Luke's Adventure!

So, a lot has happened since my last post.  I love chronological order, but I suppose heart order should come first.  I'm sitting here in the PICU (Pediatric Intensive Care Unit) watching my sweet little Luke finally sleep.  Saturday around 4:00 he fell 4 1/2 feet out of his carseat from an IKEA shopping cart.  He appeared to be totally fine, just with a lovely goose egg.  Around 6:00 he started to throw up and that was our cue to not wait to hear back from any doctor or friend, but to just go to urgent care.  Urgent care sent us to the ER, and within 15 minutes he had stopped breathing, was intubated, had an IV (or two) and was being prepped for his very first helicopter ride!  He arrive at Primary Childrens' Hospital and was in surgery by 10:08.  Two grueling hours later we got to talk to the neurosurgeon and found out that everything went fabulously and he was expected to make a full and complete recovery.  He had unluckily landed in the one weak spot on a babies head and had a crack in his skull about 4 inches. He had also nicked two arteries and was bleeding into his brain.  Babies have about 4 cups of blood in their bodies, and the surgeon suctioned 1 1/2 cups out--just from his head. They actually sawed off the skull, cleaned out around the brain, and put everything back together again. Talk about humpty dumpty!!  The surgeon informed us that if we had been two hours longer we wouldn't have a baby to take home.

We set up camp in the PICU and his recovery has been slow, but steady. We've battled some apnea issues, decreased sodium levels, head leakage, lots of sleepiness and MAJOR swelling.  He looks like he got in one heck of a fight with somebody!  He's eaten on his own--YEAH!-- and has finally found his thumb so is thankfully sleeping as soundly as he can.  He's passing all his neurological tests and he's hitting his goals.  I don't think we will be getting out of the PICU tomorrow, but we're optimistic about Wednesday.  Things can always change, and can change so fast, but currently the talk is that we might be home by the weekend.

Thanks for everybody's thoughts and prayers.  There have been tears all around, and quite a few of them have come because of the love and support from everybody.  Offers to watch our kids, water our garden, feed our fish (which consequently bit the dust during our St. George vacation), bring us food, books and reading material, sit with us, sit with Luke....they have been so appreciated and helpful.  Knowing that there are prayers going up to Heaven all over the nation for our little Luke really touches our hearts. I had a conversation with Heavenly Father (I've had lots actually) and I was willing to give him up, but feel so thankful that I don't have to.

Our Luke, one day before the accident. Look at that beautifully shaped head! :)  Mike gave him a blessing before we left for the hospital and promised a full and complete recovery.  This is the Luke that is going to be coming home with us!

At the hospital, before everything went absolutely nuts.  I still thought at this point that they were going to send us home thinking I was some crazy over-protective Mom.  We had been watching for all the signs--pupils, funny behavior, sleepiness, etc. Until he threw up the first time, he was just normal as could be.  Within 45 minutes of throwing up, however, his hematoma had almost quadrupled and he was on his way to Primary Childrens.  I can safely say I am sure those hours were the worst I've experienced.

 After surgery.  They weren't sure about neck and spinal injuries, so he was in his neck brace for a while.  This was the first time we got to see him since he was being wheeled into surgery.  Brain surgery on my fourth month old...

 Bless Primary Childrens' Hospital. They have trauma down to an art.  They checked him in before he had even arrived at the hospital, only under a fake, computer assigned name. This allowed them to have everything ready to go--no papers to sign, no questions to ask, the blood bank was already ready, the surgeons were waiting.  This was a miracle in and of itself.  Luke is now nicknamed, "Triple Z!"

He's free of the neck brace! Yeah!!

This was a good moment. After waiting all day for him to wake up enough to remember to breath on his own, the ventilator finally came out! Hurray!!

 Avert your eyes, oh ye weak of stomach!  This is one narly scar!!

Too many things poking out of this baby!  So sad!!

 The swelling, as it was supposed to, just keeps going up and up. All the cat scans and CT scans (are those the same things?) come back totally normal and look great.  The human body is so amazing!  As of tonight, he can only open one eye.  I hope the swelling goes down enough soon for him to be able to open both.

 He found his thumb.  So soothing!!