BabyDrew

A Busy Boy

2009-10-26T18:45:00.000-07:00

Hello Everyone,

I hope you all had a nice summer. Our summer has been busy, but fun. I have learned to Army crawl and am into everything. My mommy and daddy are excited to see be doing so well, but they seem to have forgotten what it's like having a baby crawling around the house. So far I have done well without my oxygen and feeding tube. The doctors are happy with my progress and feel I am growing well. I still have physical and occupational therapy every week. My mommy, daddy, and my sissies enjoying playing with me and we have been having a lot of fun together as a family. We are getting ready as this winter I will be stuck back in doors away from people and from germs. Since my immune system is very week I have to be very careful not to get sick.

I would also like to thank my new friends at 8leggedgecko for all they are doing for my family. If you are visiting this site from theirs you can track my story back to my first surgery just over a year ago.

Please remember to say a prayer for me.

Love, Drew and Family

A visit with Family

2009-09-04T20:46:00.000-07:00

Hello Everyone,

I hope you are all doing well. Life has been good for me. Recently me and my mommy and my daddy and my sissy's drove to Torrington, WY. We went there to see my Great Grandma Veneda, along with a few of my aunt's, uncle's, and cousins. It was great to get away as a family and this was the first time many of them got to meet me. I really enjoyed meeting some of the family that I had not had the chance to meet. I do miss them and wish we would have had more time to spend with them.

Right now things are going well with me. Once we get back to cold a flu season I will be stuck in doors again as we try to keep the germs away from me. Hopefully I will be able to stay healthy and germ free.

Please remember to say a prayer for me.

Love, Baby Drew and Family

One boy and his Special Day

2009-07-21T19:16:00.000-07:00

Hello everyone,

I am sorry it has been so long since I have posted. Things have been going very well. I have been off oxygen for about 2 months and off my feeding tube for about a month and a half. As my mommy and daddy say, I'm tubeless. Yay!

On July 10th we celebrated my first birthday. Me, my mommy, and my daddy all had a cold, so we didn't do much. We waited until the 18th and then we had my party. My mommy and daddy are so happy to celebrate my first year and all my accomplishments. They love me so much and are so very thankful for all the blessings God has given us.

Thank you to all my friends out there who continue to follow my story and pray for me. I will work on getting better at updating my blog on a more regular basis.

Please remember to say a prayer for me.

Love, Baby Drew and Family

Enjoying Home

2009-05-13T06:30:00.000-07:00

Hello,

Sorry I haven't posted in a little while. Me and my mommy and daddy are enjoying being home and spending time together as a family. My chest is still a little sore and it hurts when I cough, sneeze, get upset, or roll over to far. It usually takes 6 weeks to heal, but hopefully the soreness will go away soon.

As far as long term I should not have to have any further surgeries for about 2-3 years. In a year they might want me to go back for a heart cauterization to ensure my pressure levels are good and my heart is working well. Other than that I will be see my cardiologist weekly for check up's and echocardiograms.

Thank you for all your love, prayers, and support. It truly means a lot to my family and I.

Please remember to say a prayer for me.

Love, Drew and Family

New Journey: Awaiting Discharge

2009-05-06T10:23:00.000-07:00

Hello,

I had a great night which means I will be discharged today. At the moment we are not sure when as these things can take awhile. We will stay in Spokane tonight and then finish our trip home tomorrow. Thank you for your thoughts and prayers, they mean so much to me and my mommy and daddy. Hopefully we will have a good trip home and I will continue to do well.

I will make sure to keep blogging and posting photos so everyone can watch me grow. My mommy and daddy are excited that I get a few years off before my next surgery.

Please remember to say a prayer for me.

Love, Drew and Family

New Journey: Good News

2009-05-05T14:56:00.000-07:00

Hello,

Today we received some good news. As long as I tolerate my feeds well I will be discharged tomorrow, yay. My mommy and daddy are so proud of how well I have done and so very thankful that this trip was much easier than the last. So we are all praying that my feeding goes well and that tomorrow will be the day.

Thank you so much for all your prayers, they really have made a difference. My mommy and daddy are very thankful for them as well.

Please remember to say a prayer for me.

Love, Drew and Family

New Journey: On the Floor

2009-05-04T21:39:00.000-07:00

Hello,

Today i made it down to the floor. My mommy and daddy are so very proud of me and so very thankful that I am doing so well. The Doctors are working on getting my feeding routine back on track and seeing if they can wean off my oxygen. They think that I will be able to go home within the next couple of days. I really hope so, I miss my sisters so very much.

Please remember to say a prayer for me.

Love, Drew and Family

New Journey: Day to Relax and Play

2009-05-03T01:10:00.000-07:00

Hello,

There is no more c-pap and no more chest tube. So today has been a good day. I have been sitting up and playing with my toys and spending time with my mommy and daddy. Hopefully things will keep looking better and I will get to go home soon. My mommy and daddy are so very thankful that the Lord has watched over me and given me the strength I need.

Please remember to say a prayer for me.

Love, Drew and Family

New Journey: Snuggle Time

2009-05-02T00:13:00.000-07:00

Hello,

My night got even better because I got to snuggle with my mommy and daddy. I know they love to hold me and I love being held. My mommy and daddy were so very happy and I enjoyed my brief time away from the bed. It is not easy as I still am connected to several wires and have a drain tube in my chest. Hopefully my x-ray will look good tomorrow and I can get off of c-pap and hopefully have my drain tube taken out.

Please remember to say a prayer for me.

Love, Drew and Family

New Journey: Better Day

2009-05-01T17:29:00.000-07:00

Hello,

So far today has been a pretty good day. My fever is gone and my left lung looks much better. The only problem is now a small portion of my right lung is collapsed. So today they will leave me on c-pap to see what my x-ray looks like in the morning.

My mommy and daddy got to see me awake and playing with my toys today. There were so happy. They get so excited to see me open my eyes, smile, and play.

Hopefully tomorrow both my lungs will look good and they can get me off of c-pap and onto the floor.

Please remember to say a prayer for me.

Love, Drew and Family

New Journey: Bumps in the Road

2009-04-30T12:54:00.000-07:00

Hello,

I have had a rough day today. I have been running a 104 fever. My x-rays this morning showed that I am retaining a lot of fluid and my charts also show I am fluid positive. They also showed I have a lot of mucus build up in my lungs and that I have a partially collapsed left lung. Do to this they have put me back on the c-pap machine and are hoping this does the trick and they don't have to put the breathing tube back. My mommy and daddy are very worried for me and are praying the Lord continues to give me strength.

Right now we are in a holding pattern to see if the c-pap will help re inflate my lung and if this makes my fever go away. They are also running cultures to see if I have an infection that needs to be treated. I will keep everyone posted on how things are looking.

Please remember to say a prayer for me.

Love, Drew and Family

New Journey: Weaning

2009-04-29T12:24:00.001-07:00

Hello,

Today things have been pretty good, except that they just poked and poked me trying to get a new IV in and no luck. They will have to try again later.

Today they are working on weaning down my heart medicine and my oxygen with hopes that I will be off both tomorrow. If all goes well they will likely transfer me to the floor tomorrow. My mommy and daddy are so very proud of me and so very thankful that the Lord has watched over me and given me strength. We are all very excited as the floor is one step closer to home.

Please remember to say a prayer for me.

Love, Drew and Family

New Journey: No more Breathing Tube

2009-04-28T21:57:00.000-07:00

Hello,

Today has been a good day. The surgeon said that the surgery went very well. Then the doctors in the ICU thought I was doing so well that they decided to extubate me and now I have no more breathing tube or ventilator. They will wean my oxygen overnight and then tomorrow they will work on weaning my morphine and milrinone. I have been doing so well that they thing I might be able to go to the floor tomorrow.

