Nail Biting: The 1 year mark is slowly approaching

I apologize for my lack of updating this past couple of weeks. Thanksgiving came and went without any issues and it was a bit relaxing.  Hunter did well to survive through it all himself, but almost refused to allow Mommy to eat but she was able to before he decided he didn't want to be in bed anymore.

Hunter managed to be weaned entirely from Methadone without any major problems.  He had been on methadone on and off for almost a year. The next step is Ativan.

Hunter also had a few follow-up appointments beforehand.  He is healing well despite small issues from his J-tube surgery.  He had an infection around his J-tube site and was placed on medication to help it heal better. Also it was noted that somehow Hunter had developed pressure sores underneath the disc of his temporary tube, but after being placed on antibiotics it showed signs of disappearing.

After returning home from his surgery family noticed a small sore on Hunter's Right ear. This sore has come and gone during each hospitalization, however after this recent stay at Johns Hopkins the sore did not vanish. I made an appointment with his Pediatrician to discuss the sore. We were told to place Hydrocortisone on the sore. Sadly the medication seemed to do very little to heal the infected area.

In early November we met with his regular Doctor for follow-up and his Doctor was impressed with the progress he was making so far.  We went ahead and scheduled to start the weaning process of Ativan.  At this time he is down from 0.5mL to 0.3mL and showing no signs of withdrawal.

We also showed the Doctor the unexplained sore on his Right ear.  They concluded it was a skin infection that started out as a pressure sore and continued to get worse.  They placed Hunter on Clindamycin for 10 days as well as providing us with some special wound care bandages to keep his ear covered.  The sore is still there but it definitely looks much better than it was before.

Hunter has several remaining followup appointments coming up before we take a break to avoid any possible winter weather storms.  He is due to meet with his Nutritionist to follow-up on his current feeding schedules. He is also due to see his ENT doctor to discuss about any reason why he had bleeding problems from his Trach (this issue has stopped and has showed no more blood) as well as a more closer look at his right ear. He also gets his J-tube button placed in on December 13.

However there is one date that has some of us biting nails, mainly me perhaps and forbidding the word "hospital" in this household.

While talking with family about the upcoming end of the year I began to realize that in 12 short days marks the 1 year since Hunter became severely sick.  I never realized how much time has truly passed until I knew the date of tomorrow.  Time felt slow and nerve-wracking for my family and I as we hung back and watched my son who was healthy in my terms become a former self of himself that he once was.  Moments became hours, hours became days, days became months and months passed slow.  To this day we will probably will never know what truly made him sick or the cause but in the end he fought through it all and proved to many that despite many downfalls or people's lost of hope, Hunter cane pull it through.

There are many days I'd like to forget this past year so Hunter and I decided that the next year we'll somewhat erase his horrible road of 2010 and rejoice in 2011 with many exciting events such as returning to school and continuing to thrive better and continue the road to rid of all the horrible incidents that occurred. Removal of medications, one goal to remove his Trach and become the child he once was before taking that dive into the pits of hell.  Also next year we hope to take a long needed vacation together as a family to Williamsburg, VA.

Here's to a new year and hopes of a better future.