Some Arny Goodness

Will is stable and doing fine at Bronson. But, other than that, we really don't know what is going on. The weekend shift of Doctors have some different ideas than the regular weekday Doctors so we're not too sure which direction we are going right now. Hopefully, tomorrow when the regular Doctors are back, we'll have a little bit better idea of what the plans are. So, stay tuned. We hope to have more information in the next day or two.

Nothing New or Exciting Goin' On

Well, Will and his entourage will be Bronson residents for another week. So far, all the tests really haven't shown much of anything. They did start Will on antibiotics in case some of the irritation spots in his colon were starting to get infected. The antibiotics seem to be helping. His bleeding seems to be a little less. The tests they have done for reflux have shown contradictory results. So, right now, everyone is just kind of hanging out trying to figure out what to do next. They will be putting in a G tube to help with the feeding. Will just isn't getting the hang of sucking and swallowing and having a tube down his throat is not helping with that at all. But, the surgery for that will not be for another week or so. Please keep praying for definitive answers. We know who has all the answers and it's pretty clear that HE is the only one that has any answers right now!

Bit of a Fever

Will is running a bit of a low grade fever. At this point, they are not treating it. If he is trying to fight something off, they want the fever to do its thing. We are not yet sure if that will effect the testing schedule for today. So, if you have the sniffles, coughs, sneezes, a rumbly in your tumbly or anything else of that nature - STAY AWAY! We love you, so appreciate your prayers, miss you and all that stuff, but we don't need your germs. Please continue to pray for wisdom for the doctors and rest for Connie and Al. Understandably, Connie and Al are starting to get pretty worn down and we don't want them to get sick either.

Can Good News Be Frustrating?

The good news is that so far Will's tests have all come back negative. They've ruled out the major stuff, but the frustration is that we still don't know any more than we did when he was admitted to Bronson. They still don't know what is causing the GI bleeding. But we know of several things that are not causing it! That is something, right? Very little testing is scheduled for today. Right now, it looks like Will is going to have a G tube put in on Tuesday of next week and he may be able to go home on Wednesday. All things subject to change!

Not Much Info Yet

So far, not much has showed in the testing. In fact most tests have come back negative. The endoscopy did show some irritation which is likely the source of the bleeding, but they aren't sure what is causing it yet. They are still working with the possibility that Will could be allergic to the proteins in the formula. However, since it takes 10 days for your body to be clear of an allergen, they won't be able to confirm that for some time. Yesterday, they did switch Will to a different formula that does seem to be helping. Testing is done for today, but more tests are scheduled for tomorrow.

Hangin' in Kzoo for a Few Days

Looks like the Arny clan will be staying at Bronson for at least a couple of days. Will had his swallow test this morning and it did show that he is having problems with swallowing. However, the NG tube may be contributing to this. So, if they take out the NG tube to work on swallowing, they will need to put in a G tube (direct in to his stomach) to be sure he gets the nutrition needed until they can work through the swallowing issue. Will is getting an upper GI now and will also be getting an endoscopy. They do know that there is some bleeding somewhere in his GI tract. They just need to find out where it is and what is causing it. The approach right now is to rule out all the major stuff and then work from there. It could come down to something as simple as needing a special formula that his body can handle. But, until they rule out the major stuff, that really isn't something they can address yet. And if you happen to be in Kalamazoo and want an Arny fix, you can find them at Bronson Children's Hospital East Pavilion Rm 318.

Mornin'

Just to start your morning out with a bit of sunshine! We'll post updates as we get more information from the Doctors today.

Time to Pray!

Will is being sent back to Bronson for some tests. He is having some GI trouble and the Doctor wants to be able to get all the tests done at one time and Bronson is the best place to have that done. All the specialists will be in one place and that will help expedite the whole process. Please pray that the tests will go well, the Doctors will have wisdom and the Arny family will have peace! Will's overall health is still good, but we do need to find the cause for these GI issues that he is having.

Tube Tales

Well, as you can see, Will is just an adorable 'lil guy who is lovin' his family. For the most part, he is doing very well at home. But, he is having some issues with eating. As long as he has his friend "Mr. Tube", he does pretty good. But, this week the Dr. wanted to take the tube out and see how Will did with eating on his own. Well, it didn't go so well. So, to prevent him from getting dehydrated, the tube had to go back in. On Tuesday, he is having tests to evaluate what is going on with this whole sucking and swallowing issue. Please pray that the tests would give the Dr. good information to work with so they can determine what is going on and find appropriate solutions so Will can eat and thrive on his own.

On the Grow!

The boy is tipping the scale at 10 pounds! Tomorrow he goes on a little road trip to see the cardiologist in Kalamazoo. Thanks for your continued prayers as the Arny Family is establishing a new normal in their home. Pray for good health so Will isn't exposed to all those lovely winter cooties that seem to circulate in abundance this time of year.

All is Good on the Homefront

Will is adjusting quite nicely to being home. The rest of the family...well, let's just say they now remember what it is like to have a newborn in the house! Will does still have a tube in his nose for supplemental feedings. He is still working on figuring out how to suck on his own. And since he is a very big boy and also needs extra calories to help facilitate healing from a major surgery, he gets supplemental nutrition in his tube. He still has to take some meds, but otherwise is just like any other newborn - a bit high maintenance and full of snuggles!