After the way things went last time this is very big news. My mommy and daddy are so very excited and so very proud of me. Tomorrow I should be able to give them lots of loves. They want me to tell everyone thank you for all your thoughts, kind words, gifts, and prayers. It truly means so very much to my family and I.

Please remember to say a prayer for me.

Love, Drew and Family

New Journey: On By-Pass Machine

2009-04-28T10:44:00.001-07:00

Hello,

They just put me on the heart and lung by-pass machine. I should be on this for about an hour.

Please remember to say a prayer for me.

Love, Drew and Family

New Journey: Surgery has begun

2009-04-28T09:14:00.000-07:00

Hello,

My surgery has just begun and should last about 4 hours. I will let everyone know when I am out and in the ICU.

Please remember to say a prayer for me.

Love,

Drew and Family

New Journey: Off to Surgery

2009-04-28T08:41:00.000-07:00

Hello,

At 7:30 this morning they took me back to the OR. It will take between an hour or two to prep and then 4 hour open heart surgery. I will let everyone know when they start the surgery and then when I am out and in the ICU.

Please remember to say a prayer for me.

Love, Drew and Family

New Journey: Tomorrow is the Big Day

2009-04-27T20:19:00.000-07:00

Hello,

I have enjoyed a nice weekend with my family. Today my sisters went back to Kalispell with my uncle Jon and aunt Mimi. Then me and my mommy and daddy spent 7 hours at the hospital for my pre-surgery appointments. Now we are just spending some time together. My mommy and daddy are very worried because I am a high risk case. We all went through so much last time and are all praying that this time everything goes nice and smooth. I will keep everyone updated on how things are going.

Please remember to say a prayer for me.

Love, Drew and Family

New Journey: Day Downtown

2009-04-25T23:10:00.000-07:00

Hello,

I had a wonderful day with my family today. My mommy and daddy have been really worried, so a day away from it all is just what we needed. Me, my mommy, my daddy, my sisters, my aunt and uncle headed downtown to the Seattle Center where they had a fair going on. Here are a few pictures of our day. The first one is me just after getting my hair washed, as you can see it is a little crazy. The next is me riding the carousel.

Please remember to say a prayer for me.

Love, Drew and Family

New Journey: Heart Cauterization

2009-04-24T17:04:00.000-07:00

Hello,

Today I had my heart cauterization. The doctor told my mommy and daddy that it went well and that my pressure levels look good. What this means is that they can do my surgery on Tuesday. However, there were a couple of things the doctor reviewed with my mommy and daddy. First it looks like there is a narrowing of my pulmonary artery on the right side. The surgeon did review and feels that he can fix this when he is in there on Tuesday. Then he let me mommy and daddy know that due to my past issues with my heart and lungs and spending 18 days on life support after the first surgery does make this one more risky. I trust in the Lord and believe that he will watch over me and give me the strength I need to come through this surgery stronger than before.

I will spend this weekend enjoying time with my family. On Monday my sisters go back to Kalispell with my aunt Mimi and uncle Jon. I also have all my presurgery appointments on Monday, so it will be a very busy day.

Please remember to say a prayer for me.

Love, Baby Drew and Family

Pictures for you

2009-04-24T16:38:00.000-07:00

Hello, here are some pictures of me. I hope you enjoy. I will add another post to update you of my journey to Seattle.

Please remember to say a prayer for me.

Love, Baby Drew and Family

Now comes Da Da

2009-04-04T12:04:00.000-07:00

Now my daddy is happy. I now say da da! Of course my mommy reminds him that the ma ma came first.

My next trip to Seattle is coming very quickly. We will leave here on the 22nd of this month and if all my tests go well my next surgery will be the 28th. My mommy and daddy are very nervous. They cannot believe how quickly this came. Everyone has been saying a lot of prayers for me and that really means a lot to both me and my family. As our trip nears I will be blogging more to keep everyone updated of the next part to our journey.

Please remember to say a pray for me.

Love, Drew and Family

My First Words

2009-03-19T19:58:00.000-07:00

Yesterday I had my first word: ma ma. This made my mommy very excited. She has been working with me on saying ma ma, while my dad has been trying to get me to say da da.

I have been feeling much better and seem to be pretty much over my illness. Now the trick is to keep me from getting sick again before my surgery. This could be tricky, but hopefully will work out well. I hope you enjoy the photo of me.

So far everything else is going well.

Please remember to say a prayer for me.

Love, Drew and Family

Surgery Date

2009-02-26T18:39:00.000-08:00

It is official, we have a date for my next surgery. On April 23rd we will travel to Seattle. Then on the 24th I will have a heart cauterization to determine the pressure level in my lungs. On the 27th the Doctors will review my case and if everything looks good I will have surgery on the 28th. It is nice to know a date, but my mommy and daddy are very scared. They are worried and have been saying a lot of prayers for me. I know the strength of the Lord will be with me and that he will keep me strong.

There is another little girl, Gracie, who has a bad heart and needs lots of prayers. You can visit her at: http://thegledhillfamily.blogspot.com/

We borrowed a heart poem from her website, I hope you enjoy:

It's a beautiful day up in heaven. Jesus is rounding up his tiniest angels, to go live on earth, and be born. One of the sweetest angels says to Jesus "I don't want to leave, I like it here, and I will miss you". He reassures the scared little angel that everything will be okay, and that he is just going for a visit. He is still not swayed on this idea. So Jesus kneels down, and says, "How about if you leave half of your heart here with me and take the other half with you, will that be okay?" The angel smiles and says, "I guess that will work". But the little angel is still a little scared. He asks,"Will I be okay with only half of my heart?" Jesus replies,"Of course you will, I have other angels there that will help out, and you will be fine." Then Jesus gives the angel more details about his plan. He says "When you are born, your mommy and daddy will be scared, so you have to be strong, and when you feel weak just remember that I have the other half of your heart". "Enjoy your time with your family, play and laugh everyday." "And when its time to come back to heaven, I will make your heart whole again. Always remember that you are not broken, just torn between two loves."

Please remember to say a prayer for me.

Love, Drew and Family

Handsome boy

2009-02-08T12:44:00.000-08:00

Hello everyone. Sorry it has been so long. I hope everyone is doing well. My mommy and daddy have found out that my next surgery will be in late April or early May. First they will do a heart cauterization to make sure the pressure in my lungs is low enough so that they can do the surgery. Then if that looks good they will do a procedure called the Glenn. As you can imagine, my mommy and daddy are nervous after what happened with the first surgery. Everyone is praying that this one goes much smoother and that I will not need to use life support this time.

I am still stuck in doors and away from people anxiously awaiting the end of cold and flu season so I can go visit all of my friends. My mommy and daddy are ready to start taking me to church and to see all the wonderful people who have helped them along our journey.

Please remember to say a prayer for me.

Love, Drew and Family

Enjoying my family

2009-01-19T19:25:00.000-08:00

Hello, sorry it has been so long since my last post. I have just been enjoying my family. I do have a big kid crib moved into my mommy and daddy's room now. They had to completely rearrange their room to fit my big crib in. I have been rolling over from front to back and back to front. The doctors also ok'd my mommy and daddy to feed me baby food. So, for the last week I have been eating baby food along with my formula.

Tomorrow the doctors will discuss my case and determine the next step. On Thursday when I have my cardiologist appointment they will tell my mommy and daddy what will be happening. I will likely be going to Seattle at least once if not twice within the next 3 to 4 months.

