Oh Happy Day!!

We are SO VERY EXCITED to announce that Jonah's mandibular distraction devices are OFF!!!

This was the last photo taken of Jonah with his distractors still on.  I told him that the next photo I took of him, they'd be GONE!

Well, while I was really excited the devices were coming off, ... Jonah was very apprehensive and he broke down multiple times in the hours prior to his surgery.  His anticipation is his worst enemy.  His fits of crying were so intense that the pre-Op staff was concerned and some were even quite alarmed.  Jonah was more distressed about having the distractors removed than he was when he went to have them placed.  As I have said several times, it has been a rough three months for this boy (and his parents) and he has grown weary of all the pulling, placing, poking, and prodding that he has had to endure.  

Last week, he needed a simple x-ray and he screamed uncontrollably so I had to hold him down just so they could get the picture of his jaw bones.  Just a couple days ago, he needed to have pictures and x-rays taken and his palate expander removed for the "before-surgery" records and he created such a commotion with his crying during the removal of the expander that we had to be escorted to another area of the office where the doors could be sealed off.  The more he goes through, the more we see his struggles and we need to find some better ways to address his feelings about all of this.  He's gone through so much in such a short time and he's just so sensitive.

So, here it is ... the first post-distractor photo.   

Yes, he looks like he's sleeping very peacefully here ... but let me tell you, he was not happy when he woke up in "recovery".  Jonah, again, had a terrible fit of crying and especially became distressed when he saw the IV in his arm.  I must say, ... there are just some times when morphine is a blessing.  Of course, the recovery room was full of other children at the time of Jonah's distress and several of them were frightened.  The nurse was only too eager to administer the small dose to calm and quiet him. 

As promised, we got Jonah a couple of really BIG balloons. 

All in all, I am very pleased ... ecstatic even ... that the distractors are off.  But that's not all that was done during Jonah's surgery.   He also had a pharyngeal flap done.  "A pharyngeal flap is a surgical procedure to correct or enhance the quality of your child's speech. Muscle tissue is transferred from the back of the throat or pharynx to the palate in order to narrow the nasal opening."  Dr. Denny said that this was the longest flap he has ever constructed at 32mm and he wasn't even sure that he would be able to do it.  Jonah's case (along with Rees') continues to be one of the most unique he's had.  

Dr. Denny mentioned, when he came to give us the update on Jonah's surgery, that he was considering doing a "fat"-graft that would be placed in the areas of Jonah's face where he now has scars as a result of the surgeons with Love Without Boundaries closing the large openings related to his facial cleft. A fat-graft would fill in and soften indent/creases in Jonah's face further enhancing a more normal appearance.  

Jonah was able to go home after a one-night stay in the hospital.  He's happy to be home and after a full day/night home, his spirits are much higher and he's eating better and talking more.  We can already tell a few differences with his speech.  While he has a long way to go, his voice seems a bit stronger when speaking certain words and he can slightly make certain sounds that he absolutely could NOT do before.

Thank-You, LORD, for getting us through the next step!  Thank-You, LORD ... as I watch Jonah skip through the house and snap his fingers at me just now, that he is able to bounce back and show signs of a positive recovery.  Thank-You, LORD, ...