannot have visitors at this time due to the risk of illness and/or infection. I will find out if Gretchen and I can receive visitors and where. Don't take offense but we are limiting ourselves to contact also do to the risk of carrying infections. Kolton can receive items in the mail there, ie, cards, flowers, non latex balloons, stuffed animals... Use the address of the hospital and make it Attention to NICU-Kolton I Thompson. We will continue to keep you posted via this site, since we are not allowed cells in Kolton's area, but thank you for all of the calls, texts, and emails. We really appreciated them.
Thank you all and we love you,
The Thompson Tribe
Jan 17, 2009 parents updated
1-17-09: Kolton fights another round! The close of yesterday saw his blood sugar return to almost normal levels. By this morning, it was normalized. Kyle spent the evening in NICU. I was discharged Friday afternoon and thanks to my good friends McDrev & Bailey - I had pants to wear home. I spent my first night back at home with Tavyn and Oma.
Kolton's doctor's are very excited about his determination. Today is just cruise control. They are really just tinkering with levels to keep him stable and beginning to decrease some of the medications. Kyle has been reading to him passages from the Bible and other books. The doctors believe Kolton is responding to his voice. Miracle after miracle we are watching!!! I do not think we will be doubting that miracles just happen in the Bible, but they happen everyday.
The cardiac team at Children's will most likely be reviewing Kolton's case on Thursday. They will start to plan his heart surgery. Apparently, the timing of the surgery is pretty critical to its success.
We will still need Kolton's lungs to mature and pray that there is no permanent damage. Additionally, he remains at risk for a brain hemmorhage. They will do routine head scans to continue monitoring. His next hurdle will be proper bowel function. He will start to be introduced to breast milk in a few days. This will be administered through a feeding tube into his stomach. Then the test begins to see if he can tolerate and process it.
Again, we are happy to smile in the blessing of each day!
Thank you for continued thoughts and prayers. They are healing Kolton and us!
Kolton's doctor's are very excited about his determination. Today is just cruise control. They are really just tinkering with levels to keep him stable and beginning to decrease some of the medications. Kyle has been reading to him passages from the Bible and other books. The doctors believe Kolton is responding to his voice. Miracle after miracle we are watching!!! I do not think we will be doubting that miracles just happen in the Bible, but they happen everyday.
The cardiac team at Children's will most likely be reviewing Kolton's case on Thursday. They will start to plan his heart surgery. Apparently, the timing of the surgery is pretty critical to its success.
We will still need Kolton's lungs to mature and pray that there is no permanent damage. Additionally, he remains at risk for a brain hemmorhage. They will do routine head scans to continue monitoring. His next hurdle will be proper bowel function. He will start to be introduced to breast milk in a few days. This will be administered through a feeding tube into his stomach. Then the test begins to see if he can tolerate and process it.
Again, we are happy to smile in the blessing of each day!
Thank you for continued thoughts and prayers. They are healing Kolton and us!
jan 16, 2009....parents reflect....
1-16-09: Personal reflections from Kyle & I...
We are forever changed, blessed and overwhelmed. The outpouring of love and support and prayer and willingness to do absolutely anything to help in any way leaves us speechless. We search for deep meaningful words to convey how much every single prayer, card, email, phone call, thought, etc. truly uplift us and have carried us through each and every minute. We sincerely thank everyone and know that our road will be long but filled with love. What a blessing to be thankful for this moment, to be thankful for a life so precious and celebrate it at and in a moment that is not tainted by past or future. To be truly present in right now. We love you all - dearly and have come to recognize the true signifigance of relationships. We pray to be better people going forward because of the miracle God has created in our lives through each of you. We continue to pray to be a witness to the power of faithful living.
Thank you!
Gretchen, Kyle, Tavyn, Kolton & Naboo (the dog)
We are forever changed, blessed and overwhelmed. The outpouring of love and support and prayer and willingness to do absolutely anything to help in any way leaves us speechless. We search for deep meaningful words to convey how much every single prayer, card, email, phone call, thought, etc. truly uplift us and have carried us through each and every minute. We sincerely thank everyone and know that our road will be long but filled with love. What a blessing to be thankful for this moment, to be thankful for a life so precious and celebrate it at and in a moment that is not tainted by past or future. To be truly present in right now. We love you all - dearly and have come to recognize the true signifigance of relationships. We pray to be better people going forward because of the miracle God has created in our lives through each of you. We continue to pray to be a witness to the power of faithful living.
Thank you!
Gretchen, Kyle, Tavyn, Kolton & Naboo (the dog)
January 16, 2009 Parents updated....
1-16-09: Today Kolton's battle will focus on blood sugar level. Somewhat common in these situations is very high or very low blood glucose. Kolton's is very high - in the 600s. Should be more like 100 give or take.
He had a stable night. Mostly more adjusting levels, testing levels, re-testing.
No news on the cultures for infection yet. They will continue to let the cultures grow and continue to treat infection, even though we do not know exactly what we are fighting.
He had a stable night. Mostly more adjusting levels, testing levels, re-testing.
No news on the cultures for infection yet. They will continue to let the cultures grow and continue to treat infection, even though we do not know exactly what we are fighting.
Jan 15, 2009
1-15-09: BIG WIN for KOLTON today!!!
Kolton's brain scan results were normal!! This is huge news! Thank you for the prayers! We are seeing them work right before our eyes!
Updated on Caringbridge via parents
Kolton's brain scan results were normal!! This is huge news! Thank you for the prayers! We are seeing them work right before our eyes!
Updated on Caringbridge via parents
Kolton Isaiah
Kolton Isaiah Thompson born 1-14-09 at 9:25am weighing 2lbs 4oz and 14.5 inches long. Kolton was born at 27 weeks and 6 days, over 12 weeks premature. He is a beautiful boy, but very sick. The major vessels of his heart are switched. This means that oxygenated blood can't get to the rest of the body and deoxygenated blood is not getting to the lungs. In his first day of life, the best pediatric cardiac surgeons performed Kolton's first heart surgery. On a heart his size, the vessels can't be switched yet. So there is actually a hole in his heart that they made bigger to allow the oxygenation of the blood. Once Kolton reaches 4 to 5 pounds, they will be able to correct the vessels. As a result of the initial operation Kolton had a good night.
1-15-09: Kolton took a dip this morning in stability, but we were informed that this will be the constant minute by minute case. Up and stable for a while and then dipping back down and fighting. He has what appears to be a blood infection and we are awaiting definitive labs to find out. He is on many antibiotics. His lungs are not fully developed so he can not breathe on his own. He is on a ventilator in an oxygenated environment. Today he will have head ultrasounds to look for potential brain damage. We should have results this afternoon.
Your prayers are surrounding him and we know they are giving him strength. He's a determine little boy much like a few others in the family I know. Keep praying for Kolton and his medical miracle workers!
1-15-09: Kolton took a dip this morning in stability, but we were informed that this will be the constant minute by minute case. Up and stable for a while and then dipping back down and fighting. He has what appears to be a blood infection and we are awaiting definitive labs to find out. He is on many antibiotics. His lungs are not fully developed so he can not breathe on his own. He is on a ventilator in an oxygenated environment. Today he will have head ultrasounds to look for potential brain damage. We should have results this afternoon.
Your prayers are surrounding him and we know they are giving him strength. He's a determine little boy much like a few others in the family I know. Keep praying for Kolton and his medical miracle workers!
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