Please remember to say a prayer for me.

Love, Drew and Family

Wonderful Time of the Year

2008-12-29T18:32:00.000-08:00

Well Christmas came and went, but at least here we had a very white Christmas. We had a very wonderful day celebrating the birth of Christ, and of course Santa came. My sisters were very excited to see presents under the tree, but as for me, I really didn't know what to think-beings my first Christmas and all. I have attached a couple photos of me with my new toys. Also, I gave my mommy and daddy a gift, but so far it has lasted one day. On Saturday I ate from a bottle for the first time since my surgery, not a lot, but enough to get everyone really excited.

I also have some news from my cardiologist. The third week in January he will present my case to the group. They will then collectively decide the next course of action. It is possible we will have to travel to Seattle for me to have a heart cauterization and then travel back home while the doctors devise a plan. They could also set a date for my surgery, do the heart cauterization as part of my presurgery appointments and hope my pressure is down. Either way they need to test the pressure level in my lungs (pulmonary hypertension) to determine if it is safe for me to have surgery. If the levels are there, then we wait, if not they will move forward.

I hope you all had a wonderful Christmas and wish you a prosperous New Year!

Please remember to say a prayer for me.

Love, Drew and Family.

Is that Santa I see?

2008-12-14T21:42:00.000-08:00

I hope you like my new outfit. Yes, this is my first Christmas outfit and everyone says that I make a great Santa. There is not much new with me. Still on my oxygen and taking my medicine. I am getting stronger and was holding my head up for a little while on my own. My mommy and daddy get so excited to see my strength coming back. They are very worried for my next surgery and have been saying lots of prayers. Hopefully the pressure levels in my lungs is better and I will breeze right through.

Please remember to say a prayer for me.

Love, Drew and Family

What a Weekend

2008-12-11T18:00:00.000-08:00

Wow, last weekend was very busy for my family. On Saturday was my benefit. Since I cannot be around people my mommy and daddy had to go for me. They had a good time and said that our friends Rikki and Kim did an incredible job. They feel very blessed to have such great friends and live in such a wonderful community.

Sunday was my daddy's birthday. We had to get up really early to see my Grandpa and Aunt before they had to leave. Then we went home and spend a nice day with daddy. He said that I was the best gift he could have received. My daddy's favorite football team, the Broncos, won their game which made my daddy happy.

I am still doing well. My cardiologist, Dr. Hardy, told my mommy that he is going to present my case in January. This means that my next surgery will likely fall between January and March. My mommy and daddy are very nervous and scared for this surgery because of all I went through last time. We are all praying that this one goes well and I recover with no problems. All we can do is trust in the Lord and he will take care of me.

Please remember to say a prayer for me.

Love, Drew and Family

A Benefit, For Me

2008-11-28T08:54:00.000-08:00

Wow, some of my friends have worked very hard to set up a benefit for me. As you can imagine, it is going to cost a lot to keep me healthy and happy. So, my friends Rikki Lehman and Kim Winchell decided to set up a benefit to help me and my mommy and daddy.

The date is Saturday December 6th and they have a wonderful evening planned. The place is the White Oak Grand in Kalispell, MT and social hour starts at 5:30. There will be a dinner, music, silent, and live auctions. If you would like more information you can contact Rikki at 406.752.2586 or Kim at 406.257.4157.

I would like to thank them on behalf of me and my family. What they are doing is simply amazing and very heart felt.

Happy Thanksgiving

2008-11-28T08:41:00.000-08:00

I hope everyone had a very wonderful Thanksgiving. My family had a very nice Thanksgiving. My mommy and daddy said they had a lot to be thankful for. They said they were thankful for the many blessings they have received, especially that I am here with them. They are so thankful the strength of the Lord brought me out of the hospital and back to my home.

Things around here have been going pretty good. I have been doing my therapy twice a week two hours at a time. My feeding tube did slip down into my bowls and made me very sick for a few days, but I am doing much better now. My sissy's have both been sick, so my mommy and daddy make them stay in their bedrooms so they are not around me.

Happy Holidays!

Please remember to say a prayer for me.

Love, Drew and Family

Watching Football with My Daddy

2008-11-16T13:15:00.000-08:00

Things have been going good for me. I am a bit on the small side for my weight, so they are increasing my feeding volume to try to put on more weight. Other than that things as usual, hanging out at home since I can't really go anywhere. My mommy and daddy are just trying to keep me safe and away from germs. I have been really smiley and talkative lately. My mommy and daddy are so very happy and thankful to see me smile and listen to my little voice. It makes me feel good that I can make them so happy.

Today my daddy put me in my Broncos shirt and shoes(that the Braun family got me from the Stadium). Then we watched the Broncos beat the Falcons. Here are a few photos of me that I hope you like.

Thank you for all your prayers for baby Mia, so far she is doing well and has been extubated.

Please remember to say a prayer for me and my friend Mia.

Love, Drew and Family

Prayer Requests for Baby Mia-She is getting a Heart

2008-11-10T07:53:00.000-08:00

Hello everyone, I am doing well, but this post is not about me. My friend Baby Mia is in surgery right now getting her new heart. She needs everyone to say a special prayer for her. We are praying for the surgeons and doctors, grant them wisdom and steady hands. For Baby Mia, grant her strength, endurance, and for her body to adjust to her new heart. For the rest of the family, give them strength, wisdom, understanding, and courage. Finally please give them all peace in knowing that you are there with them every step of the way.

God Bless you All!!

Love, Baby Drew and Family

Busy Day

2008-11-06T20:55:00.000-08:00

Wow, today was very busy for me. First my physical therapists came and they worked with me and are setting up an exercise plan. They will be working with me twice a week. Then I went to have my first RSV shot which I did not like very much. After this it was off to the cardiologist, which did go well. I then finished my day at my pediatrician who gave me three immunization shots. So needless to say I was poked and prodded all day long.

As you can see I am looking very good, at least this is what all my friends and doctors tell me. But, as my cardiologist reminded my mommy and daddy is that even though I look good on the outside my inside is still very fragile. It will be a long winter as we are couped up in the house hiding from germs and bacteria. One day I will be much stronger and my mommy and daddy will be so happy to be able to take me out to see all my friends.

Please remember to say a prayer for me.

Love, Drew and Family

What a Smile

2008-10-28T19:30:00.001-07:00

I hope you like my smile. My family is sure fond of it. Everyone is so very happy to see me smiling again. Being home has been good, a few challenges, but good. I like to keep my mommy and daddy very busy. Last night I couldn't keep my oxygen canuals in my nose. So, my mommy and daddy had to keep getting up and repositioning my head so my oxygen would stay in.

Today my mommy and daddy read a sad posting from my friend Mia's mom, Mimi. It is so sad, Mia really needs a heart. We have been praying for her and her family. We pray for strength, for guidance, for courage, for continued faith, and for healing. If you have a moment to stop by her blog and give her family support it would mean a lot to both them and to me. Her blog is: http://mcdonaldfam.blogspot.com/.

Please remember to say a prayer for me.

Love, Drew and Family

Enjoying Home

2008-10-24T22:46:00.000-07:00

I hope you like the pictures of me. I have just been enjoying myself at home. The last few nights I have been a little rough, but it seems to be getting better. I am so very blessed to have so many great friends who have been thinking about me, praying for me, and helping my family. My mommy and daddy are very happy to have me home, but they are also a little nervous. It takes a lot of care to keep me safe and healthy. I have to have a special shot every month so I don't get RSV. So far I am doing well and hopefully will just keep getting better.

