Category: Uncategorized

Surgery #1

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Here’s a limited update from a sick, drugged out mom still in the hospital in Wilmington:

Surgery started at 8:30 as planned, but due to complications has just now ended for the day. Long story, but what appeared to be three cysts ended up being one large, complex cyst with veins. Those veins caused minor bleeding, so they had to perform more intensive surgery to try to remove the cyst. However, as they were draining it there was a separation which lead to heavier bleeding and halted surgery plans. They had to remove part of Harper’s skull and pack her head to stop the hemorrhage.  She is now stable.  More plans will be made for future surgery and treatment, so please continue to pray that she will remain stable and as healthy as possible. Thank you all for praying steadily for us during this time.

For those who have asked about Mom’s condition, I am still at New Hanover and the fevers keep spiking for reasons they can’t identify, so please pray they’ll figure it out soon so I can get up there to my husband and my baby!

**Much later update to this surgery report… This surgery began as an effort to insert a shunt to drain the fluid from Harper’s brain to her stomach.  The surgeon actually had her stomach and head open to insert the shunt, but at the last minute made the decision to touch the cysts first.  We now know this was God’s divine intervention… had the surgeon started with the shunt, the pressure would have been far too great and our girl would not have survived the hemorrhage.  Our God is Great!!

Surgery Scheduled

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Unfortunately my recovery has been slowed quite a bit. I’m running unexplained fevers, so there will be no quick discharge. Harper has had a CT scan and an MRI at Duke and her surgery has been scheduled for 8:30 in the morning. As of now the surgery will involve the placement of a shunt and some work on the cysts that were seen on her scans,but nothing is for certain until they get in there. Prayers will greatly appreciated tomorrow morning!

Happy birthday, Harper!

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Well, so much for the plan! Mommy woke up at 4:45 this morning with the beginnings of a placental abruption and was rushed to New Hanover. At 6:40 Harper Lynn entered the world with a wonderfully loud cry! She weighed in at 8 lbs 3 oz, and was 21 1/4″ long. She has a head full of thick, black hair, and scored 9/9 on her Apgar score. She was taken straight to NICU for an ultrasound of her head. Unfortunately that indicated further swelling in the ventricles of her brain.

The Duke Flight team arrived this afternoon to transport her to Duke for further evaluation by the pediatric neuro specialist. We were blessed that there were two daddies on the team who reassured us they would take great care of her. They let Kirby help load her in the box, while the helicopter pilot gave our older girls a helicopter tour. Kirby and his brother took off this evening to be with Harper at Duke while my mom stayed here while I recover.

Duke

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We met with doctors at Duke today. Scans showed fluid still and disorganization in the right side, but no active bleed, praise God!  Things are still very uncertain, but for the first time we heard the words, “Your baby will survive.”  We toured the NICU and have a tentative date of Thursday, February 21, for our cesarean, after which Harper will receive a CT scan, an MRI, and further evaluation to determine her treatment.

Specialist visit #1

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We met with Dr. Lydia Wright first thing this morning. Ultrasounds confirmed fluid in Harper’s left, right, and third ventricles, as well as disorganization in the right ventricle. Unfortunately there are a lot of unknowns- they aren’t sure what caused it, but it looks like there may be a bleed in her brain. They also could not get a clear picture of the fourth ventricle or the heart. We have been referred to specialists at Duke, and we will meet with them in the morning.

Surprise

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Today I decided to call the doctor regarding a totally non-baby related issue. They worked me in to see the nurse practitioner, and she was phenomenal. She decided to go ahead and check on the baby while I was there, and as we were finishing up she asked me about fetal movement. It had decreased a little, which I thought was normal at 37 weeks, but she said she would just feel better if we did an ultrasound. The rest of the day was a blur. The ultrasound tech left the room to call my doctor, and they sent me immediately to the hospital for monitoring. All went well, but the doctor called all the family in and informed us that the ultrasound showed fluid on Harper’s brain. She sent us home but told us to expect a call from the fetal specialist, and to be prepared to have to deliver at Duke.

Another twist in the road

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My mom has been diagnosed with breast cancer.  Surgery is scheduled for a mastectomy, and then she will begin chemo.  Nothing is quite as hard as watching your parents in tears and unsure of the future.

Acts 14:22… “We must go through many hardships to enter the kingdom of God.”

Luke 6:21b… “Blessed are you who weep now, for you will laugh.”

Psalm 9:10… “Those who know your name will trust in you, for you, Lord, have never forsaken those who seek you.”

Proverbs 18:10… “The name of the Lord is a strong tower; the righteous run to it and are safe.”

Psalm 32:7… “You are my hiding place; you will protect me from trouble and surround me with songs of deliverance.”

Psalm 33:20… “We wait in hope for the Lord; he is our help and our shield.”

Psalm 34:17-18… “The righteous cry out, and the Lord hears them; He delivers them from all their troubles.  The Lord is close to the brokenhearted and saves those who are crushed in spirit.”

Are you sure?

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Wow.  So, after four (yes, four!) home pregnancy tests, it appears that Whitley baby #3 is on the way!  I was feeling pretty rough as we were spending the week with Kirby in Fayetteville, and my sister jokingly suggested that I might be pregnant.  After the past couple of months, I could not see that being a part of God’s plan- it certainly wasn’t a part of mine!  But I was wrong… I took a test in the hotel, followed by another in the hotel, followed by another at home, and then a digital test at home.  All positive (although I didn’t really believe it until I saw the actual word “Pregnant” on the digital test).  Here we go!

First Flight!

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We finally made it!  February 29 is here, and we traveled to San Antonio, Texas, today for Kirby’s BMT graduation weekend.  It is so very hard to believe that we have been separated for 8 1/2 weeks… there is no way to describe the excitement we feel knowing that tomorrow morning we will see him face to face!

The girls both were flying for the very first time today.  Raegan was an absolute nervous wreck.  The closer we got to the gate, the harder she would shake.  She was trembling all over as we made it to the plane, and then the tears started.  She sat beside me, and cried until we were in the air (and cut the circulation off in my arm as she gripped it with the grip of death!).  Then, suddenly, she decided flying was awesome, and talked non-stop the rest of the way to Atlanta.  Maddie, on the other hand, was ready for adventure.  She sat up in her seat with her face up against the window, and squealed and giggled the whole take-off.

The rest of the flights were uneventful, but San Antonio had enough excitement for the entire week.  The airport was huge, and crowded, and a lot to take in when you don’t travel much and you’re traveling with two young children.  We grabbed our baggage (or, in Dwight’s case, someone else’s baggage), then caught the tram to the rental car area.  We weren’t prepared for the tram ride, and all about broke our necks when we weren’t holding on and it took off.  Fortunately, no one suffered anything but wounded pride, and we ended up taking a shuttle to the car lot.  We met several people on the shuttle who were either ex-military or families going to graduation.  When we were unloading, I had my hands full with the girls and our luggage, and I dropped some things.  Two of the gentlemen on the shuttle carried my stuff all the way through the lot for me, and told me what an awesome decision Kirby made by going into the Air Force.  It made me feel such a sense of pride in my husband!

Driving through the city was insane, but our house is great.  The girls and I are crashing in a room with bunks and a mattress on the floor, and we have a playground right next to the house (which they can’t wait to go to!).  We had dinner at Rudy’s (whose claim to fame is having the worst BBQ in Texas)… delicious.  Now I just need to settle down enough to try to sleep before the festivities begin tomorrow!