PRAY

A message from mom:

This entry is not like the others, & I know I am way behind on the blog - SORRY!! Between trying to have fun w/ Conner, working on the new house, & the old house - oh & harvest is approaching rather quickly - (as Matt would say) I am slipping :)

The reason for this entry - my nephew Nate (Conner's cousin) is having major surgery in the morning. He was diagnosed with Hirschsprung disease or total intestinal aganglionosis shortly after he was born - he is 8 now. If you saw Nate you would never know anything was wrong.

Here is a note my sister sent out to the church prayer team.

GUMPRAYER TEAM:
We would like to thank all of our GUMC Family and Friends for your prayers and support for Nathaniel (“Nate”) and our family over the past 8 years. His health remains a medical miracle and he continues to amaze all of his doctors. Next Wednesday (9/24), Nate will be having a major surgery in Iowa City to remove all of his large and the majority of his small intestines. The reason for the surgery is for the pain and distention he lives with daily. His wonderful GI doctor believes this should alleviate these issues and improve his quality of life. Overall, his daily care “should” not change. He will still have the central line to receive iv nutrition and fluids every night and will still have 2 stomas to care for.

As far as our GI doc knows, Nate will be the first child to have this procedure done at U of I for his condition (total intestinal aganglionosis- for those who like to Google). We are working with new surgeons who are very different from our incredible past surgeon who treated both Nate and Brenna as if they were his own. We pray their techniques and care will surpass our current expectations. The other great issue is that the surgery could jeopardize his current health status and minimal intestine function, so we will try to be patient and give his body time to heal again. We told Nate about the surgery Thursday night and his anxieties are much better than expected, though it is definitely running through his mind constantly….ours too.

This surgery is our only step between his current status and moving into a small bowel transplant. We are all hoping the procedure will help postpone the transplant for several more years until he is older and the medicines and techniques are further refined.

Thank you for your kindness and understanding as we work to meet his needs when in public and away from our home routines. If you ever have questions about Nate, please don’t hesitate to ask Brian or I, as we would rather have people learn more about the miracles around them and be as amazed by HIS GREATNESS as we are.

Blessings,
Brian and Kristi Fisher

Please keep Nate (& his folks) in your thoughts & prayers
John Deere green - his favorite color :)