Please remember to say a prayer for me.

Love, Drew and Family

Home Sweet Home

2008-10-22T12:39:00.000-07:00

Sorry it has been a while since I have updated everyone. I arrived home last Saturday about 6pm. It has been an adjustment as I am used to dim lighting, little to no noise, and lullabies all day long. I am enjoying being home with my family and am getting more playful by the day.

There is still a lot of care at as my medication schedule is round the clock: 12-4-8-10-start over. I am also on oxygen and my oxygen saturations have to be monitored periodically throughout the day and night.

So far everyday has been a step forward and with the strength of the Lord it will continue that way.

I will keep my blog updated at least once a week and will add some pictures this afternoon. Thank you for all your thoughts and prayers. I look forward to hearing from you.

Please remember to say a prayer for me.

Love, Drew and Family

Day 36 Big Day

2008-10-16T19:51:00.001-07:00

Sorry I was unable to Blog yesterday. My mommy and daddy have been busy getting things ready. Because tomorrow morning I get discharged. It feels so very good to say that and my mommy and daddy are so proud of me. I have been doing very well and the doctors felt it was time for me to be home. We are going to be renting a car to drive to Coeur d' Alene where my new friend Wendell has fixed my mommy and daddy's car. On the way here we broke down and haven't had a car since. Thank you for all the many prayers and blessings. I cannot believe how many new friends I have made. Even when I am home I will continue to keep everyone updated.

Please remember to say a prayer for me.

Love, Drew and Family

Day 34 Another Day Closer

2008-10-14T20:22:00.000-07:00

My X-Rays showed unchanged this morning...Hooray....This means that so far I am doing ok on the Oral lasixs. Hopefully this keeps going over the next several days. Today has been a stable day and it looks like they are done weaning my oxygen and will have to have it when I go home. We have come to a level that my parents and the doctors are not comfortable decreasing. So it sounds that they will keep the oxygen as is. I am still weaning off my Morphine and Adavant. So, when I get to go home there will be a lot going on. First I will be on oxygen and a medication for my pulmonary hypertension. My mommy and daddy will have to monitor my oxygen saturation's daily to make sure my lungs are working properly. I will then be on a medicine for reflux, aspirin to keep my shunt from clotting, and will still be weaning my morphine and adavant. So hopefully we will be headed home soon. My mommy and daddy are so very excited to see me doing so well. All the doctors and nurses are happy to and feel that I am on the right track.

Please remember to say a prayer for me.

Love, Drew and Family

Day 33 Making Progress

2008-10-13T19:28:00.001-07:00

Today has been another good day for me. The doctors have done a couple of different things today. First they changed my lasix from IV to oral. This is the medicine that helps me to diuris fluid, or pee off excess fluid. Changing to oral is a large step, because it is an important step on the path toward home. They will keep a close eye on my saturation's and my fluid levels to make sure my body is handling this change well. The next big change was going from continuous feeds to bolus feeds. This means that I will be fed every four hours instead of non-stop. If these go well that means I might get to go home soon. My mommy and daddy are so proud of me. They are very excited, but know that there are still some hurdles to jump through. The doctors are still weaning down my oxygen to see if I will need it when I go home, and if so how much. So far I have done well. Everyone is excited about how well my scars are healing. Now I just need a good story to tell all my friends, maybe a shark attack. Hopefully things will continue to go well so we can go home to Kalispell.

Please remember to say a prayer for me.

Love, Drew and Family

Day 32 My First Mobile

2008-10-12T21:07:00.000-07:00

I have my first mobile and it is really neat. I like to watch it spin around and around while it plays music. Today has been a good day as they continue to wean down my oxygen and my medication. The X-Ray did not look as good as the doctors hoped, so my mommy and daddy are going to talk with them more about it tomorrow. This weekend has went really well and my mommy and daddy are very proud of me. They say as the medicine wears off that I am acting more like my normal self. To them this is a great sight and really reassuring. Hopefully things are going well enough that the doctors might have an idea when I could go home. I hope it is soon, I really miss my house and my sissy's. Mommy and Daddy continue to pray for my healing and my safe trip home.

Please remember to say a prayer for me.

Love, Drew and Family

Day 31 Unicorn

2008-10-11T21:41:00.000-07:00

Today has been a good day for me. My Saturation's have been steady and that is with an oxygen wean. Yes, they are going to try to wean my oxygen to see if I will need it at home. Tomorrow I will have an X-Ray to see how the fluid on my right lung is looking. Hopefully better so I won't have to have a chest tube. Today the doctors told my mommy and daddy that they are very proud of me. This made my mommy and daddy so happy. Hopefully if I keep doing so good we will get to go home soon. The only downside to today was that my IV blew out and they had to put a new one on the top of my head. They call this a unicorn, probably because that is what I look like. I also got a mobile for my hospital bed today and really enjoy watching it.

Please remember to say a prayer for me.

Love, Drew and Family

Day 30 How many Pokes can a Boy Get

2008-10-10T19:35:00.000-07:00

To answer the above question, it would be 6. That is how many pokes it took to get my new IV in. So today I had 3 X-Rays, a good nose suctioning, 6 IV pokes, and a sponge bath. Other than that the doctors are pleased with how I have been doing and they gave my mommy and daddy some rough guidelines that I will have to meet in order to go home. First and foremost will be to keep my oxygen saturation's stable. Second will be to get rid of the fluid on my right lung. Third, to do well on my feeds. Finally will be to have a good schedule for my medication weans. When they feel that I have all these under control it will be time for the big trip home. We are all hoping this will be sooner than later. My sissy's miss me and my mommy and daddy very much. It makes me sad to know they are sad. Hopefully soon I can give them hugs.

Please remember to say a prayer for me.

Love, Drew and Family

Day 29 Another Day in the Hospital

2008-10-09T19:16:00.000-07:00

Today has been a good day. My "Sat's" Have done well today and the doctors seem very pleased. It is always nice to make a step in the right direction, at least that is what my mommy and daddy say. I am very excited for tomorrow because I get to eat from a bottle. It has been over a month and I can't wait, neither can mommy and daddy. This is another step in the right direction. Hopefully soon I will be ready to go home to see my sisters and the rest of my family.

Since there is not much about me I want to tell you about some of the people I have met here. First was Teagan, it was her mommy that showed us how to do the blog. She is home now after having the bi-directional Glenn procedure, this is the next surgery I will have. The last I heard she is doing well, I keep praying for her. Next I met Max. His mommy and daddy are Shannon and Sam, they are very wonderful people and have helped my mommy and daddy very much. Max was here because he got sick and his kidneys weren't working right. He is home now and his mommy and daddy still talk to my mommy and daddy. They are going to come see us soon. They have become good friends of our family. I still pray for Max. Then we met two wonderful Ladies, Baby Mia and her mom Mimi. I pray for them very often. They have had a very long and difficult journey as Mia needs a new heart. She is two days older than me and has been waiting all this time. I pray that soon she will get a heart and that God will comfort her family and be with them through this difficult time. I then met Tyler from Missoula. He hurt his head very bad. His mommy and daddy told my mommy and daddy that he is still going to be here for a long time. I pray for them, that Tyler will keep getting better and be able to go home soon. Ethan was my old roommate in the ICU and now he is down the hall from me. His mommy and daddy talk to my mommy and daddy all the time, they have become good friends. Tomorrow Ethan gets to go home and they are all very excited. I pray for Ethan that all goes well at home.

