For the first few days, Hudson amazed everyone with his ability to bounce back quickly following surgery. Doctors and nursing staff were routinely being quoted as saying "textbook" and "record" recovery time for Hudson. He was reaching and surpassing milestone after milestone in remarkable timing. Breathing tube removed and oral feeding initiated 1 day following surgery. Chest tubes, catheter and IV & arterial lines removed 2 days following surgery. Pain meds eliminated 3 days following surgery. Hudson was on a roll and as a result, was transitioned to the Cardiac step-down unit on Monday....just 2 full days following major open-heart surgery. We were so excited and hopeful for his progress. And so were the doctors who highlighted they expected him to be heading home by mid-to-late week. Simply couldn't ask for any better outcome or results!
...AND THEN ARRIVED TUESDAY.
After only one day in the step-down unit, Hudson began experiencing significant issues. First, Hudson began experiencing severe "Glenn headaches". His recent surgery's "re-piping" efforts often leads to a rebalancing of blood pressure in extremities, specifically the head. As a result, it takes some time for the body to get used to the new increased pressures. No long-term issues exist but in the interim it is borderline torture. The pressure creates intense, throbbing and almost inconsolable pain for Hudson. Second, the NG (feeding tube) being used in hospital was larger than what he was used to at home. The tube began rubbing his stomach lining, causing irritation and small amount of bleeding. This caused him to be very
uncomfortable, irritable and cry for long periods of
time...further leading to increased pressure leading to Glenn headaches and the cycle repeating itself continuously. Last and adding insult to literal injury, he developed an infection near his chest incision which required immediate medical intervention.
As a result of all these issues, Hudson was put through a multitude of tests ranging from abdominal/chest X-rays, ultrasounds, and CT scans in efforts to rule out other potential contributors to his pain. Additionally, he has been placed on continuous IV fluids, intravenous antibiotics and a serious combination of pain medications to reduce his anxiety and irritability. One can only imagine how wonderful these feel to complete having a sore chest, throbbing head and upset stomach. Sarcasm!
They are confident Hudson has reached the bottom of the recovery trough and is slowly regaining his strength/health.
Despite all of these recent challenges, Hudson continues to demonstrate his incredible fight. Seeing him go through so much pain with resiliency and determination is awe-inspiring. We are hopeful that sometime next week Superman will be able to head back home to rest and relax with his siblings.
We would like to extend our continued thanks to family, friends and strangers who have gone above and beyond to help and provide support to Hudson and family. We could not get through this recent episode without all the help and assistance, specifically prayers, meals, babysitting and simply listening to our concerns. We cannot say thank you enough.
A specific thank you to Jon's leadership team (Fama, John, Charlie and Megan) at work who gave Ashley, Jon and Hudson a truly special, unique and memorable gift. It was a complete surprise and many joyful tears were shed while watching. Please visit the link below to experience Hudson's journey in a very special format courtesy of P&G...Enjoy!!!
http://we.tl/VQvZ7mTLlX