Harvesting Joy

I am at home tonight with my Little Man and my mom and dad and Grandma and twin brother and almost sister. It is awesome to have everyone in town loving on us and staying with us. Hubs is staying at the hospital tonight and hopefully getting some studying done and eventually sleeping. It is always weird to leave J and I feel slightly guilty about it but at the same time, it is so nice to come home and see Little Man and snuggle and read books and tickle and laugh. I long for the days when we can all be home and happy together.
Today at the hospital J had a bronchoscopy(sp?). It was really cool to watch. His lungs looked okay on the inside- not red and inflamed and really yucky. The right one has some yuckiness in it- loogeys, if you will. That seems to be the reason for the collapse issues...at least part of it. The pulmunologist was able to suck out some of it and spray an enzyme on the parts he couldn't suck that will hopefully break it down so it can be suctioned out later. We are also hoping to start metaneb tomorrow. Metaneb is a treatment that blows high frequency air into his lungs- like 180 breaths per minute- that shake his lungs and hopefully loosens all the junk inside. If they can get the junk out, his ability to breathe should hopefully come back and then we can get off ECMO. If it works. Hopefully. God willing.
The rapamiacin has been in his system for over 24 hours and it is showing on the lab reports. It is very similar to chemo therapy and his white count is dropping a bunch. Starting tomorrow he may have some new room rules because his immune system is so run down. His doors will be closed and everyone will have to wear a mask, gloves, and a gown to get into the room. And by everyone I mean his Drs and me and Hubs because we aren't really letting anyone else in...Okay, Auntie K and Grandma, we will let you come, but that is about it....
And just to prove that timing is everything- after loving on Little Man for about 15 minutes tonight, he starts complaining about a sore throat and has a slight fever... Wow, did I pick a great night to come home or what? I'm now avoiding him and washing my hands every five seconds and praying no one else picks up whatever plague he probably got a preschool Tuesday. Gotta love the inevitable back to school sickness! Praise Jesus and pass the vitamins.
We truly love all of you - even those of you we haven't met. We are amazed and so grateful and so humbled by the outpouring of love and prayers for our beloved J and the rest of this crazy brood. You really can't come close to knowing how much we need and appreciate the prayers and support. So, yet again, thank you. And God bless you all too. Oh, but DB & JB, God bless ya'll.