The Pray Family

Recovery

RB Pray — Mon, 01 Mar 2021 01:18:29 +0000

Thank you all for continuing to check in and ask about Asher. He is doing amazingly well. Hardly requiring pain medication, and doing normal life well. Yesterday he asked me if he could ride his bike, which I said no to, however it is exciting that he feels well enough to want to! Tomorrow is his first follow up appointment, and we expect it all to go smoothly, but you never know. We want to thank everyone for the prayers, the encouragement, the cards, gifts, meals, etc. It has truly been so amazing to have a strong community supporting all of us in this. Asher has more weeks of recovery to come but this first one after coming home from the hospital was a really sweet time for our family or learning how to put our selfish desires aside and serving others. Judah’s been putting away his own clothes, Noa has been sharing her birthday week with the excitement of Asher being home, and Hannah has been taking on double chores to help out. It’s been amazing to be home with everyone together under the same roof.

Please continue to pray for Asher and that we, as a family, would glorify God in all we do.

Home Sweet Home

RB Pray — Tue, 23 Feb 2021 01:20:20 +0000

5 days ago Asher had his fourth open heart surgery, and today he was discharged home!!! We are all thrilled to have everyone home, and healthy. Asher is glad to sleep in his own bed, be home with his siblings, and recover at home. One of his biggest concerns is keeping Judah from tackling him, which is a very valid concern. He already spent an hour chatting with his sister Hannah, catching up on everything the other one may have missed. We are beyond grateful to have him home after a successful surgery. Thank you all for your support and encouragement through all of this. We know this is not the end to all of Asher’s medical struggles, but we know God is always good and we praise Him for this victory.

It was better

RB Pray — Sun, 21 Feb 2021 00:13:05 +0000

Today was a great day. Asher’s last chest tube was removed this morning. Typically kids scream and cry when you pull them but Asher crossed his eyes, and said “Woah, that feels better already”! The team removing it was shocked. He is an amazing patient, and we have had AMAZING nurses, doctors, and medical team. They have loved having Asher as a patient as well. He was chatting with his sweet nurse today and telling her about cars he likes, and asking her about her new vacuum!!! How cute is that! He then was able to have his arterial line and central line removed as his blood pressures have been stable for over 24 hours, and he is taking all of his medication orally. He got out of bed and brushed his teeth, went for a walk down the hall, was transferred to the step down unit, and has been up and out of bed multiple times already, ALL BY HIMSELF. He wanted to sit in a chair to eat, and went for another walk around the step down unit. We need his x-rays to stay clear enough (they’re never fully clear soon after this type of surgery), him to be able to eat a little more, and to maintain stable blood pressures, and get rid of more extra fluid. He is in very good spirits this evening. He asked one of the doctors if he would be able to be home for his sisters birthday on Thursday, and they thought it was VERY likely and probably even sooner! He is focused on the end goal…HOME!

Better Days are Coming

RB Pray — Sat, 20 Feb 2021 03:45:49 +0000

Asher had a much better day! A chest tube was removed, he was able to get out of bed to a chair, his pain seemed mostly tolerable and his blood pressures have been mostly stable while beginning to wean off some infusions. The really important things are to maintain his blood pressures at a happy medium, high enough to fully perfuse all organs but low enough to avoid damaging the surgical work, all while trying to rid the body of extra fluid from the surgery, while again not ridding it of too much as he does after all only have half a heart which is happiest when fairly full of fluid. So all that said, it’s a balance. The other really important thing is to monitor bleeding from the chest and any fluid or air collections that occur. Finally, he is generally prone to arrhythmia but especially after a major surgery like this.

I pray tomorrow his other chest tube can be removed as they are very uncomfortable. Imagine a tube half an inch in diameter about a foot inside your chest. It’s pretty cruddy but necessary for drainage post operatively. Asher has continued to do all things asked of him, not always happily but that’s expected. He has no idea how much of a fighter he truly is.

Yesterday was hard

RB Pray — Fri, 19 Feb 2021 14:59:15 +0000

Last night Asher told me “today was hard”. He was very correct. His blood pressures were sky high, he was having a lot of pain, he was throwing up and had an allergic reaction to a medication. Last night was much better as his pressures stabilized, he stopped throwing up, his pain was under control and he actually was able to sleep. So far today he has made some positive progress already and we are optimistic it will continue.

Long Night

RB Pray — Thu, 18 Feb 2021 13:48:23 +0000

This picture is not from the snow today but a previous one last week. Asher did well overnight all things considered. He didn’t get much rest but that was to be expected. His blood pressures were able to stay where the docs wanted them, his chest tube drainage is slowing down nicely. He has a lot of pain but is managing it really well. His chest X-rays look great. Today is a big day as physical therapy will come by later and have him sitting up and beginning to move around. Hopefully his blood pressures will settle out and he can come off some of those medications. He is having such a positive attitude so far and doing everything that has been asked of him. We are so thankful for everyone’s prayers, encouragement, and the showering of things that apparently keep showing up at our house for not only Asher, but the other kiddos as well. Thank you seems inadequate as there are no words to fully express how grateful we are.

“It could not have gone any better.”

RB Pray — Wed, 17 Feb 2021 22:35:56 +0000

.That is what the surgeon said to us after the surgery “It could not have gone any better”. YAAAAAAAY!!! They were able to remove the breathing tube right after surgery as well, which we were not anticipating. I can get into the nitty gritty of it all later, but for now, Asher is resting in his bed while the medical team closely monitors him. We ask for continued prayers as the first night is always rough

This is a Big One

RB Pray — Wed, 17 Feb 2021 13:27:23 +0000

Asher just went back for surgery. It will take well into the afternoon. As the medical team here keeps telling us, this is a big one. It’s not a small simple surgery, it’s a major one. We are fully aware of this but when other people say it, somehow it sinks in more. We will update again after surgery is over and we are settled in a room. Keep all the prayers and encouragement coming.

Here We Go Again

RB Pray — Tue, 16 Feb 2021 21:49:56 +0000

Well we had an awesome run of about 10 years with no cardiac surgeries or interventions needed for Asher. He is an amazing, 12 year old boy who has had to overcome so much already. Tomorrow Asher will have his fourth open heart surgery to replace a portion of his aorta that has become extremely dilated and is compressing some other major vessels in his chest. It’s a major surgery, complicated by his Hypoplastic Left Heart Syndrome (HLHS). If you’re not fully aware of Asher’s condition, feel free to read the archive section from 2008-2011. We will be keeping this page updated throughout this hurdle. We have great faith that Jesusis the ultimate Healer, and is the only source of hope in all of this. God knew this day would come before Asher was even born, and has shown His goodness and mercy every step of the way. We ask you all to join with us in prayer for Asher.