Kendra's big week

Kendra is now a member of the 4-pounder club, with a certificate to prove it! She's had a great week. The pediatric GI doctor was brought in to evaluate her and help us trouble-shoot with her lack of growth. The initial consult gave us some potentially frightening news. He was concerned about the possibility she may have cystic fibrosis. What little I know about this disease is enough to know it would be a scary diagnosis, if his fears proved valid. Praise the Lord that her initial test, called a sweat chloride test, was negative. They sent out her blood for DNA testing to confirm, but it looks as if we don't have that additional worry.

The other result of his visit was a change in her nutrition. She had been receiving my milk with formula supplement added for extra calories. He felt that part of her problem was an inability to digest the long-chain fatty acids found in mother's milk, so she is now strictly on a formula called Elecare. Since the switch, she has gained weight every day and is now at 4 pounds 5 1/2 ounces!!! Yeah!! Not only that, but she is taking everything by mouth, drinking her bottles like a pro, so they pulled out her NG tube yesterday.


She also had a visit from "Santa" this week. Here she is with a picture of her first encounter with the jolly fellow. Doesn't she look so big!!




So anyway, now that she's growing well, we hope to get her next colostomy repair scheduled soon so that we can get that out of the way and move forward with her recovery - the sooner to get her home! We had so hoped to have her with us for Christmas, but it just wasn't God's timing. However, we are abundantly grateful for all the progress she has made this week. God is so faithful.