Lewis Miller

What a day!

Our day started at 0400 this morning when my alarm went off. I called the hospital to make sure everything was on schedule. I didn't have the direct line to the Labor & Delivery unit so I just looked up Spectrum on Google to get the phone number. Someone answered right away when I dialed the number - "Emergency Helicopter..." WHAT? Why Google posts that number for the hospital is beyond me. The guy was very pleasant about the whole thing saying that they get those calls all the time (I wonder why). Anyway, I finally got the right number - everything was on schedule. So we hopped in the car at 0430 and made our way to GR.

We got to hospital right on time, around 0530. They showed us over to the Birthcenter and got us in a room. They got Lauren all ready with IVs and the works and then had us sit there for the next hour and a half. Luckily one of the pastors from Kainay (Pastor Chip) dropped in around 0600 and hung out with us for a while. We were thankful for that because we would have just going crazy waiting in there by ourselves - the nervousness, the anticipation, ... We were happy to have some company. Our parents showed up a bit later, around 0715. They got to see Lauren before she was taken into the OR. While everyone was in the room Pastor Chip lead a prayer. Then Lauren was taken over to the OR to start the show.

I had to stay behind in the room while they gave her the anesthetics. Once they were ready for me, they brought me in. I sat up by Lauren's head along with the anesthesiologist. He was very nice. He gave us the play-by-play of what was going on the whole time. Once it was time to start delivering the anesthesiologist told me I could stand up to see the baby. That was probably one of the coolest things I have (and will ever) see. First the top of the head, then the whole head was out, then his torso, then his legs, then there he was. Baby Lewis was here! They took him to the table next to us to work on him - he started crying. Thats the best sound I've ever heard. Because of the opening in his back, we were not able to hold him at all after he was born. They did bring him over so mom and dad could give him a kiss though! Awesome! After that he was whisked away to the NICU.

Lauren was put back together and they took her over to the recovery room. When Lauren was ready, they took us up to the NICU to see Lewis. When we got up there he was lying quietly on his side just looking around. Lauren spent most of the time holding his little hand. They brought the new grandparents and aunts two at time to see Lewis. While we were there Dr. Mann (the plastic surgeon) stopped by to take a look at Lewis's back. We got to take a good look at his opening - pretty much what we expected. After we finished talking to Dr. Mann they took Lauren and me up to her room.

Shortly there after, around 1115, they called and had me meet Lewis and a nurse down in the pre-op holding area. Since Lauren was pretty much immobile, I went down by myself. I met with the anesthesiologist and with Dr. Foody (the pediatric neurosurgeon). They both explained how the surgery would go before they took him in. The plan was to perform the shunt surgery first and then the closure surgery immediatley after. Once they took him in we were playing the waiting game. They were pretty good about giving us updates on the surgery. Lauren's nurse came in and told us that the anesthesia went well and he was ready for surgery. A nurse called our room to let us know that the shunt surgery went well and they were getting ready to start the closure surgery. Then Dr. Foody called to let us know that his part of the closure surgery was finished and everything went great. A little while after Dr. Mann called to tell us that he had finished the closure and Lewis would be headed back to the NICU shortly. So thats where we are right now. We're waiting until he's ready for some visitors.

Please keep Lewis and Lauren in your prayers while they recover and that we can get home as soon as possible! Here are some pictures from today: