SURGERY UPDATE 11/12/16

The day after!

And here we are, having slept very little and needless to say, last night was as challenging as we were told it may be. Poor Keaton would sleep in 20 minute intervals. You could tell he was very upset and something was uncomfortable. Several things were upsetting him, the most obvious being the surgery itself. However, other irritations had him very disturbed throughout the night and most of the day. Apparently having the tube down his throat during the procedure has led to a very sore throat and also just coming off of anesthesia, a ridged cocktail of pain killers and antibiotics, and the oxygen tube on his face all seem to be contributors to his discomfort.

Erika and I decided to take turns sitting up with Keaton. He would settle down pretty quickly if you were there to rub his brow or hold his little hand and sing, “The Wheels on the Bus.” But the moment you moved, he would lose it. I had the first shift. 8:30 – 1:00 am. He did okay, but again, you could tell he was not happy. His momma sat up with him from 1:00 am till about 6:00 am. At that point, we shared in the duties. Lord knows it’s rough getting rest in this place. Every hour it seems someone is coming into the room to check blood pressure, change syringes, mop the floor, change garbage cans, and clean toilets… Ugh… figure it out!

Today, throughout the day, he has progressed tremendously. He hasn’t wanted to eat much, but liquid diet and a small serving of mashed potatoes and gravy have held him over. The physical therapist came and helped us move Keaton to the couch where he sat up by himself for over an hour. While there, a few of my players from San Jac came to visit Keaton. That was a special moment for him and for Erika and I. Very proud of the character of the players I get to work with and coach each and every day.

Since about 3:00 pm today, he has seemed to turn a corner and has rested quite comfortably. He is catching up on a lot of rest and as we know, rest is his friend right now, as is ours! Please continue to pray for Keaton Jax. Recovery can be very difficult in any case, but in his case, not having the ability to tell us what is wrong or uncomfortable, has truly been trying and exhausting for his mother and I. With that said, I can only imagine how frustrating it must be for him as well.

Kory Koehler

Daddy