He's home...

This has been a kinda hectic holiday season for my family. My youngest brother, Ammon, underwent some major surgery this summer. His first hospital admission this summer was during the end of July. That was a disc fusion (they fused 10 discs!) and an untwisting of his chest and spine. Then he was in traction for 7 weeks -- all while staying at the Shriner's hospital. He had another major surgery on Aug. 29 to put rods in his back to keep his torso straight and in a position to allow his major organs to operate. His lungs were getting squished out due to his scoliosis. In the recovery to that surgery, he was intubated for 4 days. It turns out that during that intubation, his already fragile (and one paralyzed) vocal cords were damaged. His throat has never recovered from that. His voice was restored, but the damage to his airway was enough that apnea and general breathing problems have arisen.

A few weeks ago, my parents finally convinced Primary Children's to admit Ammon again. They had been involved in observing his damaged airway, but they were prescribing steroids, which was really on a temporary solution. After a few frightening nights, my parents basically told PCMC they weren't going home until they could find a solution. Unfortunately, after more breathing treatments, another surgery to widen the airway, and more observation, it was decided that the best thing for his breathing was a tracheotomy. Now the poor kid's quality of life has been dramatically diminished due to all the risks and maintenance (is that the right word?) of this throat surgery. My folks had to participate in days of training to learn how to care for a tracheotomy, how to do CPR, how to basically be the ER nurse if his airway got clogged.

Well, that training ended this morning and Ammon was released from the hospital. They made it home and are all unpacked with a cadre of medical equipment stuffed in his room. We're all very glad they are home, but it's been a tough go not only for my folks and Ammon, but for my two sisters that still live at home. One is 20 and independent enough to survive just fine, but the other is still a senior at Salem Hills High School.

We decided to hold our annual family Christmas party last night, even though my parents and Ammon were all at the hospital. We got all the siblings living in Utah together and had dinner and a gingerbread house decorating party. We met in Elk Ridge where my folks live and had a great time. Mom usually hosts and coordinates this, but she was a little tied up. I guess it is a morbid look into the future when our parents die and we have to move on with traditions and get togethers.

My brother Dave was great with the kids and gave all my girls a horse ride.

Dave and Tana made a unique gingerbread house: a single-wide trailer, broken-down tractor in the yard, a brown pond, pile of junk, and little mutt dogs wandering the property.