Sweetness!

Now, that is just pure sweetness! As you can see, Will has recovered remarkably well from his surgery. Once he got rid of that crazy vent he was off to the races!

Passed with Flying Colors

Will passed all his tests with flying colors. And is on his way HOME! Please pray for traveling safety as the Arny Family is on the road. More details on cutey pie Will later!

Day-O-Tests

Will was scheduled for several follow-up tests today. He had cardiology and neurology tests. These tests will help determine when Will can go home. CJ and Lyndsey have also arrived in Ann Arbor for the weekend. So, the Arny Family is all together - almost makes ya wanna break out in a rousing round of Kum By Yah doesn't it?! The girls were very happy to see their parents and their brother and will be a great help to Connie and Al. Will is starting to get the hang of the whole sucking thing so please continue to pray that he gets that down and doesn't have to go home with a feeding tube. Today they were also starting to fit Will for his carseat. They are using electrodes to help them determine where the seatbelt straps need to be placed to keep the straps from putting too much pressure on his incision. Man, so many things we have taken for granted that we will never take for granted again! Pray that Connie and Al are able to be attentive and alert for all the training they are receiving on how to care for Will at home.

Just a Regular Guy

Just so you can savor the cuteness!

Will is now in a regular hospital room. Since he isn't surrounded by nurses all the time, Connie and Al are finally getting to experience being the parent of a newborn - complete with sleepless nights! Connie and Al are able to be with Will all the time and provide most of his care. Connie and Al are also learning how to care for Will once he comes home. And, a rumor is going around that they could be home fairly soon!

Another Day, Another Milestone

Today's big news is that Will is able to take all his meds orally now. So, he is losing all his tubes except the feeding tube. They tried to give Will a bottle today and right now he is struggling a little bit with sucking. He did nurse a few times at Lakeland, but otherwise all his nutrition has come through tubes. So, he is having a bit of a hard time remembering what it was like to suck. But, they already have a therapist working with him and I'm sure he will be a sucking fool in no time. He's a big boy and likes his food so I'm sure he'll figure it out!

Just a good day!

Will continues to do very well. Today they took him off the cpap and he is now just using the oxygen prongs. This means that the little guy was able to be held most of the day by his mom and dad. Will is also getting breastmilk in his feeding tube. So, he is a happy camper today! Will is still in PICU mostly because they do not have any room for him in moderate care and his next move will be to a regular room. The medical staff wasn't quite ready for him to make that big of a move today. But as long as Will continues to progress as he has been, he will be in a regular room very soon. The neurologist is continuing to monitor Will, but does not have any major concerns at this point.

As a family we want to send a huge THANK YOU to Dave & Vickii and Chris & Ana who have so generously taken in CJ and Lyndsey this week. It gives us all such peace of mind to know that the girls are in the best care imaginable! You all earned jewels this week!

Thank you for your continued prayers. Please pray for Connie and Al over the next few days as they will be learning what they need to do to care for Will once he is able to come home. It will be a big adjustment for everyone.

The Vent is Outta Here!

Will is finally off the vent! It was a bit of a struggle to accomplish that today, but cheers rung out late this afternoon when they finally pulled that puppy! The Doctor that has been with Will since he arrived at U of M rotated out today and another Doctor took over Will's case. Well, the new Doctor wanted to proceed very conservatively since he had not had much experience in treating Will and he wanted to leave the vent in "just in case". While we appreciated his concern, the vent was also causing fluid to collect in Will's lungs and that's not a good situation either. So, after a rather long and frustrating day, the vent finally came out late this afternoon. Will is on a cpap and so far his blood gas levels have been excellent. Will's latest heart tests also showed an improvement in his ventrical activity so he was able to stop one of his meds. Will is on TPN for tonight since the cpap can cause air to build up in the stomach. But, if his blood gas levels stay as good as they are now, he should be off the cpap soon as well. And then the boy can eat again! He is a little agitated today, but I would be too if they cut my food off.

The Boy is Thriving

Will should be having his MRI right now. He is doing very well. Other than his little seizure issue, he is recovering remarkably well from his surgery. His little body is doing all the things little babies are supposed to - pooping, peeing and enjoying mama juice! We are all looking forward to losing that vent tube so he can be held and fed like babies like to be! If all goes well today, Will will be moved to a moderate care room soon. Just one more step closer to home! He's already been booted to the corner of the PICU nursery (just because he doesn't need the one on one care as much any more). We can't tell you how good it is to see positive steps. After being in what felt like a holding pattern for so long, this is definitely a warm beam of sunshine!

Thanks so much for your prayers and encouragement. That has been what is sustaining the family through all this!

Accomplished Sprinter

Will mastered "sprinting" yesterday. If it weren't for the MRI tomorrow, they would have removed his vent tube today. So, they are letting him further refine his sprinting skills today and plan to remove the tube after the MRI is complete. Will had his own little New Years Eve party last night watching the ball drop with his Mom and Dad. CJ was able to spend the evening with friends and Lyndsey is enjoying some Nana time at home.