Comfort

This may be a curious title for a blog posting but it is a topic that has been on our minds these past few days. It was not just that we were too tired yesterday to post, though we were. (That and the fact that our internet was down all evening.) We have also been at a loss what to tell everyone because frankly Peter is not doing well.

On Sunday, we discovered that the chyle leak has picked up again, even on the left side (the surgery site). He is losing about 30 ml of fluids per hour (500-700 ml per day), quite a lot for a little baby, which means we're back to square one on the chylothorax. Despite the 90% success rate for patients overall, the pleurodesis has not worked for Peter. His general health and feistiness have not taken a nose dive by any means, but it is quite bad news because there are no real alternatives to treat the chylothorax. Dr. Overman has said that he is suspecting that the pulmonary veins may be blocked or malformed after all. On Thursday they are going to do a heart catheter (another surgical procedure) in order to get an accurate measurement of the pressure in the pulmonary vein. All the other tests speak against the existence of a blockage in the veins. Please pray that there is no blockage, because in that case little can be done for the patient.

In the words of one of the nurses, Peter has a lot on his plate. In addition to the chyle leak, he has been dealing with another pneumothorax (basically an air bubble trapped in the chest cavity) and he is still retaining a lot of fluids, including a lot under the skin. One bright point today was the news that Peter is peeing more and losing some of the fluids. We do covet your prayers that some way can be found nonetheless to stop the chyle leak soon.

It is a particularly tough time for us now. We are trying to spend as much quality time with Peter as possible while trying not to be overcome by fears and tears. So we seek comfort. In the words of the Heidelberg Catechism, it can be found only in the knowledge that we belong to our Savior Jesus Christ and in His promises to His people.