Landon's Intussusception

Before I feel like I can post all our fun Christmas pictures and New Year's Eve pictures, I need to catch this blog up to date!

Landon started getting sick on December 12. He slept on and off all day, woke up around 4, went on a walk and he threw up! I just figured he was getting the flu. He ate a little when we got home and went to bed! He woke up in the middle of the night throwing up and crying. His body was shutting down, but we didn't know it at the time!  

I'll be honest here, and its kind of disgusting, but since Ty and I didn't have insurance during this time I was really hesitant to overreact and take Landon to the hospital.  It sounds terrible and I'm embarrassed to say it, but I really felt nervous about what the ER bill might be.  I just didn't want to overreact if it was just the flu.  

As we approached the 24-hour mark of his sickness, we were quickly realizing that he was getting worse and worse.  I expressed my anxiety over not having insurance and Ty made the comment "Michelle, I don't care about the money.  If he were to die because I was worried about insurance, I'd never forgive myself."  At first I thought he was totally overreacting.  I was thinking "Ty, he's not dying.  Don't be ridiculous!"  But I couldn't get the thought out of my head.  I kept hearing him say that over and over and I began to realize that something was wrong with Landon and we needed to take him in.   

Ty was right.  Not be dramatic but if left alone, Landon probably would have died.  When we got to the ER we were still thinking he had the flu.  I really wasn't thinking it could possibly be anything else.  When the nurse examined him at triage she immediately got him a bed in the ER and deemed his situation serious and in need of immediate attention.  I just figured he was really dehydrated.  

At this point Landon was completely limp.  He was holding none of his own body weight.  He wasn't smiling or really even responding.  It was getting a little scary.  It took the nurses forever to get the IV going.  All of his veins were collapsing because he was so dehydrated.  They wanted to keep trying, but I finally just told them to put it in his head.  I didn't want to wait any longer.  The IV in his head looked a lot worse than it was.  He also had an x-ray and the doctor said there seemed to be a little bit of swelling in the intestines, but he wasn't sure if it was anything.  I kind of pushed that info aside and hoped he'd get better on the IV.

After 2o minutes of fluids, Landon perked up a little bit but then quickly went back to laying listlessly on the bed.   The doctors seemed concerned and didn't want to send us home yet.  

When a nurse came in to change his IV bag, Ty noticed that Landon had a dirty diaper.  He checked it, seemed concerned and told the nurse that she needed to look at it.  I was confused and didn't understand why Ty wanted her to check it, so I, of course, jumped in and pulled down the diaper.  It was full of blood.  Just blood.  This was the scariest moment of my life.  I was doing pretty good up until this point.  I wasn't very emotional because I just thought he had the flu.  A bloody diaper is not a symptom of the flu and for all I knew my kid was dying.  It was intense.  I was overwhelmed and really emotional.  Ty really showed a lot of strength for me in this moment.

The minute this happened the doctors came in with a plan of action.  They were pretty sure that he had an intussusception, and an ultrasound quickly confirmed their theory.  Basically, his small intestine had telescoped into the large intestine creating a huge blockage!  I had Ty call my parents and sis because I could barely speak.  They tried an air enema to solve the problem first.  Landon was strapped face down to a table with an x-ray machine over his body.  The doctor pumped air into his intestines hoping to undo the intussusception.  She actually said that she's never seen an intussusception so large.  After 30 minutes, they finally decided that the problem needed immediate surgical attention.  

I couldn't believe this was really happening!  We were transferred to Phoenix Children's Hospital via ambulance and within a few hours he was in surgery.  Wheeling Landon back and kissing him goodbye for surgery was extremely hard.  We couldn't help but think of what could possibly go wrong.  He's in God's hands.  

A few months ago I had a conversation with a friend about having faith in God.  His son had died of cancer and since that time had decided that he didn't believe in God anymore.  He had looked me in the eyes and said "You watch your son die, and tell me if you still believe in God."  At the time I did not respond.  I sat quiet.  But during this night, before surgery, during and after I heard those words over and over.  Would I believe?  If I watched Landon die then or if we loose him sometime in the future will I still believe there is a  God?  Furthermore,  would I believe he is good?  That night I had a peace in me.  I know who Landon belongs to and I know who I belong to.  I can still hear the pain in that question.   

After 2.5 hours Landon came back from surgery.   He was coming out of the anesthesia and going onto morphine.  This transition was miserable.  He was in so much pain and his breathing was hoarse from the tube he had in his throat during surgery.  It was terrible, but it was kind of what I had expected.  Strangely, I felt prepared for this moment, but I was exhausted.  

Our focus during the first 24 hours of surgery was to get his pain managed.  This was actually very hard because if Landon was given too much morphine his breathing could stop.  

The next couple days feel a bit fuzzy in my memory.  Basically it was a bit of a rollercoaster because the doctors thought the intussusception could be coming back.  We woke up numerous times during the night to fits of vomit.  Landon was shooting green bile 4-5 feet across the room! 

Finally and ultrasound confirmed that his intestines looked healthy and it was just taking some time for his bowels to get moving again.  

We were moved from PICU to the general floor at 1am Wednesday morning.  Landon still was not nursing or taking a bottle.  His last vomit spell was at 11pm.  I was certain that we'd be back in ICU because he just didn't seem like he was completely better.  Praise God, I was wrong.  

We settled into our shared room and Landon fell asleep for a couple hours.  At 4am he woke up screaming!  We had no clue what to do!  Everything we tried did not work.  We decided to see if he had any interest in nursing.  He latched on and there was no looking back.  12 hours later we were able to go home.  I cannot tell you how amazing it was when he finally began eating again.  It had been 6 days since he had nursed or taken a bottle.  

I can honestly say I look at Landon differently everyday.   In many ways, this experience changed my life more than him being born.  Ty and I celebrate his life with a much different perspective now.  

I can't stop thinking about those kids at that hospital.  I can't stop thinking about the incredible nurses and doctors that took care of our little boy.  One night I woke up and our nurse was rocking Landon.   I couldn't believe it!  How sweet!

I also can't stop thinking about how God provides for us.  Honestly, I struggle with money.  I struggle trusting that we will have enough.  I get overwhelmed easily in this area. Throughout the experience I had peace that God was going to work out the financial side of the whole experience, which unfortunately is so unlike me.  He didn't just work it out, but He provided a way for our entire bill, approximately $70,000 at PCH, to be paid in full by the time we left!   A woman at the financial services worked very hard to get us qualified for help!  It also looks like a way will be provided for us to pay Cobra this week and have our insurance pay the ER and ambulance bill as well!  I'm pretty humbled.  

We've got our boy back and better than ever!   Thank you, thank you, thank you to everyone who prayed so fervently for Landon's recovery!  Thank you for everyone who helped us during this time!  We couldn't have made it through without your love and support!

To add to our emotions during this time, the article above ran in the Journal and Courier in Lafayette, IN on December 14th which was Landon's 6-month birthday and the day he had surgery!    I love and miss my sweet family!