Give Me Morphine!

Lincoln got out of surgery at 2:30 this afternoon. He did very well...just in a lot of pain though. He was intubated during the procedure so his throat hurts. The surgeon attempted to enter through the left side of his chest but could not thread the catheter into the vein. He was able to get into the right side but that means Lincoln has two incision sites...and double the amount of pain. He just needs to rest and recuperate now for the next few days. There is not too much new to tell about Lincoln other than he has had a great week. He is now attempting to fold his hands and is smiling more and more. These are a few pictures taken over Thanksgiving weekend with the York family: "Working out" with papa York and hangin' with the cousins. We actually got to see all of Lincoln's face while we were re-taping his tubes. And yes...even a candid moment while changing clothes. Thank you all for your continued prayers...We love you all! J&K

Keep Praying....

Well, after waiting through most of our day to go into surgery...the surgeon called around 6:00 pm and said they were still busy in the OR. Lincoln's procedure got bumped to today or tomorrow...so keep praying! Lincoln is doing great right now...he just weighed in at 11 lbs this morning.

Please Pray!

First, Lincoln is doing good and we will update the blog this after noon...this is just a quick note to say...Pray Today! Lincoln is most likely going to the OR to get his Broviac line changed. The Dr's put off replacing it until after the holidays. The procedure shouldn't take more than an hour...but anytime you have to intubate and go under anesthesia there is always potential for problems...especially with a heart that is soooo fragile. They will make an incision just under his collar bone and enter the vein there. This line should last him for a long time. Lincoln should do fine...just pray hard. We will chat with you soon! We love you all! J&K

Happy Thanksgiving!

Thank you all for your prayers...God has been hearing and answering them. Lincoln is doing better since his episode of dehydration and fast heart rate. There is such a small window of margin when it comes to his fluid balance...too positive, his lungs get wet...too negative, he starts to have tachycardia. He is doing better now and he remains sickness free! He is still having some problems with constipation which has been giving him a little pain. Lincoln is making more and more noises...he even giggled for the first time. He is focusing on objects and reaching out to touch them. The one little issue right now (and there is always something) is that his Broviac line (his central venous line) snapped and broke just outside his body. This line is surgically placed and can remain permanent. Unfortunately this is his only line that he has and that delivers his all-important medication that makes his heart pump. Normally they can repair the line without going back to the OR...but...Lincoln's line is too small to repair. For now they have temporarily "jerryrigged" it to work. They are talking about taking him to surgery on Thanksgiving day to change the line. Obviously they don't want to send him to the OR if they can help it while waiting for a heart...but he needs the line. Please pray that doing this procedure won't cause any problems with his stability...and that he will recover quickly. Meanwhile, we are still here in the ICU waiting and waiting. Lincoln has been on the waiting list for 5 weeks now and so far has been stable while waiting...PTL! On Sunday, Lincoln and daddy got to watch the Chargers beat the Broncos (GO CHARGERS!). He even got a little visit from his ICU girlfriend, Holly, who is also waiting for a heart. We pray that all of you have a great Thanksgiving! We are truly thankful for God's awesome grace and provision and all of you that have been praying for Lincoln. Happy Thanksgiving! We Love you all! J&K

I'm 5 Months Old!

Lincoln turned 5 months old on Sunday and is growing fast...he is now weighing in at 10 lbs 8 oz! Lincoln had a great week...PLT! He is now holding his upper body and head up and putting his binki in his mouth all on his own. He is also starting to talk...well...baby noises. We also got moved to a different ICU due to him being a little more stable. However, pray for Lincoln today as he is currently experiencing a high heart & respiratory rate. He is very agitated and not feeling well. He is also sleeping a lot and his heart is a little more enlarged. He is not keeping his feeds down. The Dr's think he might be a little fluid positive/overloaded...or it could be an infection or a GI issue...they just don't know. Please pray that this is all it is and not an infection, flu or his heart weakening. If he is sick...we cannot accept a heart if one becomes available. Another issue is that normally Lincoln would be needing his second surgery soon. His heart anatomy would still require a need for correction because he is growing and will eventually out grow the corrections made from the first surgery. The pickle is that Lincoln's heart is too weak to do another corrective surgery and we can't put him into surgery waiting for a heart anyway...and...we don't know when he will start to show symptoms that he would need that surgery...will it be before a heart comes? Anyway, a lot to think and pray about! Lincoln got a few visitors this week. John, Julie & Alyssa Taylor came to visit along with Pam Uffelman and her daughter Sarah. That was a fun treat! The last picture that we posted here Lincoln got to pretend he was an astronaut. He was having an energy expenditure test to see how many calories he burns...he liked it for a little while. Oh...and by the way...Pam, the pink binki was for you! Keep praying hard as Lincoln is feeling bad and his heart is acting funny...also for us as it has been a very hard week emotionally! We look forward to talking to you soon...We love you all! J&K

Waiting is the Hardest Part

Lincoln is doing good...we had a little bump in the road on Oct. 20th. Lincoln had a spasm in his heart called an Atrial Fibrillation. This is when the heart rate speeds up to a dangerous rate. Usually there are reasons the heart does this...but of course with Lincoln...it's always idiopathic (an unknown reason). Lincoln's heart rate jumped up to 230 bpm without reason, and after a few different attempts to calm it down with medication...it finally did. Because Lincoln is so small and has a failing heart...his ability to fight through and handle issues like that or what they call his "reserve" is very weak. And we think that by going through yet another huge episode like he did made him lose a little more reserve making his heart even more weak. Since then, his oxygen content in his blood (his "saturations") has been low and he is now on oxygen with a nasal cannula. He has also been put on a new medication called Digoxin to make his heart beat slower and more efficiently. Pray that another "big" issue stays away because we don't know how much more his heart can take before it says "enough." This is the hardest part for Kristen and I...and Lincoln...waiting! Lincoln has been on the waiting list for a little over two weeks now. The scary thing is...heart transplant for infants are more rare than for older kids and we just don't know how long Lincoln can be in a stable condition waiting...especially when he has had big issues come up every now and then. Wow...that was heavy...but aside from all of that...Lincoln is doing well. Kristen has been working with the physical therapist to help Lincoln with head control and arm and leg strength. You can imagine how far ICU kids get behind in their development just lying in a bed all the time. We've seen him getting stronger every day with his movement and technique. As you probably have noticed, we have updated his blog site with a few more items to look at. On the right side of the page we've included a "Prayer Request" list...PLEASE be in prayer for those items as we specifically lay them out. There is also a "Link" section...there we have highlighted some of the sites that pertain to Lincoln, his condition, heart transplant, donor awareness, etc. Have fun looking at those as you become more familiar with Lincoln's needs. Thank you all for your continued prayer and support for all of us...we will talk to you soon...we love you all! J&K

"Trick or Treat!" This was Lincoln's Halloween costume...We're not really sure what he is...but he looks cute anyway!