My mommy and daddy and I have met many, many wonderful families, doctors, nurses, and surgeons that we pray for all the time. I hope you will join me in praying for all the people here and all those helping these people.

Please remember to say a prayer for me.

Love, Drew and Family

Day 28 Holding Steady

2008-10-08T18:13:00.000-07:00

Today has been a pretty uneventful day, which is just how my mommy and daddy like it. The biggest events today were some X-Rays and an IV. I have some fluid next to my right lung which the doctors feel could be making it more difficult to breath. So they have been trying to determine the best solution. Today the decision was to put in a new IV and give me some medicine through it and see what happens. If this doesn't seem to work they will put a drain tube in the right side of my chest. My mommy and daddy are hoping that they do not have to put a tube in. I guess only time will tell. Today has been a good day for me and so far my mommy and daddy are so proud of me. Hopefully my days will just keep getting better and better so I will be able to go home and be with my family.

Please remember to say a prayer for me.

Love, Drew and Family

Day 27 Goodbye Stitches

2008-10-07T17:41:00.000-07:00

Today I got all my stitches but one taken out. I put a photo on here so everyone can see my cool scar. All in all I had 14 stitches from the incision down my chest, 5 stitches from tubes in my chest, and one in my neck from Ecmo. That is a lot of stitches for a little guy like me. This doesn't even include the stitches in my heart, arteries, and my sternum. Today they weaned my morphine and adavant, but other than that they have just been monitoring me. I have done pretty well, no big scares. Hopefully this continues so that they can continue weaning my medication and then work on bottle feeding. I haven't gotten to be bottle fed since the 9th of September and I am ready to start again. Hopefully in the next couple of days I can have my bottle again. I am really hopeful that my lungs continue to improve so that I can get on the path toward going home. My mommy and daddy are praying very hard for my lungs and that they will start to get better.

Please remember to say a prayer for me.

Love, Drew and Family

Day 26 Keeping Everyone on Their Toes

2008-10-06T19:29:00.000-07:00

Today has been a fairly good day after a rough night and morning. Once again I didn't let my parents get any sleep, so they have been very tired today. The morning started out rough and my oxygen saturation's went down and weren't coming back up. Several nurses and doctors were in my room trying to figure out what was going on with me and what the best thing for me was. They thought about another move to the ICU, but decided to hold off to see how I do. So far so good. A couple of minor desaturations, but I have recovered quickly. The doctors feel it is due to my pulmonary hypertension and that it will just take time for it to level out. Hopefully sooner than later. I wish I could give my mommy and daddy a great big hug and tell them everything will be OK. They get so scared and they worry so much about me. Hopefully soon I will level out and they won't have to worry so much. Everyone hopes tonight will go smooth and that I won't have any problems.

Please remember to say a prayer for me.

Love, Drew and Family

Day 25 A Fickle Boy

2008-10-05T16:36:00.000-07:00

Today has been a pretty good day. I like to keep the nurses on their toes to. It is a good thing my mommy and daddy know me well and know how fickle I am. It seems that the "Sat Probe", checks oxygen saturation levels, only works well on my hands. This morning one of the nurses put it on my foot and it looked like my "sats", oxygen saturation levels, were low. When they moved it back to my hand they looked very good. This makes it difficult because my mommy and daddy have to try to explain things to the nurses and get them to believe them. Hopefully they will listen to my mommy and daddy, because I am doing pretty good. I can not wait to go home to be with all my family. My sisters miss me and mommy and daddy very much. Sometimes they cry and it makes us very sad. They will not let me go home until I am doing well on a feeding routine, doing well on a medicine weaning schedule, and am keep all my numbers good. Hopefully this will be soon.

Please remember to say a prayer for me.

Love, Drew and family

Day 24 Mommy and Daddys Little Pill

2008-10-04T14:54:00.000-07:00

Last night I was a little rough on mommy and daddy. I kept them up almost all night. If it wasn't one thing it was another. First I couldn't get comfortable and would fuss a lot. Then my Oxygen Saturation levels were bouncing around. My daddy finally got to bed at 5 am and mommy napped for about an hour. I have been working them pretty hard. Finally they took away my wedge and I did much better. It seems that since they got rid of the wedge I have done well and am doing well right now. Today they are weaning my morphine and adavant along with increasing my feeds. This will likely continue daily as long as I do not have any problems. I know the healing power of the Lord is with me.

Please remember to say a prayer for me.

Love, Drew and Family

Day 23 Back to The Floor

2008-10-03T19:17:00.000-07:00

We have arrived back on the floor. This time I am not in a room of my own and we now have a roommate. Today my levels have looked good and the doctors felt that I was not in need of the ICU. The plan for tonight is rather simple and the only changes they plan on making is upping my feeds. Tomorrow they will reassess and hopefully start working on my medication weans. Hopefully I will have no more episodes and have a smooth recovery. Right now my mommy and daddy are praying for my lungs and that my pulmonary hypertension starts to lower.

Please remember to say a prayer for me.

Love, Drew and Family

Day 23 Another Move

2008-10-03T15:13:00.000-07:00

Today has been good so far and the doctors have been pleased with everything they see. They feel that I am ready to go back to the floor. My mommy and daddy are so proud of me, but they are also anxious about going back to the floor. In the ICU it is one on one care, while the floor is one on four or five or six, so it is a bit of a transition. Then add this in with my episode and they are filled with excitement and nervousness. This is a step in the right direction and hopefully I will do well and not need to come back up to the ICU. Hopefully this time everything will go smooth and I can get back on the path toward going home. My sissy's really miss me and mommy and daddy. It has been hard on them and I can't wait to give them a hug. I will give everyone an update when I am officially on the floor.

Please remember to say a prayer for me.

Love, Drew and Family

Day 22 Back to the ICU

2008-10-02T13:29:00.000-07:00

I have had a rough day. This morning my oxygen saturation started dropping and they could not figure out why or how to get them back up. The decision was made that I need to be in the ICU for closer monitoring and in case more needs to be done. My mommy and daddy are very scared and worried for me. Hopefully soon I will be ready to go back onto the floor. At the moment my levels look OK, which is at least a little reassuring.

My Aunt Shawna and her boyfriend Seth are here to visit me and unfortunately they will not be able to hold me. Max's mom Shannon came to see me today as well. While she was looking at me Sam was talking to my daddy about the word of the Lord and faith in Jesus. I just wish I felt a little better to see all my special visitors.

Please remember to say a prayer for me.

Love, Drew and Family

Day 21 The Wedge

2008-10-01T13:18:00.000-07:00

Today has been an interesting day. First I had a swallow test. This is a test to determine if I can swallow without asphyxiating into my lungs. I was not able to pass with normal formula, so I will have to have a thickener added when I bottle feed. They also determined that I have reflux and therefore have created a "wedge" for me. I will have to remain in an almost upright position at all times, therefore I will sleep on the wedge, relax on the wedge, and play on the wedge. You can see a little of the wedge in my photos. Hopefully in about 4 months I won't need the wedge anymore. Tomorrow they will work on feeding me out of a bottle with the thickened formula.

Please remember to say a prayer for me.

Love, Drew and Family

Day 20 On The Floor

2008-09-30T16:25:00.000-07:00

Wow, I finally made it to the floor after 20 days in the ICU. My mommy and daddy are so very excited. This means that the doctors feel I am out of the danger zone and no longer listed in "critical" condition. I would like to thank all the nice doctors and nurses who helped me during my stay. There were several who actually aided in saving my life on more than one occasion. My mommy and daddy are so grateful to have such an amazing team working round the clock to keep me here with them. I hope you enjoy the pictures of me in my new room. It is a nice big room and I get it all to myself. Thank you for all the thoughts and prayers, they have not only helped give me strength, but have also helped my mommy and daddy through these difficult times.

