Esophagus Dilatation #2 (Oh, and Lucy is 10 months old!)

Yesterday Lucy turned 10 months - I can't believe it!  Wasn't I just writing that she was 9 months old?!?

Today she had her second esophagus dilatation.  The procedure went well again, as her first one did last month.  Instead of performing the dilatation with a series of wires/tubes, this time the surgeon inserted a deflated balloon into her esophagus and then inflated it once it was in place.  They inflate it just to the point that the tissue tears and starts to give a little.  Beyond that - the risk of more injury to the esophagus is too great.  He was pleased with the results, and told us that he was able to dilate it from around 6 mm to 8 mm.  So, we still have a ways to go and will repeat this again in 3 weeks.  He reminded us that this is a long process - the results are better right after a dilatation than they are 2 - 3 weeks down the road, because the site re-scars, causing the stricture to narrow again over time.  Once it gets wide enough, that will happen less and less.  Below is an image that we got today - before on the left, after on the right.  I think that the zoom is a little different, but you can definitely see a change after the procedure.  See how tiny it was before?  No wonder the poor baby has trouble swallowing sometimes! :(  Prior today, she had been having a lot of reflux and gagging so we are hoping that issue will be improved with today's procedure.

Lucy had a much easier time coming out of anesthesia today than she did last month.  Although it still took her a bit to get her oxygen levels to a high enough rate for them to discharge us, it happened much quicker today.  We had talked with the anesthesiologist before the procedure and he was going to give her a slightly different dose/mix in the hopes that she would recover quicker and we are so thankful that she did!  Thank You to all of you who lifted us up in your prayers today.  We felt it!

She had a nice long nap in the car on the way home and tonight was such a gem.  She is always happy to be home, surrounded with those she loves the most and able to play with all of her toys. 

Someone challenged me to claim a verse this week, as we continue to face the long road ahead of us with Lucy's health.  So, Romans 12:12 is what I am holding on to:  "Be joyful in hope, patient in affliction, faithful in prayer."