Surgery Update

Bettyjo came out of surgery at about 10:15pm, after waiting in the pre-op for four hours! Every thing went very well. The doctor was able to dissect the pouch and sew good tissue to good tissue. She will be in ICU for two days and then will be in hospital for another three or four days. I was able to see her in ICU, but she was very heavily sedated. However, she really looked pretty good under the circumstances.

Please pray that this will be the beginning of her full recovery.

Another Surgery

Bettyjo got a call from Dr. Willets office Friday, and they want to do the major surgery that I spoke about in my last post November 10th. So at this moment we are just waiting. We are so grateful to Dr. Willet as he is actually doing this surgery during what was supposed to be his vacation time.

Please pray for complete success, and full healing. She wants to be eating by Christmas, even if it is just applesauce or pudding.

Surgery Update

Bettyjo went into surgery at around 10:00am. The Doctor came out to speak with us at around 11:30am. He was able to get the scope down her esophagus and could see that she has a pouch (not supposed to be there) right above her upper esophageal sphincter mussel. The pouch is in very poor condition. He tried to put a stitch in it to close it up, but the tissue is in such poor condition that the stitches pulled through.

The disappointing news was that he was not able to do any repair this time.

The encouraging news is that he has devised a plan to open her completely up and dissect the pouch, and then put stitches into the good material on either side.

We have a follow up meeting with him next week, and I will keep you informed as to what is decided.

Thank you for all your prayers and support, it was certainly felt this morning.

The Day Before Surgery

Tomorrow, Tuesday October 22 Bettyjo will have surgery at 10:00am at Riverside Methodist Hospital in Columbus. The surgeon will go in through her mouth and attempt to repair the esophagus from the inside.

We are all (Bettyjo, Brenda, Emily & me) very anxious to have this surgery over with, and very very cautiously optimistic. We have had so many disappointments in the past that it is hard to be optimistic.

Please be in prayer for us tomorrow, that this surgery will work, and that while the road to full recovery will still be long and hard, we will in fact be on that road.

Bettyjo Update

Correction: There was a miscommunication as to what the ENT Dr. will be doing. He is not going to re-install the funnel. He is going to sew the hole in the esophagus shut, but will not open up her neck. He is going in through the mouth. This will be an out patient surgery, and will take place on October 22.

Once again, please pray that this procedure will work.

Bettyjo Update

Bettyjo went to her ENT physician today. She still has a hole in her esophagus, and is now developing an infection, possibly caused by some permanent stitches put in during the last procedure in May.

He wants to re-install the diversion funnel, through her mouth in an out patient procedure, on October 27th. The last time he installed it by opening her up, and the funnel itself caused a lot of pain. Please pray that will not be the case this time! And, that this procedure will allow the esphagus to heal.

Bettyjo Update

Well....Bettyjo went back to the ENT, and he wants her to come back in a month to see if there is any change. She is currently still leaking from the neck. Her Family Doc. wants her to gain at least 12 pounds before she has any more surgeries. We have been adding a can of Ensure, which has given her a little more energy. She has been getting out a bit more.

Please pray that she will gain the weight needed, and that she will be strong enough for another surgery. This really is not what we wanted to hear, but there doesn't seem to be any other shot at healing.