Update 4-19-09

Thank you for continuing to visit Kolton's site and uplifting & surrounding us in prayer! Kolton continues to do well. The chest tubes (2 large tubes that drain off blood and fluids from the incision) were removed yesterday. Today he is struggling a bit with keeping his blood pressure stable. He is tending to have a little higher pressure than the doctors would like. They will continue to adjust medications to help him keep it more stable. Also, just more recovery time should help. We have to remind ourselves deconstructing and then reconstructing a heart is pretty major to say the least.
Many have asked about when he can come home. We really have no idea. He has to recover from the surgery, keep his blood pressure stable, breathe room air unassisted, and eat without a feeding tube. We have a way to go yet, but we know our little fighter will get it done as fast as he can.
The day of his surgery, Sue and I did some of the waiting on a little grassy patch outside on the hospital grounds. It struck me that in this tough neighborhood there were these 2 large buildings with 100s of miracles happening. Children's is in the top 1% in the nation, yet it is in one of the toughest neighborhoods in Minneapolis. I do not think I will look at hospitals quite the same. Driving by as if it were just another building in the past, but now knowing the profound life saving and life altering events taking place inside will be a constant reminder of God's hands doing work on earth.
After the surgery, I asked Dr. Overman if he was exhausted. He shook his head, smiled and said, "It is invigorating work." And then when I thanked him and hugged him, he said it was a privilege. Thank you to Dr. Overman & Dr. Mogda, the gifted surgeons!

Love-Gretchen