Reid's Baby Blog

Thursday, November 16, 2006

Hi Everybody.

We arrived safely to Children's Hospital in Seattle on Tuesday night. It was late when Mommy and I got checked in. Yesterday, the doctor came to talk to us about my liver and treatment.

He says that when I was still in Mommy's tummy, the bile ducts in my liver were blocked. This caused the bile to build up in my liver, making damage and scar tissue. It is a condition called "Biliary Atresia". The doctor said that it is common in children and that it is not a genetic problem. Whew.

The doctors gave my daddy some information, which says:

"Cells within the liver secrete a liquid called bile, which is made up of cholesterol, bile salts and waste product, including bilirubin. A network of tubular structures and tiny ducts form the biliary system to drain bile from the liver to the small intestine wher it aids in the digestive process. Biliary Atresia is the closure or disappearance of the biliary system.

Biliary atresia is a progressive inflammatory process that begins very soon after birth. In the most common form the delicate ducts outside the liver are affected first. White blood cells invade the ducts, which become damaged and may whither or completely disappear. Bile is trapped inside the liver and rapidly causes damage and scarring to the liver cells."

Today I have an ultrasound and tomorrow I have surgery. The procedure is called a "Kasai". During the surgery they will clear out my liver and bile ducts as much as possible. They will also make a connection between my liver and small intestine, by-passing the bile ducts.

After surgery tomorrow, we will have to stay here at Children's Hospital in Seattle for another two weeks.

The doctors told Mommy and Daddy that when I am 6-9 months old, they might recommend a liver transplant. That means that I would have to come back here to Children's Hospital for that surgery, too.

You can write notes to me and Mommy and Daddy. The hospital has a computer that Mommy and Daddy can use to post to my Baby Blog. They can also read the messages you post here.

Thank you for your prayers. I love you.

Reid

9 comments:

Anonymous said...: Good wishes, Reid. God is with you.; November 16, 2006 at 5:04:00 PM PST
Anonymous said...: HUGS, KISSES, BUNCHES OF LOVE, AND PRAYERS TO ALL OF YOU..
LOVE
AUNTY GEN
&
UNCLE DAVE; November 16, 2006 at 10:52:00 PM PST
Anonymous said...: We are praying for you and your mommy and daddy. Also, for "aunt Rikki". Jesus loves you!

Shirley Hegel, Laurel; November 17, 2006 at 8:38:00 AM PST
Amanda M said...: Hi Reid,

I hope that your kasai works really really well. My niece Katie had her kasai at Seattle Children's in 1998, and it worked!

Your relatives might be interested in this article on the history of biliary atresia, "Getting Better All the Time" at http://biliaryatresia.blogspot.com/2006/07/pt-ii-biliary-atresia-getting-better.html

David & Tami, there's a whole bunch of families who deal with pediatric liver disease gathered at www.liverfamilies.net (click on the forum tab and then on "open door"). After Katie's kasai we were so scared and had no one to talk to, but things have changed, thank goodness. Today there are 450+ families there, from all over the world, so even if you have a question in the middle of the night, there's a chance that someone might answer.

Best wishes for a speedy recovery, and a Happy Thanksgiving. Katie also spent her first Thanksgiving at Seattle Children's.

- Amanda, Aunt to Katie, age 8, biliary atresia, kasai only
www.biliaryatresia.blogspot.com; November 18, 2006 at 1:02:00 AM PST
Anonymous said...: Reid,

hey little guy, hang in there!!!
we all miss you, and can't wait to see you!!! God loves you, and we're all praying that he'll preform a miracle. Tell your mommy and daddy that we miss them too!!!

love, Brandee; November 18, 2006 at 6:03:00 PM PST
Anonymous said...: Hi Reid!

I'm Cindie and my son is Kaden, he too has a liver disease and we are patients of Childrens in Seattle. You are on the best floor with the best nurses around (doctors for that matter). We hope that everything goes great with your surgery. We'll stop in when we come for blood draws and introduce ourselves.

