I’m writing this update from a beautiful reading/quiet room on the 11th floor of Helen DeVos Children’s Hospital, overlooking the lights of Grand Rapids. Jen and Owen are down in our room on the 6th floor getting some much needed sleep.

We’ve been at the hospital for nearly thirty-five hours. In that time, almost every aspect of Owen’s health has gone as well as we could have hoped for.

The surgery took less than three hours and had no complications. Jen and I felt total peace as it was going on; we could feel God’s presence and knew so many were supporting us.

The whole procedure was done via scope and required no larger incisions. One thing I had not expected–the surgeon brought pictures to the consultation right after it was over. We saw views from inside Owen’s chest during the surgery. We also saw pictures of the lower left lobe after it had been removed. The difference between the healthy lung tissue and the removed mass was very evident.

Owen was extremely drowsy when we got to see him afterwards. His face and color looked great, but he never really came to a full, alert state all afternoon and evening.

He woke a couple times when his pain medication was wearing off and cried pretty hard. These were probably the most difficult times of our visit. But the staff were very quick to provide help and give him an additional dose.

He was still experiencing some pain this morning but managed a couple smiles. By mid-day, he was back to smiling a ton–something we’re pretty used to with Owen.

The chest tube is still in place to drain fluid from around his left lung. They will shut the pump off in the middle of the night, do a final X-ray tomorrow morning, and then remove the tube if everything still looks good.

Barring any other complications, we should be able to take him home tomorrow afternoon. I know his brother and sisters are anxious to have him home. And we look forward to being together as a family again.

We recently met with a surgeon, James DeCou, to review the results of Owen’s CT scan. This test gave a much clearer picture of his left lung than had been provided by the x-ray shortly after birth.

The mass on the lower portion of Owen’s lung is still there. It is a portion of tissue which did not develop normally and which is not contributing to the normal function of the lung.

Based on these images and everything we’ve learned about this condition, we’ve made the decision to take our little Owen to Helen DeVos Children’s Hospital on Friday, August 18th for surgery. The procedure is expected to last around four hours; the goal is to remove the lower lobe of the left lung.

Owen is not currently experiencing symptoms from this condition. However, there are a few reasons to remove the mass:

• The abnormal tissue makes kids more prone to pneumonia and other infections
• If left untreated, there are slightly higher risks for the tissue becoming cancerous later in life
• Removing the non-functioning tissue makes space for the healthy tissue to grow and increase lung capacity

The surgery will be done using a scope. The procedure, requiring three incisions, will first close off the blood vessels feeding this portion of Owen’s lung. It will then be carefully removed and drawn out through the largest incision. A tube will remain in place for a short period after the surgery to help drain fluid which sometimes forms around the affected area. We expect to be in the hospital for two to four days.

Although we’ve known this step was likely for months, it is still difficult to think about taking our sweet, seemingly-healthy boy in for surgery. We know there will be challenges in the coming week and beyond. But Jen and I have peace about the decision and the timing for Owen.

Here are our biggest prayer needs right now:

• Please pray for a smooth and successful surgery. If there are complications, it could potentially require a larger incision and more invasive procedure.
• We need God’s peace and reassurance. We need to feel his presence, his comfort, and have his wisdom if it becomes necessary to make on-the-spot decisions. We also need the strength to say no to worry and what if fears.
• Because of the need to protect Owen from sickness before surgery, we are in a quarantine period right now. We’re avoiding public places and situations which are most likely for our kids to pick up sickness. As a result, we’re a little lonely. We miss all the friends and family God has blessed us with.

Thanks again for your prayers and support. We will post a quick update the day of surgery once we know the exact time the procedure will begin. And we’ll share news as soon as we can after Owen is done with surgery.

Owen’s joy, sweet spirit, and incredible smile have blessed us since the day he was born. We are so thankful to have him and trust God to help us walk through this next step.

 

The Short Version

I started having painful contractions.  We rushed to the hospital.  Owen was born minutes later.

The Longer Version

I woke up the morning of my due date expecting an ordinary day.  With our other children, I went into labor in the middle of the night or the early morning hours.  My assumption was that I have morning babies.  And my intuition was that Owen was going to arrive after my due date.

Around lunch time I took a due date photo and posted it on Facebook, having no idea that Owen would arrive just six hours later.

We had lunch, followed by reading time and nap time.  I slept great and woke up feeling refreshed.

Of all the things I wanted to accomplish before Owen’s birth, only one remained:  stocking the freezer with a few batches of protein pancakes.

Around 3:45 or 4:00, I noticed I was having extremely mild contractions about five minutes apart.  I kept making pancakes, because I was pretty sure it was false labor.  Labor contractions five minutes apart should be more painful, right?

At 4:17 a friend texted saying, “Happy ‘baby due date’ day.”  She texted again at 4:31 asking if I had any signs of labor.  At 5:05 I responded that I might be in early labor.

It was around that time when things really started picking up.  I told Aaron we should start timing contractions.  Using an app on his iPhone, we started timing contractions at 5:11.  They were four minutes apart and lasted close to a minute.

I was in the middle of a project—making the pancakes—and I wanted to finish.  But I knew we still had some last minute things to pack for the hospital. I decided not to start the last batch.