Please remember to say a prayer for me.

Love, Drew and Family

Day 20 Movin on Up

2008-09-30T11:43:00.000-07:00

Today is a big day for me. The doctors have decided to move me to the floor. My mommy and daddy are so very excited. I have not used c-pap for over a day and I seem to be doing well. Today they did a small wean on my morphine to see how I do. Hopefully soon I will be able to see my sissy's again, they miss me very much. As soon as I am in my new room I will post some pic's for everyone.

Please remember to say a prayer for me.

Love, Drew and Family.

Day 19 More Snuggle Time

2008-09-29T20:06:00.000-07:00

Today has been another good day. I am still making progress in the right direction. My c-pap hasn't been used since 8:35am and my numbers are looking good. Most of my medicines are now on orally and they are working my feeds up. The doctors are pleased with my progress which makes my mommy and daddy very happy.

I have been on my morphine and adavant for 19 days now, so it could take some time to wean me down without me going into withdrawls. So I am making steps in the right direction. Hopefully things will continue to move forward and I can see my sissy's again soon.

Please remember to say a prayer for me.

Love, Drew and Family

Day 19 The Work Begins

2008-09-29T11:21:00.000-07:00

My doctors just came by and they are very pleased with my progress. The plan is to begin weaning some of my medication and then moving my medication to oral instead of IV drips. They also want to see how long I can go without c-pap, hoping that I will not need it. My mommy and daddy are so happy that the doctors feel I am doing so well. Every one's prayers and the strength of the Lord are helping me through. Hopefully everyone will continue to go well and that I will just get stronger and stronger.

Please remember to say a prayer for me.

Love, Drew and Family

Day 18 Sleepy Boy

2008-09-28T20:36:00.000-07:00

Today I have slept most of the day. Both my mommy and my daddy got to hold me today. It is such a great feeling to be held by my mommy and daddy and I think they enjoy it as much as I do. I am still having to use my c-pap machine to help with my breathing. They doing four hours on and then four hours off. This will help me build up my lung strength and get used to working on my own.

Please remember to say a prayer for me.

Love, Drew and Family

Day 18 What a face

2008-09-28T11:47:00.000-07:00

Today has been another good day. I have been off the c-pap for about 3 hours and am doing well. Hopefully I won't need it anymore as that is a lot of stuff attached to my little face. My mommy and daddy took some photos of me with nothing on my face and just with my oxygen. Once I am done with c-pap then they will will start working on my medicines. This will take some time because I have been on the pain killers for so long. They have to go very slow or I will have withdrawls. I hope you like my pictures, it has been a long time since anyone has really got to see my little face.

Please remember to say a prayer for me.

Love, Drew and Family

Day 17 Daddy's Turn

2008-09-27T13:52:00.000-07:00

Today has been great! First my mommy got to hold me and then my daddy. It has been over two weeks and it felt so good to be held. Due to the breathing tube I do not have my voice back yet, but in a couple days they should be able to hear all my sounds. The doctors don't plan on doing much today. It sounds like tomorrow they will start weaning my medicines and hopefully in a few days I will be off the c-pap.

Thank you for all the prayers they are helping! The strength of the Lord is helping me through and hopefully soon I will be home in Kalispell with my sissy's.

Please remember to say a prayer for me.

Love, Drew and Family

Day 17 Mom's Arms at Last

2008-09-27T11:45:00.000-07:00

Today has been a good day for me. I did get my breathing tube taken out, so I am no longer on the ventilator. I was not getting rid of my carbon dioxide like they want me to, so I was put on a c-pap machine to help my lungs empty the bad air.

The best part of today is that my mommy is holding me and soon my daddy will get to hold me. It has been 17 days since they were last able to hold me. They are so happy! It is great when my mommy and daddy can hold me. Hopefully in a couple days or so I won't need the c-pap anymore and can start working on getting off my medicines and getting better.

Please remember to say a prayer for me.

Love, Drew and Family

Day 16 One Down and One to Go

2008-09-26T13:52:00.000-07:00

Today has been a good day. Three hours ago my nitric oxide was turned off and so far I am doing well. My mommy and daddy are very excited and so proud of me. Everyone is praying that I continue to do well without the nitric so that I can focus on getting off the ventilator. Hopefully tomorrow my mommy and daddy will be able to hold me. I enjoy getting to see them, but I miss having them hold me. Everyone is really happy about my progress and just keeping praying that it continues. I will have a new roommate today and his mommy and daddy seem like really nice people.

Please remember to say a prayer for me.

Love, Drew and Family

Day 15 The Slow Move Forward

2008-09-25T12:08:00.000-07:00

Today has been another good day. They are working on weaning down my nitric oxide and hopefully soon I will be off. This helps the pressure in my lungs, so it will be great when I will not need it anymore. Then all I will have left is the ventilator and some medication, after that I should be on the road to recovery. My mommy and daddy are very happy that I am continuing to do so well. They are hoping that soon they will be able to hold me again.

Please remember to say a prayer for me.

Love, Drew and Family

Day 14 Moving Forward

2008-09-24T19:17:00.000-07:00

Today has been a good day. My ventilator has gone down a good amount today and they actually started to wean my nitric oxide tonight. They are pleased with how well I have done so far and my mommy and daddy are very proud of me. Hopefully I can continue to improve at this rate. My mommy and daddy continue to pray for the strength of my heart and lungs, that my lungs will do well as they wean the nitric oxide and ventilator, and that I will have a good strong recovery. Hopefully soon I will be able to go home and see all my friends and family. I miss my sissy's who are in Kalispell waiting for me to come home. My friend Max's mom, Shannon, came to see me today and got to see me with my eyes open. She was very happy for me and my mommy and daddy.

Please remember to say a pray for me.

Love, Drew and Family

Day 14 I can see my Mommy and Daddy again

2008-09-24T13:43:00.000-07:00

Today has been a good day for me so far. I am off my "Vec" which is a drug that keeps my body paralyzed. So now I can open my eyes again. My mommy and daddy are very happy to see my eyes again, it has been over a week since they last saw them. They are also starting to take my ventilator settings down and so far I am doing good. The strength of the Lord is keeping me strong. Hopefully soon I will be off my machines.

Please remember to say a prayer for me.

Love, Drew and Family

Day 13 A Good Day

2008-09-23T20:00:00.000-07:00

Today has been a good day. No more Ecmo and my numbers have looked good. My mommy and daddy are so very proud of me. They are thankful for the machine that kept me alive but are happy that I no longer need it. Now they pray that my heart and lungs continue to do well, that I continue to do well as they work on getting me off the other machines and some of the medicine, and that soon I will be recovered and back in Kalispell with my family. They are very thankful for all the wonderful people who have been praying so hard for me. These prayers and the strength of the Lord have kept me strong. I hope soon they will be able to hold me again.

Please remember to say a prayer for me.

Love, Drew and Family

Day 13 Saying goodbye to a Friend

2008-09-23T10:11:00.000-07:00

Today I had to say goodbye to my friend Ecmo. While it was my friend that has kept me alive and given me the time to rest it was time for me to take over. After being off for almost 24 hours the doctors decided I had been doing well enough to make it without Ecmo. This is a very big step for me and my mommy and daddy are so happy. While I am still deemed in critical condition on life support, this was a big milestone. Hopefully soon I get off the nitric oxide and the ventilator and then the recovery starts. I am so grateful for the strength the Lord has given me, and the many friends who have prayed for me along the way. I will still need prayers: for my lungs to stay strong and work good, for more strength when they go to get me off the other pieces of life support, and for a speedy recovery. I hope you enjoy the pictures of me without Ecmo.

