24.1.09

Gary and I visited Theo this morning while Lucas was kept very busy swimming and charging around the softplay at the Commonwealth Pool with Aunty Nic and granny. They looked more tired than Gary and I by the end of it! Lucas will sleep well tonight...
We met with one of the surgeons (Amanda) today and she spent a long time explaining the next steps for our Theo. They are going to take him to theatre first thing on Monday morning and will remove the silo that is currently stitched onto his body. From experience, they know it will only last 10-14 days before it starts to come away and so they are keen to do this while it is still secure and healthy. They will then try and 'tuck' a few more bits back in and will cover the remaining exomphalos with a material called 'integra' which is used to treat burns victims and patients with large ulcers. It's basically collagen and shark cartlidge(looked that up on the internet so don't quote me) and acts as an artificial skin which will seal up the opening(albeit with contents still outside) and encourage Theo's own cells to grow a membrane again. At the same time, they will take a small skin graft from Theo (they only need about a square 1cm) and they will then courier it straight away to Sheffield, to grow it in a lab. It should take about 18 days to grow to the size they require and then they will place the skin over the integra to seal it and act as a barrier. This would mean that Theo would then have a large hernia which would hopefully return gradually to his body as he grows and they would then eventually operate when they had enough stomach muscle to close it and fit all back inside.
It sounds absolutely incredible and the hospital are very 'excited' in a good way as they have never done this before and everyone is keen for it to work. Our boy is being spoken about throughout the country as they search to find the best treatment and everyone and anyone has been consulted. There is an expert on growing skin who will have the necessary equipment to take the skin and transport it to Sheffield. There will also be the consultant surgeon, 2 registrar surgeons, head of plastic surgery and a medical photographer all there to lend their expertise in their own field. The cost for all this is phenomenal but I wouldn't expect anything less from my boy if he takes after his mummy...only the best will do for our son ;-)
Gary Drove into see Theo tonight and he was well rested. They had up'd his Morphone from 0.8ml to 1.0ml per hr and given him some paracetamol as he was a little uncomfortable. They have also re-introduced Furosemide. This works by blocking the absorption of salt and fluid in the kidney tubules, increasing urine which will help reduce swelling and hopefully allow Theo to open his eyes without a lot of effort.
So our son is fast becoming well known and he is only 2 weeks old. I always knew he would be very special but even we didn't expect this. He is proving to be something of a miracle and we just know he is going to astound the medical world. His journey is far from over and there are still many hurdles to get over so you must keep thinking and praying for him. I worry that it all sounds like he is getting better and people stop sending as many positive thoughts. I know that sounds silly, but we have to cling to everything and I strongly believe he is doing so well because he is in so many people's thoughts so keep it up!
I'm off to bed now as we have a big day tomorrow. It is Lucas's bday on Monday but we are bringing it forward by a day and having all the family over tomorrow for a 'party'. He has no idea how spoiled he will be this year....