Wait and See

We have been discharged from the hospital.

Jonas has been in the hospital a fair number of times and every single time I have been so happy to be discharged. I have loved the feeling and always felt ready to leave, practically skipping at times. This time is a bit different. Overall I am glad to be out but it does not come without some hesitation. The reason is that Jonas still has a fairly large hole in his back with other smaller ones forming. The wound is still draining and due to the location (lower back) it is incredibly susceptible to further infections...primarily from poop.

I am on constant alert to every time he poops (7 times yesterday for example) which makes me constantly stressed. He is on an oral antibiotic for 10 days but it will take weeks to months for this hole to formally heal. The doctor thinks that if things are going well we should be able to return to England in about 2-3 weeks but he agrees that the wound will not be healed yet.

I am not sure what we are going to do. It makes me nervous to leave his doctors when he is still at such a risk for another infection but I am also eager to return to Clara and get our lives back in order. We will do some serious thought and prayer as a family to determine what is best for us right now. Devin will head back sooner but he also wants to stay for a few days to make sure Jonas is well on the road to recovery.

That's our update. We are so grateful for the progress we have seen and are holding our breath that it continues.

For those who want we have taken some pictures of his back that you can view. WARNING: They are not for the faint of heart. But, if you are interested you can click on this link to see them. These were taken on Wednesday of the hole that formed but believe it or not, the rest of his back looks significantly better than it did on Friday and Saturday. This is the same back that Dr. Jallo, his neurosurgeon, said "looked good". It's all in the perspective, right?

For those who would rather see some more cheery pictures, these are the ones for you.

Jonas and Nell both found it hilarious that she was feeding him. It was the only way I could get him to eat so I held her hand and guided it to his mouth. They were both laughing. You've got to be creative when it comes to having fun in a hospital bed.

Being in the hospital sure is exhausting...just ask the three of us. Family nap time.

That's our update. We are hoping he recovers well and quickly and that we can avoid any further infections...prayers are still welcomed, we know they work!! We love you.