Tues. 9/23 - update

God always knows just exactly when we need encouragement the most, and He definitely provided some for me today!

First of all.....I was expecting a package from Todd today, and when I went down to get it, wow!.....what a surprise to get so many cards! THANK YOU ALL SO MUCH! You probably had no idea that I have always been a "letter person." Ever since we moved to Edna 7 yrs. ago, mail time has always become my favorite time of the day. I LOVE to get mail.....(not bills), but the fun stuff. Hearing from you all was definitely the highlight of my day! Thank you again!!!!!

Next, our clinic appt. went very well this morning. I will summarize it for you:

1) They are not 100% sure how much sm. bowel he has left. Dr. Mercer said measuring with the scope is not very accurate. However, in Caed's situation, knowing the exact number is not necessary. Whether it's 40 - 50 - 70 cm or more..........the main thing they are focusing on is not the length but rather how well it is working.

2) There is NO bacterial overgrowth in the small intestine!! This is great news!!!! The C-diff is coming from the colon.

3) This week we will:
-keep the tube feeds the same (no change in concentration or rate) Want to give the bowel a break and try to focus on the c-diff.
-recheck c-diff on Thurs. (stool sample)
-add some extra zinc (this level was a little low)

4) Begin ORS Drink Therapy (oral rehydration salt) This will help absorb some of the water, and hopefully lessen the number of watery stools. They said it is pretty "salty" tasting, but because he is missing his ileum (which absorbs some of the salts in your body), he actually might 'crave' it. We can mix it with sugar free Kool-aid or Crystal Light, so it should be tolerable. Caed picked the lemonade flavor and has been drinking it just fine.

5) They feel we can hopefully control the number of stools more by oral food than with the tube feedings. Because of the c-diff, they want us to completely cut out ALL fiber, sugar, and water! (absolutely zero fruit!) Caed drinks solely water, so we are praying he can transition to the ORS drink without any problems. Overall, the Small Bowel Syndrome diet is not too bad. I think I've said before that it needs to primarily consist of Protein, Complex Carbs, & polyunsaturated fats. (meat/potatoes) They want him on 'white' bread, rolls, rice, etc.... No whole grains. And limit dairy. (or use lactose free milk) Cookies, candy, cakes, ice cream, etc....will need to disappear. I think I will need to borrow my grandmother's Diabetic cook-books to get some recipes for low sugar or 'no sugar' desserts, etc... Tuesdays seem to be our grocery store days (after we leave clinic). Since they made even more changes this week in his diet, we needed to go get some more things. He has been fine with the snack choices they have given. No complaints whatsoever! The hardest part of implementing the diet is the fact that I am living out of a 'hotel room' with a microwave and mini frig. Carol and Cordell let me borrow an extra toaster they had, so that will help too. Eating out all the time gets OLD really quick. Today we just ate soley from our room, but most days we will grab something at least one meal / day.

6) Overall, they feel that he is doing very well. He weighed an even 35 lbs. today. Basically maintained from last week (which is good considering the c-diff). Just wanting him to start gaining!

The main prayer request right now will be getting rid of the c-diff. Already today he has had 10 watery stools (and we still have 3 1/2 hrs. to go in the day)!

Today has been a fairly relaxing day for us. It's been a little rainy here, so we've mainly stayed inside. I have struggled with allergies pretty bad, so I've felt kind of crummy. Probably will have an early bedtime tonight.

Reagan had an exciting day today. She has started "Tuesday school." It is made up of other homeschool kids, and primarily those who use Classical Christian Education. It is from 9-3 and they do Art, P.E., Music, Geography, Latin, and Science. She had a great time!! Thank you Lesli for thinking of her!

Thank you all again for the cards, etc.... It truly brightened my day and made me feel not quite so far away! The Lord definitely used you to bless me today!!!!

**Thank you SO VERY much Coach Ford! Caed loved it! Thank you from the bottom of our hearts. What a special gift!!!!