Tomorrow is the big day.  Surgery day.  And I would be lying through my teeth if I didn’t say I was nervous and scared.

We were feeling so confident due to all the great things we had heard about the surgeon and also the procedure.  How foolproof it was.  This afternoon, we consulted with that surgeon and the first words out of her mouth were.  “This is not a cure -all.”  My mouth hit the floor. I mean….WHAT??!!  I expected her to tell me all the things that could go wrong.  You know…..all the things that happen in 1/1,000,000 cases or something.  But I didn’t expect her to contradict all that the other docs had been saying.  What she did tell us was that once the button is usable…..the solution that is injected into it can cause a lot of cramping.  That, folks, is not good.  Because of Cannon’s sensory issues…..cramping is a very bad thing.  Any pain or sensation is magnified to the hills in his little body.  She also questioned whether we were going to be able to put the device back in if he pulled it out.  Not because we are incompetent but because he is such a fighter.  And that is a very valid concern.

Here is a picture of what the devise might look like.

She will make an incision under his belly button and insert a camera.  This will tell her where to make the second incision which will be the permanent site of the button.  She will then pull the colon up, attach it to the abdominal wall as an anchor, and attach the button to a part of the colon.  When we are ready to use the button, we will open it, insert a long tube, and inject a solution of glycerin oil and saline into it.  This will irritate the colon causing it to empty in a few minutes.  Hopefully.  She also questioned what we had been told about that time frame and the healing threshold we had been instructed on as well.  And multiple other things.  My mom and the boys were with me.  My mom and I just kind of sat there with blank stares.  We just couldn’t believe what we were hearing.  We were so sure this was the right thing to do.  And now……it just made me more nervous for my sweet boy.

But we have made the decision and it is our only option other than continuing to bring him back to the hospital every 3 weeks.  So, my mom and I decided to pray in a unique way tonight.  We prayed that if this is not the right choice, that Cannon would wake up with a fever tomorrow.  Because if he has a fever, they would have to reschedule the surgery.  Silly, huh?

Well, I better go finish packing and get to bed.  We would be honored beyond words if any of you would pray for our precious boy tomorrow.  Pray for tolerance of the button above all else.  Because that is truly what will make or break this surgery!  We love and appreciate each and every one of you who come here, read and follow our journey, and pray for our family.  What an honor you bestow upon us.  And we could never thank y’all enough!  The final pics of the night were from a recent photo shoot.  Now here’s hoping and praying that we can get this smile back soon and that he will still love all the same things…..like baseball!  🙂