October 14, 2014 BUTT DAY

Rayden's "Butt Day" 

(10-14-14 is Rayden's Butt Day-not Birthday, because this is the day his 'butt' sees the world. Haha!)

After a sleepless night of praying for baby Rayden, we arrived at UNC at 9:00. They took us directly back to a room and started an IV. Of course it took three people to get the IV. One of them blew up like a balloon under my skin. Several people came to see me and introduce themselves. They were all so excited about the opportunity to view such a rare surgery. Michael, Justin, Alex and myself waited for a few hours until they came to take me down. I was so nervous. They wheeled me past the rest of my family but Michael, Justin, and Alex were able to come with me downstairs. When Maya told them this was the end of the line I remember looking up to a family full of tears. All my grown, strong men were crying. I think they were scared as well. I entered a large hallway that had curtains on both sides. They wheeled me into one of these rooms and shut the curtain. I spoke with two medical students that were so excited to be able to view my surgery. I really didn't feel like entertaining them. I was so nervous. Dr. Goodnight came in and told me that it would be another 30 minutes because they were cleaning the Operating Room. He told the nurse to allow my husband to come back to sit with me. Soon Michael, Justin, and Alex were in the room keeping me company.

Dr. Elton came to speak with us before the surgery along with many other team members. Soon a nurse put a funny blue hat on my head and an anesthesiologist asked me to drink a mixture in a little brown cup. He stated that it tasted like salty sweet tarts. It was nasty but I was amazed that he had the best description possible for the taste. They took my glasses and wheeled me into the OR. All I could see was a bunch of people in green suits. They reminded me of aliens. They asked me to sit on a cold, metal table. One man was holding my hands and the other man behind me started placing the epidural in my back. I actually couldn't feel a thing. After lying down on a yellow doughnut shaped jello pillow a lady asked if I had hair ties in my hair. I stated I had two of them. I lifted my head for her to remove them and that's all I remember. I didn't count to 10. I didn't have a sleeping mask. That was it. The doctors called Michael every hour on his cell phone to keep him informed of our progress. I woke up hours later back in the room upstairs with hundreds of people around my bed. Wires, needles, pipes, monitors of all sorts coming from my body in every place you could imagine. I remember not even being able to open my eyes or pick up my fingers! I remember being in so much pain and crying-begging Dr. Goodnight not to leave me. I heard him say, "Fix this." and that was it. I passed out again. I know people came to see me, but I couldn't tell you who they were. The remainder of that night was excruciating. The magnesium sulfate I was on to stop the contractions made me so hot and sick. I couldn't make full sentences. I would just say words like "hot", "sick", "legs", "shaking". My son, Alex, rubbed my feet. I know its weird that I say that felt good when I had an epidural block and couldn't really feel my feet or legs, but it DID feel good. Michael and Alex would pick up my legs, give me a throw up pan, pull the covers off, wash my face, give me ice, cover me back up, and hold me down to help me stop shaking. This was a continuous process all night long. I remember saying, "baby...moving". Everyone thought that was so wonderful. It HURT so I wanted him to stop. Dr. Elton said the babies surgery was "textbook". He was a trooper and did wonderful. I suppose he was doing great considering he was already moving just a little while after surgery. I thought I was dying, no lie! I'm not going to sugar coat it. It was the toughest thing I have ever gone through. I'm so thankful my family was there to help me through each contraction and push me through. I know God was there helping me stay sedated as much as possible. I could feel all the prayers being lifted up. I would do it all again to help my sweet, innocent, little baby.

Graphic pictures of our surgery

In the picture above you can see my uterus has been taken OUT of my body, and cut open. 

Inside you see a bubble on Rayden's back. This is his myelomeningocele. 

The picture above shows the defect in his back after the bubble has burst. 

Above you see his little spinal chord exposed and the surgeons starting to stitch his 

skin back together covering the defect. 

Look closely and you will see Rayden's back all stitched up inside my uterus. 

Now to sew me back up. 

My uterus getting sewn back together. Now to place it all back inside my body. 

All of this just amazes me. The knowledge God has given these surgeons just testifies of his power. I KNOW God has big plans for Rayden and we feel so blessed to be chosen as his parents.