Post Surgery

He is still doing well and has been off the ventilator since yesterday afternoon. They will change his trach tomorrow morning and then try another swallow test. If all goes well they should be able to put him out on the floor.

The update of this morning is that Blake's trach tube was successfully changed out this morning at 6:00. Everything seems to be going well. We think he is scheduled to undergo another swallow test later this afternoon (we are hoping for outstanding results). Thank you all for your support and prayers, they have truly blessed the Smith family through this trying time.
Some Thoughts:
One of my favorite quotes says, "We cannot always control the circumstances in our lives, but we can control our attitude toward them" –Author Unknown. I think that Becky brought this quote to life for me the other night (when Jared and I were in Salt Lake). Becky said that she didn't know what they were supposed to learn from this experience, but she was sure it happened for a reason. She has been extremely strong throughout this whole process and I was grateful for and humbled by her example. I am also so impressed and grateful for all of the prayers and thoughts that have gone out on Blake's behalf. It is surprising how people can rally together and show support when someone is experiencing some difficulties. So...Thank You To All Who Have Been So Kind To Remember Blake & The Smith Family!

Blake is doing great and so far everything is looking good today. The swallow testing facility is really booked today, so one concern is that they will not be able to do the test for Blake today. The other night, however, Becky & Chad met a woman who works in that department (it's a small world) on the Trax when they were headed to the Jazz game. She is trying to get them in today! If it doesn't happen today, then they will have to do it Monday since that department does not do testing over the weekends. Another issue was that they were having a difficult time finding anyone in Ely who could provide the necessary equipment for Blake's trach tube. There are adults in Ely who have trach tubes, but for some reason no one wanted to supply or couldn't supply pediatric needs. Thankfully, a very kind woman from Ely worked it out with her boss in Vegas to take care of Blake's needs. This was very very much appreciated because without the proper equipment, Blake would not be able to go home to Ely. We would like to extend a huge THANK YOU to Mrs. Ramero for making it possible for Blake to be properly taken care of at home!!!

Well, I guess almost everything is going well. Things worked out good with Aerocare, but not so good with the swallow test. He failed. Not only did he fail, but it sounds like he did worse than before the trach surgery??? I really do not know what that means other than that they will not let him go to Ely with the feeding tube he has now.