Originally Posted on | October 30, 2008
John’s procedures went well. The bronchoscopy revealed no further blockages in his throat, and Dr. Nowlin said he’d outgrow the laryngomalacia. So that is good news.
The balloon aortoplasty also had good results. They were able to reduce the gap in the blood pressure on either side of the valve by about 50% with very little leakage. Dr. Finnegan said that he wouldn’t be surprised if we had to do this again in 4 to 6 months, but it could be longer as well. In any case, we’ve bought some time to deal with the seizures. The only complication from the procedure was that John lost his pulse in his right leg because of trauma to the veins/arteries–they had to run both tubes up his right leg because they couldn’t get access through his left leg. But this evening the pulse is returning. They can’t feel it, but they can hear it with the Doppler. So please pray for the full recovery of John’s leg.
How amazing is it that in a baby the doctors can find a way up through his tiny veins into his tiny heart to take measures of his tiny blood flow and then improve the functioning of a tiny valve. I know some people wouldn’t consider this a mystery—they just run these tubes up his veins, look at it the TV, and blow up a little balloon. No big deal. I bet a hundred years ago this would have been a mystery to every doctor on earth.
As we contemplate the wonder of such a procedure, we should also contemplate the amazing gift of creativity that our Maker has bestowed on mankind, whom He created in His own image. Of course, we can’t make something out of nothing like He did—we are limited by our finiteness. But our creative ability to push the bounds of our finiteness ought to lead us to reveling in His infiniteness. We will never be able to comprehend Him fully, but through His Word, His Spirit and His gifts like creativity I believe He is more and more revealing the mystery of His being to his people over time.
In this case, I think of how there is no limit on how God can heal. John has a bad heart valve, God can heal it. John has a malformed brain, God can heal it. John is born into sin and death, God can heal him and save him from sin and death.
Of course, God doesn’t promise that He will heal in this world all of our physical ailments. We are very grateful that He has done so to the extent He has with John’s heart and seizures, and look forward to more of His work in this regard. But as I’ve mentioned before, Kelly and I are quite aware that not every little boy or girl comes out of situations like this as their parents would hope. Though that doesn’t keep us from praying for recovery and healing.
But we do have a certain hope for healing when it comes to our son(s). John will be healed of his sinful flesh, and will be with God for eternity. For we hold fast to God’s covenant promises and claim them for our son. As it says in Acts 2:36-39: “Let all the house of Israel therefore know for certain that God has made him both Lord and Christ, this Jesus whom you crucified.” Now whenthey heard this they were cut to the heart, and said to Peter and the rest of the apostles, “Brothers, what shall we do?” And Peter said to them, “Repent and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins, and you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. For the promise is for you and for your children and for all who are far off, everyone whom the Lord our God calls to himself.”
By the grace of God, we are covenant children, and so are William and John. We may have many trials as we wander together through this fallen world, but our whole family has a certain destination—eternity with God.
Forgive my foray into theology, but Kelly and I need to hear this time and time again. And when I write about it, it helps us to hear it for ourselves. Not sure how we would manage all this without our hope in Christ’s cleansing blood.
After John recovers, we’ll start trying to figure out how to get our little boy home. It is pretty clear now that the breathing challenges are related to seizures. So we’ll see if Dr. Reardon and others can figure out what drug cocktail will work to keep them under control.