Please remember to say a prayer for me.

Love, Drew and Family

Day 12 Let Go, Let God

2008-09-22T19:14:00.000-07:00

Today has been good so far. I was off for 7 1/2 hours doing pretty well and then they changed the oxygenator again. Then they put me back on for an hour and now I am off again. The doctors want to see how I do through the night before making any decisions. When I say "off", what I mean is that there is no oxygen going through the blood, my lungs are having to provide the oxygen. My mommy and daddy are very proud of how well I have done today and hope that tonight I will do just as good. They are praying very hard along with many others. I know the Lord is giving me strength and hopefully tonight will go smooth and tomorrow I can say goodbye to my friend Ecmo.

Please remember to say a prayer for me.

Love, Drew and Family

Day 12 Strength in the Lord

2008-09-22T15:39:00.000-07:00

Today they are trying my lungs again. I know the lord is with me, but I still need lots of prayers. Hopefully today will be the day. My mommy and daddy are praying hard for my lungs, my healing, and the wisdom of these great doctors. When I know more of how they think I am doing I will post again. Until then:

Please remember to say a prayer for me.

Love, Drew and Family

Day 11 Taking my Time

2008-09-21T19:25:00.000-07:00

I am still on Ecmo. They had me off for 7 hours today, but I wasn't ready to do it all on my own. My mommy and daddy are very sad. They were really hoping that I would come off today. When I am all better I will have to give them a big hug. They will probably try to take me off again tomorrow. Hopefully my lungs will be ready soon so that I can get off Ecmo and then focus on the Ventilator and Nitric Oxide. My mommy and daddy are saying lots of prayers for me. They hope it will be very soon. My levels have been fine since they turned it back on and hopefully they will all stay good.

Please remember to say a prayer for me.

Love, Drew and Family

Day 10 So Far So Good

2008-09-20T20:33:00.000-07:00

Today I had a good day. As you can see in my photo, they took my chest draining tubes out. They are going to put a small one in next to my right lung to drain some fluid there. Then if all goes well they will try to take me off Ecmo tomorrow. Mommy and daddy are saying lots of prayers that my lungs will be strong and won't need help anymore. I hope so to, then I can focus on getting off the ventilator. One step at a time though. The Lord is giving me strength and I know that soon I will be on the road to recovery and home to see my sisters.

Please remember to say a prayer for me.

Love, Drew and Family

Day 10 Waiting Until Tomorrow

2008-09-20T09:03:00.000-07:00

The doctors decided that they want me to get rid of some more fluid still. So, they will not try to take me off Ecmo until tomorrow. Everyone was praying today would be the day, so now everyone will have to pray tomorrow will be the day. My mommy and daddy are praying very hard because they want me off of Ecmo. I have been stable and doing well, so pray that continues. Mommy and daddy might not be able to handle anymore scares. Today my sissy's went back to Montana. They need prayers for a safe trip home and prayers for comfort while mommy and daddy are away. I love my sissy's and cannot wait to be able to play with them again. The Lord is giving me strength and I know soon this will pass and I will be able to go home.

Please remember to say a prayer for me.

Love, Drew and Family

Day 9 A Good Day

2008-09-19T23:22:00.000-07:00

Today was a good day. Everything ran smooth and they feel I am getting some of the fluid off of me. If all looks good in the morning they are going to try my lungs without the Ecmo machine giving my blood oxygen. My mommy and daddy are very excited and are saying lots of prayers that I will be able to come off of Ecmo. They are very happy with how good I have done so far today and are hoping for no more surprises. Hopefully tomorrow will go very well and I can get off this machine.

Please remember to say a prayer for me.

Love, Drew and Family

Day 9 More Resting

2008-09-19T12:14:00.000-07:00

Last night went well and so far today has too. The doctors want to get more fluid off me before trying to take me off Echmo. So, they are hopefully to try me again tomorrow. Mommy and daddy are very happy that I am stable and have not given them any more scares. Thank you for all the prayers, I can feel the Lord giving me strength. I am so happy to have so many new friends and my mommy and daddy are amazed by all the people who are praying.
My friend Teagan got released yesterday and hopefully so did my friend Max. I am praying for them that they will do well and am so thankful to have met them.

Please remember to say a prayer for me.

Love, Drew and Family

Day 8 My Scary Moment

2008-09-18T16:15:00.001-07:00

Today went from good to bad rather quickly. The Doctors decided they wanted to rest my lungs for a couple more days, but would need to change out the oxidizer on the Echmo machine before turning me back on it. When they went to start the machine back into me my heart rate started dropping. It was into the 40's when the doctor started doing chest compressions to keep my heart beating. My mommy and daddy were so very scared. I have very good doctors though and they were able to get me through and stable again. They are not sure when they will try to take me off Echmo again. All of your prayers are helping and I know the Lord is with me. I hope my mommy and daddy can feel him as much as I can. They are very scared after what happened today. Hopefully things will remain stable so they can take me off of Echmo soon.

Please remember to say a prayer for me.

Love, Drew and Family

Day 8 So far So Good

2008-09-17T22:35:00.001-07:00

Today has been very exciting for me and mommy and daddy. Today they turned off the oxygen going through my Echmo, meaning they are making my lungs do all the work. It has been 3 hours and 20 minutes and I am doing good. Hopefully today I will get to come off Echmo. I will still be on the ventilator and Nitrogen Oxide. This will be a big step in the right direction. My mommy and daddy are so very happy. The power of prayer and the work of the Lord is keeping me strong and hopefully soon will be bringing me back to my family. I think my sisters are missing me. Thank you for all your support!

Please remember to say a prayer for me.

Love, Drew and Family

Day 7 Still Resting

2008-09-17T22:35:00.000-07:00

Today has been for resting. They are wanting me to get good and rested for when they try my lungs again. My mommy and daddy have been happy that I have been back to stable and comfortable. Hopefully soon my lungs will be ready and I can get off my Echmo machine. My parents are praying that soon I can begin the recovery process. The Lord is giving me strength and will walk with me through these tough times.

Please remember to say a prayer for me.

Love, Drew and Family

Day 7 Special Visitor

2008-09-17T14:29:00.000-07:00

Today I had a very special visitor, Sam Middlebrook, who is my friend Max's dad. Sam is a pastor and he said a very special prayer for me with my mommy and daddy. Thank you Sam, I enjoyed the prayer and I believe in the healing power of the Lord. It made my mommy and daddy happy to be able to pray over me. Hopefully my lungs will be ready soon.

Please remember to say a prayer for me.

Love, Drew and Family

Day 7 Holding Steady

2008-09-17T11:00:00.000-07:00

Hello again. Last night went well and they are happy thus far. They will do an echo to make sure my heart is still working good. My mommy and daddy are praying that my heart will stay strong so that we can focus on healing my lungs. Thank you to everyone who is praying for me. They are working and I can feel the power of the Lord with me. My mommy and daddy cannot believe all the people who are praying for me, it makes them cry to think about how much love and support I have from so many. Today there is not much planned beside looking at my heart so that I can rest up and be ready to try my lungs soon.

Please remember to say a prayer for me.