Hugs to you all; November 18, 2006 at 10:46:00 PM PST
Anonymous said...: ALL MY LOVE TO ALL OF YOU, WISH I COULD BE THERE TO HELP. JUST SO YOU KNOW THAT OUR THOUGHTS AND PRAYERS ARE WITH YOU... HUGS AND KISSES TO ALL AND EXTRA ONES TO BABY REID...WITH LOVE AUNTY GEN AND UNCLE DAVE; November 19, 2006 at 3:54:00 AM PST
Anonymous said...: OUR DARLING REID, YOU ARE SURE A FIGHTER!!! JUST KEEP IT UP WE KNOW YOU CAN DO IT BECAUSE GOD IS RIGHT THERE WITH YOU.
AUNTY GEN ALSO KNOWS THAT WHEN YOU TALK AND LAUGH IN YOUR SLEEP, YOU, TWINKS AND CARE BEAR ARE ALL PLAYING WITH YOUR ANGELS :)
KEEP SUCKING DOWN THAT GOOD MILK YOUR MOMMY HAS AND HAVING THOSE GOOD "BM'S".
WE LOVE YOU VERY MUCH, HUGS AND KISSES TO MOMMY,DADDY,NANA & AUNTY RIKKI.
LOVE YOU BUNCHES
AUNTY GEN ANDUNCLE DAVE; November 20, 2006 at 2:24:00 AM PST
Anonymous said...: WE'RE SO GLAD TO HEAR YOUR FEELING SO MUCH BETTER TODAY.
OUR LOVE AND PRAYERS WITH YOU ALWAYS. SEE YOU SOON.
LOVE AUNTY GEN AND UNCLE DAVE; November 20, 2006 at 6:22:00 PM PST

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About Reid Morgan Peterson

Reid Peterson Fund

REID PETERSON FUND at GLACIER BANK.

There is a bank account at Glacier Bank for Reid Peterson. You can walk in and make a deposit at anytime and at any branch. If you wish to mail in funds, make checks and / or money orders payable to: Reid Peterson.

Mail to:
REID PETERSON
PO BOX 190902
Hungry Horse, MT 59919

TAX DEDUCTIBLE DONATIONS:

There are a couple of options for tax deductible donations. The first, with the Peterson's home church Hungry Horse Chapel (Pastor Brent Schmit) and the second with All Nations Fellowship (Pastor Jeny Running Brook Covill). If you wish to receive a tax deductible receipt, make your financial gift payable to the church and mail to the address below. Please include a note, on a separate piece of paper, stating your financial gift designation.

HUNGRY HORSE CHAPEL
PO BOX 190038
Hungry Horse, MT 59919

ALL NATIONS FELLOWSHIP
PO BOX 2870
Columbia Falls, MT 59912
www.runningbrookministries.com

Thank you so very much.

Miracles Do Happen!

Throughout this adventure, one thing is for sure, miracles do happen! Starting from 'day one', we have experienced one miracle after another.

First, we conceived a beautiful baby boy, Reid Morgan Peterson. Second, we made it through a difficult pregnancy. Third, through an unusual string of events, we found ourselves on a fast track of discovery and divine intervention, from Reid's birth until now. (The words 'difficulty to diagnosis to depending on God' had been a reoccuring theme for the past four months.) Fourth, we received blessing after blessing, as finances and jet planes were made available. Fifth, we received news of a liver donor and all the following events flowed into place. Sixth, Reid received a new liver and the miracles keep coming.

We are told that most of these kind of transplant surgeries involve a certain amount of abdominal swelling and / or organ swelling. (In our case, swelling of the liver.) Because of that, 90% of the time, the incision is left open. However, in Reid's case, there was no swelling to speak of and the doctors were able to completely close the incision at the end of the surgery. Not only that, but the new liver started working before the surgery was even completed. This is remarkable! A miracle.

Also, we were told that Reid's skin color would not be better for at least 4-5 days following surgery. However, immediately following surgery, Reid was already looking SO MUCH BETTER. White in his eyes and less yellow in his skin. Also, people keep remarking about his countenance. They call him 'spunky', 'a fighter' and 'strong'. He is more alert and active than what was to be expected. Over all, it seems that even his recovery is miraculous in how quickly he is healing.

We were told that we'd be in the hospital at least a month .. about 10 days in ICU and another 20 in a regular hospital room. However, after just 8 days since surgery, Reid is ready to be discharged from the hospital. In those 8 days, he was eating sooner than expected, he was healing sooner than expected, he was taken off of tubes and IVs sooner than expected, he was taken off of pain killers and meds sooner than expected. This quick recovery is generally unheard of.

We look forward to the wonderful blessings that are yet to come our way for our beautiful miracle baby.

Thank you Abba Father, Jesus and Holy Spirit for your supernatural touch of grace and healing, peace and love, faithfulness and power.

We also want to thank YOU! ... All of you out there who have been praying, sending encouraging notes, helping financially and taking care of our responsibilities back home. We've needed you and we appreciate you so much.