Carson ended up having his 11th surgery yesterday. The surgeon decided there were enough complicating factors that they would remove the wound vac in the OR, while also removing all the staples and sutures. I asked how many, the surgeon said he lost count.

They also took the femoral nerve block out last night, so we'll see how the nerve responds as it wakes up over the next few days. It was pretty “angry” last time. At least last night he got a good night sleep.  Needed some stronger pain meds this morning. 

This week is a big week where we pursue MRI for the knee, deciding on the orthopedic who will guide and manage the reconstruction process. After multiple referrals, we believe we've found the right person for this very complicated process. The first step is to determine the level at which the knee can be reconstructed-thus the MRI.

Our other big hope this week is that Carson's pain becomes manageable such that he can start moving around a bit (Been out of bed 5 or 6 times in a month) and start pursuing some of the wildly, take for granted, small normal life stuff. He really wants a shower, so we'll aim for him being able to wheel chair over to the shower bench to have the first water over his body in a while.

We are also pursuing experts in Neuromuscular medicine, peripheral nerve experts, pain management specialists and physiatry (Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation), along with adjunct therapies to create the best physical conditions for healing such as intentional and targeted supplemental and nutritional health, hyperbaric, electrical stim, etc.

And there is a whole lot beyond the physical we now begin to pursue, and you are welcome to allow your imagination to run wild in what all that might entail. Spiritual, mental, emotional. I say this with a level of enthusiasm and hope that transcends our exhaustion and moments of despair or sadness, which are becoming less frequent and less intense.  And I’ll spare you the philosophical rabbit hole…for now.

Based on conversations over the last 48 hours, it is likely around two weeks before we can have the MRI completed on Carson's knee but we’ll know more on the game plan this coming Wednesday. The external fixation device which holds the lower and upper leg together simple creates too much interference to get decent imagery so he will have a procedure done in 10-14 days to remove the "Ex-Fix" and stabilize his knee in a way that allows MRI imagery, all without disturbing the sciatic nerve.

From there, the knee reconstruction process likely begins.  We are anticipating 3-5 knee surgeries over 6 months or so with the first one most likely in the next 3-4 weeks. 

So, Carson is likely in the same bed, in the same room, one more week before other decisions are made.  Much love to you all.