Love, Drew and Family

Day 6 Back from Surgery

2008-09-16T19:04:00.000-07:00

I made it back and my mommy and daddy were so happy to see me. The doctors think my heart is doing well and everyone is praying that it will stay strong. Now it is time for my lungs to get better so I can be on the road to recovery. Thank you for all your kind thoughts and prayers they are truly helping. The Lord is keeping me and my family strong. I cannot wait to see them all again.

Please remember to pray for me.

Love, Drew and Family

Day 6 Off to Surgery

2008-09-16T16:22:00.000-07:00

Wow, what a busy day I have had. Two field trips will all my equipment, it is amazing to watch as it takes 8 people working carefully together to move me around. I just entered the OR and it will take half an hour or so before surgery starts. Say prayers that all goes well and my heart works good on its own. Hopefully soon my lungs will be ready. My mommy and daddy have had two big days in a row and they need a hug. I wish I could give them one. Maybe soon I can.

Please remember to say a prayer for me.

Love, Drew and Family

Day 6 Getting Ready for Surgery

2008-09-16T13:42:00.000-07:00

My trip to the Cath Lab went good. They think my heart is ready to work on it's own. My lungs are still not ready though. I will be having surgery to remove the two canuals from my chest that are connected to Echmo. They will then insert them into my neck. Essentially my heart will be pumping the blood and Echmo will be oxidizing it. My mommy and daddy are happy and are praying very hard that my heart does well. They are also hoping my lungs will be ready soon so I can start recovering.

Please remember to say a prayer for me.

Love, Drew and Family

Day 6 Off to the Cath Lab

2008-09-16T10:41:00.001-07:00

I am now in the Cath Lab. My mommy and daddy are anxiously waiting. Hopefully things will go well and I will be able to get off my machine soon. Thank you for all the wonderful prayers. They are working. When I am out I will let everyone know how it went.
Please remember to say a prayer for me.

Love, Drew and Family

Day 6 Better Day Getting Ready for Cath Lab

2008-09-16T09:13:00.001-07:00

Today has been much better. My bleeding has pretty much stopped and my blood levels are looking good. Mommy and daddy are so happy. The Lord has been with me and hopefully with his help I will be off my machine soon. In an hour or so I will be going to Cath Lab where they will inject dye into my blood stream and follow it around my heart to make sure there are no problems that need to be surgically corrected.

I need lots more prayers to help me in the Cath Lab and to get off my Echmo machine soon. Thank you to everyone praying for me. It makes my mommy and daddy happy to know there are so many wonderful people who care about me so much.

Please remember to say a prayer for me.

Love, Drew and Family

Day 5 Another Big Night

2008-09-15T23:47:00.000-07:00

Tonight has gone better for me. My bleeding is going down and my levels are starting to look better. It is not perfect yet but hopefully by morning. They did find the start of a blood clot on one of my canuals, which they are hoping doesn't change. If so they will have to do some work to clean it up. I am praying that I will be off my machine before they have to do anything. If things continue to go well through the night they will take me to the cath lab tomorrow to check out my heart and lungs. Thank you to all my new friends. Your prayers and the power of the Lord have been helping me! My mommy and daddy are so happy to have you praying for me. They cannot believe how many wonderful friends Max and the Middlebrooks have.
Please remember to say a prayer for me.

Love, Drew and Family

Day 5 Rough Day

2008-09-15T19:47:00.000-07:00

Today has been a very rough day for me and my mommy and daddy. I have been bleeding a lot today and the doctors are trying to figure out why. They changed my Echmo machine thinking maybe that was it. They are also giving me medicine in case it is an infection. Needless to say they did not try to get me off my machine today. My mommy and daddy and all my friends have been praying a lot. Hopefully tonight will go well and tomorrow will be a much better day. Please remember to say a prayer for me.

Love, Drew and Family

Day 5 Big Day

2008-09-15T11:43:00.000-07:00

Hello, today will be my big day. Last night was a little bumpy and they think I might be getting an infection, so they are running some checks on me. This afternoon they are going to take me to the cath lab where they will begin to decrease the assistance my machine is giving me. Then they will inject some dye into my bloodstream and follow it around. This will tell them if there is something they have to correct surgically. My mommy and daddy are very anxious and are praying very hard. Hopefully we will know more this afternoon.

Please say a prayer for me.

Love, Drew and Family

Day 4 Resting up for my Big Day

2008-09-14T20:44:00.000-07:00

Tonight I need a lot of rest because tomorrow morning they are going to start slowly taking the machine away to see how my Heart and Lungs do. I need lots of prayers that I will be ready to do all the work on my own. My mommy and daddy are really excited and nervous. They want me to get better and get off my machine. It is time to rest I will talk to everyone tomorrow.
Please remember to say a prayer for me.

Love, Drew and Family.

Day 4 Message from My Friends

2008-09-14T15:38:00.000-07:00

Today I received a very special email from some of my friends. I really appreciate the gesture and wanted to share it with my other friends.

Love, Drew and Family

Day 4 I can see you mommy and daddy

2008-09-14T14:42:00.000-07:00

Today when my mommy and daddy came to see me I had my eyes open. They were so happy that they actually cried. I was happy to see them. I can hear them, but this is the first time I could see them. This made me so happy that I smiled. The doctors changed the plans again and they will try my heart and lungs tomorrow afternoon. They think all my levels look great and they are not going to do much today. Most of my excess fluid is gone so I am looking back to normal. I have attached some pictures of my eyes open. Hopefully you will be as happy as my mommy and daddy were. Please make sure to say a prayer for me.

Love, Drew and Family

Day 4 Room with a View

2008-09-14T11:10:00.000-07:00

Today I got a new room and will have a roomate who is also on "Echmo". It is a great room with a very nice view. Last night I used the bathroom a lot which caused my blood pressure to drop down. The nurses told my mommy and daddy that I opened my eyes really big last night. They are very excited to see my eyes again. I am still comfortable and stable. The doctors decided not to try working my heart and lungs on Monday and that another day of rest would help. So pray that Tuesday my heart and lungs are ready to go so that I can see my family soon.

Love, Drew and Family

Day 3 Just relaxing with mommy and daddy

2008-09-13T22:08:00.000-07:00

The rest of today has gone better than this morning. I have been stable and comfortable. Today was the first day I got to suck on my pacifier, and this was with the help of my stuffed blue jay. I opened my eyes briefly for Mommy and Daddy. It made them very sad because they have not seen my eyes since Wednesday morning. I know they are so very worried. Hopefully I can get off the machine soon and see my family again. They plan on keeping my levels normal for the next day and will try to get me off my machine again Monday morning. Please say lots of prayers for my Heart and Lungs that they will be very rested and ready to start working on their own again.

Love, Drew and Family

Day 3 Not yet ready

2008-09-13T09:49:00.000-07:00

Today they tried to see if my heart and lungs were ready to be without my Echmo machine. I was not ready yet. My heart was not as strong as it would need to be. They are going to let me rest for a couple more days and try again Monday morning. I am worrying my mommy and daddy to pieces. Please remember to say a prayer for me.

Love, Drew and Family

Day 2 Me and My friend Echmo

2008-09-12T22:06:00.000-07:00

Yesterday was my big heart surgery. Currently I am in stable condition and they are keeping me comfortable. My lungs were not ready to work after my surgery so they had to put me on a machine called an Echmo. This machine does the work of my heart and lungs, it pumps the bad blood out of the body-oxidizes it-then sends it back. I am also on a ventilator to help my lungs. As you can see from my picture I am still a little swollen from Surgery, but hopefully that will not last long.

Right now we are waiting to give my lungs a trial run. Hopefully we will be able to do this tomorrow.

Thank you for visiting and please remember to say a prayer for me.

Love, Drew and Family