Update on the Big O

This week we had a follow-up appointment with Dr. Tsao, our pediatric surgeon.  We were so excited to tell him all about the progress that Hayes has made in the past few months, and we were also anxious to come up with a plan for his upcoming surgeries.  The paint and wait process has gone so well for our little man, and he has thrived with our conservative approach to treatment...but we are ready for the waiting to be over and for the real healing to begin!

As usual, we started the morning bright and early by packing up and heading down to the medical center.  We were the first patients to arrive for the day, so we were swiftly taken back to an examination room after a quick measurement check.  (Hayes has already doubled his birth weight...yay!!)  A resident came in first to get some background information and admire our sweet little guy.  This was the first omphalocele he had seen, so we were happy to show him off and add some knowledge to put under his belt.  After that, Dr. Tsao came in with a group of nurses, residents, and other people dressed in scrubs.  Hayes was happy to entertain the crowd with smiles and coos while they examined him and listened to our long list of questions and concerns.  So many different topics were discussed, but here are just a few of the highlights...

• On the top of our list, we wanted to know why his omphalocele continues to grow.  Looking at other O babies, we have noticed that most of their omphaloceles get smaller and gradually move back into their abdomen as time goes by.  However, Hayes's continues to do quite the opposite...it seems to get bigger each time we unwrap his bandages!  Dr. Tsao reassured us that everything is completely normal (or as normal as it can be if your organs are outside of your body!), and that the organs contained in the O are just growing along with the rest of his body.  Phew!
• Speaking of growing organs, Hayes's stomach seems to be getting bigger by the day...along with his appetite.  He is approaching the age that solids can be introduced, and we got the doctor's okay to go along with the typical feeding schedule of any other baby.  Although we plan to stay away from binding foods (rice cereal, bananas, etc.), we are excited to start introducing solids within the next few months.
• Of course, we also had lots of dialouge about his impending surgeries too.  Dr. Tsao was able to give us some insight on how the procedure is performed, what kind of anasthetics are usually administered, and what repairs will be made at each of the staged surgeries.  Our next appointment is scheduled for the end of September, and we will set a date for his first surgery at that time.  Knowing that this big event is right around the corner brings about a whole new bag of emotions, but I will save that for another post...

Overall, it was a great appointment!  Everyone has our sweet boy's best interest in mind, and we are excited about the future and all that it has to hold.  It is so comforting to know that us, the doctors, and everyone else involved are all on the same team...Team Hayes!!

 Hayes and his O!

I spy liver, stomach, and intestines...can you??

Hooray for a great doctor's report!!