RECOVERY REPORT & UPDATE
for William Goforth

July 9, 2002

 

RECOVERY REPORT: 

Last Wednesday, William had his first follow-up appointment with the specialist in Houston for his most recent June 20th eye surgery. The doctor gave a favorable report about the right eye as to its healing progress from a previous surgery, and he was encouraged about the left eye as well. The surgeon's report was reassuring to Josh and Noelle as he explained that since William is on an entirely different developmental time table (due to his premature birth) and that in his case, the proper functions of the eye, like fixating and tracking should actually only start developing between now and the next 6 months. His eyes still respond very definitely to light, but to what extent his vision has been preserved is not yet known. Our prayer is that the Lord would, within time, grant a total healing to his vision and all other functions of his eyes.

 

UP TO THE MOMENT. . . Today William is 5 months, 2 weeks and 4 days old BST ("Birth Standard Time")! 

Come to think of it, according to his May15th due date, he is really just 1 month, 3 weeks and 3 days old GST ("Gestational Standard Time"). Yet another way to measure his age is from the date of his June 3rd release from the NICU, in which case, he is only 1 month and 6 days old HST ("Home-light Savings Time"). We better watch what we say—William may expect 3 different birth-day celebrations when he grows up. :)

 

And as far as the baby's weight goes, a new way of measurement was introduced to us by way of a creative Vacation Bible School teacher who thought of a way to tangibly illustrate Baby William's delicate birth weight of only 1 lb. 4 oz. to her classroom of children who were praying for his needs and who contributed to a special gift for him—a baby scale. Ingeniously, she measured out a bag of flour weighing 1 lb. 4 oz. so they could hold it and feel how very light he weighed at birth. Well, I'm happy to report that at his last follow-up exam, William weighed well over six "VBS"  bags of flour for a grand total of  7 lbs. 10 oz.! You might say he's our honorary little Pillsbury Dough Boy now. :)  

 

 

He has already experienced his first "home school graduation" from a preemie bottle to a regular sized baby bottle along with nursing. But the most encouraging progress is that all his feedings are by mouth now, and he has been doing well, thus far, without the NG tube (nasal gastrointestinal tube.) His dad and mom are monitoring his weight to make sure that he continues to gain steadily. The other hindrance to his feedings had been the frequent occurrences of reflux. However, that seems to be steadily improving by way of diminishing, and we pray that his system will continue to improve without the need at all for surgery to correct it.

 

Take a good look at this photo of William, for it may be the last one we print with the adornment of his nasal cannula. :-) Yes, it is Josh and Noelle's expectation, and our prayer, that he will soon have no further need of it. The oxygenation is now turned down to its lowest setting and he has been doing quite well that way for some time...UP TO THE SECOND, UP TO THE MOMENT!: Noelle just called and informed me that William has been satting...(remember(?) that's a term for the saturation level of oxygen in the blood, not a grammatical error or baby talk.) :-)  Let's start over again. Noelle reported that William has been satting well in the 90s all day (and that's great!) without the aid of supplemental oxygen. That's the latest answer to prayer and praise be to God!   

 

ANSWERS TO PRAYER: 

Faithful Prayer Partners, this time we've done a switch on you and saved the best for almost last. In preparing this week's update, I arbitrarily chose an old Recovery Report to use as a guideline. Just as I was about to erase the old prayer request list and start a new one, I felt led to survey all the previous prayer requests as far back as January, and I recalled how they sometimes seemed like such a tall order for this little guy. But then it occurred to me what an amazing God we serve, the Great Physician, Who hears our every prayer, and then answers them in His infinite wisdom, purpose, and time. 

 

Prayer requests from January through June 2002 as we called upon all of you to join us in prayer...

*  Baby William, as of this time, January 24, 2002, is still alive...Continue to pray, pray, pray.

*  for continued healing and strengthening of his lungs, heart and nervous system.

*  for the central nervous system to continue to mature and be totally healed of any seizure-like activity.

*  for complete healing and maturity of William's intestinal system to enable him to tolerate his mother's milk...

*  that his lungs would continue to heal from the infection and bronchial-pulmonary dysphasia.

*  that (after brain surgery) William would recuperate speedily and completely.

*  that he would learn to coordinate breathing, sucking, and swallowing...

*  that William would continue to steadily increase his endurance and amount of intake for each feeding.

*  for early release from the (Houston) hospital (after both eye surgeries) and safe passage driving home.

*  that the supplemental oxygenation via the nasal cannula would continue to be lowered and soon completely eliminated—answer to prayer today!

AND THE LORD HAS BEEN EXCEEDINGLY GRACIOUS IN HIS TIME TO GRANT ALL OF THESE ANSWERS TO PRAYER!!!

 

CURRENT PRAYER REQUESTS:

With William's present needs in mind, and one in particular, it has been reassuring to us that God is still involved in the near to shear impossible. We humbly call upon you to continue to remember Baby William in your prayers for these ongoing needs for...

a. continued healing in his eyes for protection and restoration of vision and eye functions.

b. discernment for Josh and Noelle in choosing the best of the recommended physical therapists for William.

c. continual improvement in his gross and fine motor skills as a result of God's healing touch and early treatment with infant physical therapy for any CP related impairments.

d. steadily increased volume of feedings by mouth and continual healing of reflux.

e. continued maintenance of healthy satting levels without any supplemental oxygen. 

 

WORD FOR THE DAY:  We can all take heart from reassuring words from the Living Word involving a miraculous intervention of God with another baby, John the Baptist, when the physician Luke reported the angel's declaration, "For with God, nothing shall be impossible" (Luke 1:37).

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