an "Abundance of Praise" : prayers answered...

"Let everything that has breath praise the Lord. Praise the Lord!"

Psalm 150:6

Thank you for your prayers. Jude is recovering well. His surgery went better than expected. He was able to be repaired without a patch. This is rare for CDH babies but it is the most effective way. Recurrence is low using this method. It hasn't been necessary to increase his pain meds which is also exceptional.

We were pleased with the surgeon who has 38 years of experience. He was professional, friendly, and respectable. He made sure we were kept updated every hour with Jude's progress during surgery. We felt cared for and in good hands.

We ultimately give the Lord praise knowing He orchestrated every minute of this procedure. Thank you friends and family for your love and support, prayers and help.

Jude was in the middle of wake-time as they wheeled him to the operating area. We followed him all of the way. We called it his first field trip as he seemed to enjoy it. The nurse was manually breathing for him with a hand held pump since his ventilator had to be disconnected for the journey.

Prior to surgery, we were able to spend time with him. It was bitter-sweet. While we were interacting with him, he was calm. But when we had to step away for someone to access him, he would cry the "silent" cry again, glowing with redness and throwing his fists and legs. It was grieving to witness. Just before leaving, I reminded him that he was precious in His sight and to be a warrior. We quoted some scripture to him and said good-bye.

We were able to see him again about 5 hours later. He appeared lifeless because of the paralytic drugs. There was no movement in his chest or body. He was resting comfortably so we left him to sleep.

We came home because my own pain began to settle in. It was a rough night without him but we called periodically for updates. The nurse said he had some wake-time. Sadness sets in when I know we can't be there to talk to him.

There is still a difficult road ahead but we know Who is in control. The next step requires Jude to be weaned from his ventilator and then on to weaning from all of the drugs. That will be difficult for Jude as he is now considered an addict. It will be a long haul so please pray for peace for him. The feeds will follow and that can be equally lengthy and challenging.

We will continue to update you. Thank you for you for all you have done. We assure you, it has not gone unnoticed. We will upload more pictures later today. ~Paul and Jen

7/3 before surgery