Aaron had gone to the gym that afternoon, so he wanted to shower before heading downtown.  He and I packed our last things (with the help of Kayla and Madeline) and were ready to leave around 6:15.  We said good-bye to the kids and headed out.

It was snowing as we drove.  The roads were pretty slippery, and we weren’t sure we could make it up the hill on Michigan Avenue.  We made it, barely, and pulled up to the hospital entrance.  We walked inside, told them I was in labor, and walked to triage.  For those who know me well, it’s probably no surprise that I turned down two offers to ride in a wheelchair.  Looking back, I’m wondering what I was thinking.  When you’re as far along in labor as I was, the last thing you want to do is move!

The memories that comes next are a little blurry in my mind.  I know Aaron left to park the van and a couple nurses asked me questions (which I could barely answer) and took my weight.  The nurses were ready to take me to a room to determine if I was really in labor when a powerful contraction came on.  Aaron wasn’t there for me to squeeze his hand, and the nurses didn’t volunteer to let me hold their hands.  The contraction was the worst one yet.  I grabbed the arm of the chair, and at the end of the contraction my water broke.  The nurses moved me to a wheelchair and took me straight to the delivery room, with Aaron joining us on the way.

I don’t know how many nurses were there.  I don’t know when the doctor arrived.  I don’t know when the neonatologist arrived.  A nurse listened to Owen’s heartbeat once and checked that I was fully dilated.  The doctor introduced herself to me, and with the next contraction, Owen was born.

There was no time for the birth plan.  No time to give the nurses the cookies I had made for them.  No time to meet the nurses or even count them.

But my boy was here!  Right away his little lungs filled with air, and he cried and cried and cried.  The doctor placed him on my chest, and he lifted his head and looked at me.

Owen was born at 6:45 p.m.  He was born so quickly that his color wasn’t great at birth, but by ten minutes he looked wonderful.  The neonatologist determined he was healthy and doing fine. There was no need to visit the NICU.  Owen weighed 8 pounds, 12 ounces, and was 19 3/4 inches long.

And that’s the story of Owen’s birth.  From the time I knew I was in labor until he was born was about 1 hour and 45 minutes.  God watched over every detail, and we thank Him for the wonderful gift of our son, Owen Daniel Kerr.

The Future

Many have asked if Owen will need surgery in the future.  Unless the mass in his lung disappears, Owen will have surgery when he’s about 6 months old. While he is breathing and doing fine now, cystic portions of the lung can easily become infected, and babies with CPAMs can be more prone to pneumonia.  There’s also some belief these masses could become cancerous later in life if not removed.  The surgery would be a lobectomy, the removal of the lower lobe of Owen’s left lung.  The good news is that lungs continue growing until a child is about eight, so Owen’s lung should have plenty of time to grow to a normal size.

We praise God for protecting Owen while he was in my womb, for protecting his heart as the CPAM pushed it and moved it out of place.  We’re thankful for Owen’s smooth birth, and we trust God will get us through the last phase—his surgery.

Owen’s due date is now just 38 days away. We had a break from medical appointments around the holidays but got to check on him again in an ultrasound last week. I’m sorry it’s taken me a few days to get an update written. Between working, homeschooling, spending time with our kids, and making preparations for a baby, our days are pretty full.

Spectrum performed a very thorough ultrasound on Owen last week which included an echocardiogram. Careful measurements were done on his heart to make sure it is functioning normally and hasn’t been affected by the mass on his lung. The results were great; Owen’s heart looks extremely healthy.

His heart is still shifted toward the right side of his body. The cardiologist assured us this isn’t a cause for alarm. As long as the heart is working well, the positioning isn’t crucial. The body adapts. If and when the mass is removed from Owen’s lung, his heart will gradually shift back into position.

Owen’s lung mass measured slightly larger than at our last ultrasound, but our doctor wasn’t overly concerned by this. It is getting more challenging to get precise measurements on a very wiggly baby. He is now over five pounds and moves all the time.

Our schedule at Spectrum last week also included preparations for the “what if” scenarios.

The ideal path for Owen goes something like this: Jen goes into labor on her own and delivers naturally; Owen shows no signs of breathing difficulties or other distress and is able to stay with us in the hospital birthing center; his CPAM is evaluated, with surgery likely once he’s between three and six months.

If Owen faces struggles at birth and it’s determined surgery is needed right away, a pediatric surgeon will be ready. To prepare for this possibility we met with a surgeon and got more information about how that decision would be made and what the surgery process is like. Urgent surgery seems unlikely for Owen, but it’s good to know what to expect should we face it.

If Owen has other medical challenges short of surgery, he will spend time in the neonatal intensive care unit. We are blessed that the Helen DeVos Children’s Hospital has a level 4 NICU, offering the highest level of care for newborns. We received a tour of the facility and met with a doctor who explained how the process would work.

After the simplicity of delivering our last two babies at home, it can be overwhelming to wade into the medical world. There is a lot to figure out and many decisions to be made. But we’re doing our best to enjoy this pregnancy, take our worries to God, and be patient as we look forward to holding Owen.

Overall, Owen is on a great path. His progress since the initial diagnosis back in November has been outstanding. But as we’re learning, CPAM babies can be unpredictable. His long-term prognosis is very good. Still, there are many potential challenges along the way. We look forward to seeing God work through all of them.

Thank you for praying for us and supporting us.

Aaron