The Deed is Done - Whew!

This is Kim - the nurse that took care of Ammon today. She was very good at explaining the pros of trachs. She is an expert in their care and I'm glad she was the one that talked us through this. This was in the waiting area of the surgery center just before Ammon went in for the procedure. Dr. Marshall Smith (ENT) on the left and Dr. Tanner (anesthesiologist) on the right.
After the surgery Ammon was very alert, giving thumbs up and writing notes to us. He looks fantastic and is very relieved. He is breathing very, very well.

He is smiling because he said it is much, much easier to breathe. He is in a little pain but not a lot.

The big blue tube is the same as a nasal canula which sends oxygen straight into the trachea. Ammon will probably not need to use the bi-pap machine any more because if he needs any additional help breathing it can be done directly through the trach. He is sooo much quieter and seems to be so much more comfortable.

Dr. Smith brought out another photo of the throat after the surgery was done and said there was no way Ammon would have been able to go home without this surgery because it was still so swollen. He didn't know how Ammon had done as well as he has done for the past few days. I guess we really didn't have an option after all.

Before we left for the surgery, Ammon began to re-think his decision to do this. He told us he was very nervous and was fighting the tears. Just before they wheeled him out of the room he stopped us and asked if we could have a prayer first. He asked me to say it and I did. One of the first things he wrote on a piece of paper when he was awake after the surgery was "Heavenly Father answered my prayers."

He is a faithful, strong young man. I reminded him about the picture the Hortons gave him showing Jesus standing beside the surgeons. I told him that Jesus would be right there by him. I had no doubt about that statement at all.

He has finally fallen to sleep - they are giving him a small dose of morphine but everybody is elated with how well he has responded and how good he sounds. We will be grateful for the small miracles that have come our way.