Big Day Explained

So we made it through Jack's big day at Children's without much trouble. However, we did not get the news we had hoped for regarding his airway status. Though Jack has been growing and we recently have heard some sounds of air getting around his trach, it appears from the bronchoscopy that the narrowing is still somewhat significant. They grade the stenosis from 1 (being the least) to 4 (being completed blocked). Jack's is currently at a good 3 and though chances are low that it will progress further, the inevitable reconstruction will still be difficult. This also means that it is unlikely that the reconstruction will take place this summer, as he will probably have not grown enough to make it feasible. The other thing that complicates things a bit is that the stenosis is close to his vocal cords. The best possible thing would be for Jack to get longer, as that would hopefully open up some room between the blockage and his vocal cords. This would make the traditional anterior / posterior reconstruction easier and open up some other options as well. Either way, he needs to continue to be the growing boy that he is. By the way, did I mention that he now weighs 15lbs 9oz!!! We also had a visit with newborn clinic where they follow up on his development.

In all, not the visit we had hoped for and I guess with all we have already been through with him, we are really looking forward to the day when we worry about him falling off of a bike instead of all of these much more complicated issues. More pictures soon and possibly some video 'cause he is now making some pretty cute sounds now when he laughs.