I wanted to hop on and give a quick update today. We have a busy couple of days to round out this week but hopefully there is light at the end of the tunnel! Tomorrow Lane has a cystogram which is a test of his bladder to ensure that the bladder has healed and is not going to continue leaking. He has had a catheter keeping his bladder empty since this process all started so we have not let his bladder have any volume to test the healing process. His urologist feels confident that the test will have good results, but we have to be sure before we remove the catheter. She came in today and told us how grateful she is with how Lane has done. She has told us multiple times that kids that have bladder perforations do not ever do as well as Lane has. She even made the comment that most kids are on ventilators by the time she gets to them. She is just as AMAZED as we are at how this whole process has gone. Prayer changes things and we have all of you to thank for that! 

Friday Lane goes back into surgery to remove the shunt. This is a hesitant positive for us as getting rid of the shunt would be ideal for Lane and something he would not ever have to worry about again. I say we are hesitant because weeks down the road we could start seeing changes that would require a shunt to be placed but he has been great this week with it clamped so his neurosurgeons think he will do ok. Unfortunately, this is a time thing and we will just have to wait and watch him closely in the coming weeks. Being able to remove the shunt is a huge win for us in this process and is going to get us home even earlier. If he would have needed the shunt, we would have been looking at an even longer stay while we waited for complete clearance of the abdominal infection before replacement. The ETV surgery he had last year seems to be working so I am thankful for that bump we encountered a year ago! 

If the next two days go smoothly and his cystogram looks good, we may be looking at discharge this weekend! We are staying optimistic and hoping that nothing else pops up to slow us down! We are so ready to get home and back to normal. I will try my best to keep updates going over the next two days as we finally get some finishing touches to this completed. Keep the prayers coming that all looks good and home is in our near future! 

I want to thank everyone that has sent cards or gifts to Lane. Lane's school has been absolutely amazing with all of this and one of Lane's teachers even came to visit and delivered tons of cards from students! His hospital room is full of balloons and even the staff call him "Mr. Popular" from all the love showing through just by looking in our room. Students have reached out and called or texted him to check on him. You have no idea how happy it makes my momma heart that he has found a place at his new school and made friendships along the way. The support he has received has been outstanding. Cards are being delivered daily and we have run out of room to hang everything! Lane is amazed every time he gets mail and he looks forward to it so much. Thank you to everyone that has taken time to send a card his way! Every card puts a smile on his face which is priceless. I cannot thank our family, friends, and community enough for everything! 

Lane has already schmoozed the staff here. He has his pick of nurses and the nurses are even arranging their assignments so they can get him on their days here. That is not an exaggeration, they really are! Lane is back to his talkative self which lets me know he is getting back to normal! We have staff members that stop by just to chat! Lane always leaves an impression wherever he goes and this hospital stay is no exception!

All the love, thanks, and gratitude from our family to you! 

Danielle