Surgery came at 5:30 am this morning to change JT's dressing and it hurt him a little even though the nurse gave him morphine a at 5:00 to get him ready.  Again, JT and I chose not to look.  I am haunted by the glimpse I had of his arm on Sunday, completely opened up as if with a fillet knife.  He is the toughest, bravest person I've ever met - no tears, just some wincing as they peeled off all of the soiled bloody gauze and packed new wads of new gauze around the wound sites before re-wrapping.  If it were me, I wouldn't be able to get my mind off of it, but he just goes about his business, playing UNO and watching TV and building Legos and cracking jokes.

He's scheduled for add-on surgery to close up the wounds tomorrow.  There was some discussion this morning as to whether or not his arm had been given enough time to drain - some doctors thought it was early to close things up.  However, like everything else, it's a balance between risk and benefit:  the longer it's left open the more inviting the wound becomes for some other infection.  I'm not sure what to think so I'm trusting the folks here to collaborate and make the right call.  In the end, it's the orthopedic surgeon's call and he wants to move forward.

I've told JT that he's going to have his arm sewn up tomorrow and that it will be a birthday present to have it put back together.  He's such a great boy that he's thankful and happy about this idea.  Jodi is planning to arrive in the early afternoon, and if I know her, there will be more than one or two presents in tow.  I wish we knew what time the surgery would be tomorrow because as an "add-on," you just have to wait around for an opening instead of having a scheduled time.  It will be unpredictable.

So tomorrow they'll put him under and will probably use a ventilator this time since this surgery will take longer.  

...Well, he just woke up from his nap and the dressing is soaking through with blood in the central wound area.  I don't know if this is a problem or not but the doctors have been notified and they may want to take another look and change the bandages again tonight.  When I told JT that they might have to change the dressing again he replied, "I'll be brave." 

I don't know what to think - of course I want the arm to drain fully but it would be comforting to know those incisions are put back together and healing instead of open and gaping and draining.  Once again, we have to trust the doctors' call - not the easiest thing for a control freak like me.

Anyway, what a way to turn 6, eh?  As luck would have it, I recently found a picture of myself on my 6th birthday, blowing out candles on a Superman cake at my grandparents' house.  Things will be a bit different for JT tomorrow, and it's a tribute to his indomitable spirit that he's cheerfully anticipating the day. 

Please pray for a good day for him tomorrow - for a joyful birthday in the midst of this trial, for a 100% successful surgery, for protection from infection, and for complete healing.  Thank you.