Just a quick late-night post to pass along some good news. We just got back from Silas's follow-up appointment with his pediatric ENT surgeon up at at UCSF. (Mom is recovering from a cough bug, so the 'we' here is dad and grandpa. Special thanks to grandpa who did the long drive up and back and was a huge help -- a 20-hour day for him.)
Using her special pediatric bronchoscope, Silas's doctor inspected his vocal cords while plugging his trach to see whether there has been any recovery of function over the past six weeks, and...the big news is that Silas is now officially moving his vocal cords again! The movement is slight but very clear. While last month his vocal cords were totally paralyzed and nearly sealed shut, today we got to watch on a monitor as his vocal cords actually opened and closed. It was very exciting.
At the present rate of recovery, we were told we shouldn't expect to be talking about removing the trach for at least another four months and only when Silas can go the whole night without oxygen, but this is wonderful news given our understanding of the very real possibility that his vocal cords might not recover at all. The Chiari decompression surgery appears to be working, and Silas's trach -- for all its inconveniences -- has given him the room to breathe and the strength to recover. We are so thankful for this great blessing. Today we saw a glimmer of light at the end of the tunnel.
Thanks everyone for your continued prayer and support as we wait for (and watch) Silas's recovery. It has been an exhausting day, but I couldn't go to bed without passing along this exciting news.
