Yesterday was a great day for Luke. He is a hit at Kosair and everyone that works here stops by to see him. His case is so rare that no one here has seen it...they have seen both issues before, but never both in the same baby...Kristin and I would have the baby with the most complex heart.
One thing I'm not sure a lot of you know is that Kristin and I see our baby's heart every time we look at him. I'm not talking about on a screen or through an ultrasound, but we actually see his little heart. The surgeons left his chest open and put a patch over it to allow room for swelling and other stuff. The patch looks like a piece of saran wrap. It's easy to tell who has seen a baby's heart open before and who hasn't...some of the nurses or students that stop by get very big eyes when they first see it. Kristin and I are so use to seeing his heart that it will be weird when they close his chest and we can't see it. This is the main reason that we do not allow anyone outside us and Luke's grandparents in the room. Not many parents in this world can say they have seen their child's heart.
Luke's lungs will be asked to work hard today. After a great test yesterday, his oxygenator on the ECMO will be turned off and his oxygen in the ventilator turned to 70% for as long as he can tolerate it. If he continues to experience supernatural progress, these settings will stay this way...this is a huge step up the mountain.
As for Kristin and I, we had a very rough day yesterday. One thing we promise to be is open and honest, and honestly, we struggled yesterday. The whole situation hit us both and we felt overwhelmed beyond description. One of the main things everyone tells us it to take care of ourselves, so we left around 7:00pm and crashed at the hotel. It was nice to just be together and to reveal our emotions to each other. We know that God is watching over us, but that doesn't always make it easy. We are going through this test in life for a greater purpose...one which we do not know right now...but what we do know is that God is and will continue to receive glory for His works.
The comments and storys that we hear about how Luke has changed people's outlook on life and how his situation has brought them closer to the Lord keeps us pressing on. Our prayer from day one has been that God is glorified and that people draw closer to Him...that is evident.
Stop by later for a mommy perspective from Kristin.
Luke 1:37
-- Benson
We are praying for your family! Thank you for your honesty - both of you are beautiful at expressing yourselves through words. Your strength and wisdom is inspiring.
ReplyDeletePRAISE THE LORD FOREVER.
GOD BLESS,
Tiffany Hadley
I am inspired by your incredible faith in God! I have faith in God, but have never experienced a storm like this and don't know that i would be this strong. It is amazing how little Luke has already touched so many lives at 1 week old!! God is using your family and many can see that happening. Leah is keeping me updated and then I proceed to forward the progress to everyone I know. It is amazing how many people are praying for him and wanting to know how he is each day! I will continue to lift up Luke in my prayers and share the updates with everyone I know. God is in control and it sure is
ReplyDeleteamazing to have Him as our Father!
"trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding." --Proverbs 3:5
Kristin and Benson-
ReplyDeleteI'm so glad to hear little Luke is making progress. Prayers having been streaming in from Ohio . . .
- Keith Milam (Amy Oliver's brother)
Your faith is so strong. God gives us more when we need it. We all have valleys we go through in life and mine was when my husband faced colon cancer. God was there to guide our everyway and sometimes we didn't even know it.
ReplyDeleteHang in there and know people are praying for Luke and for your strength.
My prayers are going up with yours for sweet Luke -- asking for total and complete healing and long life with many contributions, in Jesus name.
ReplyDeleteBlessings to you and Kristin!!
Linda Waggener
lmwaggener@campbellsville.edu
linda@columbiamagazine.com
Kristin and Benson,
ReplyDeleteWe are still earnestly praying for Baby Luke and for you guys. Continue to hang on tightly to our Lord! You will be a blessing to other parents going through situations such as Luke's.
Love,
Laura
Benson,
ReplyDeleteI don't know if you remember me or not. Last time I knew you, you weren't even married. You helped me set up my classes for my freshman year at LWC. You were the 1st person I had met on campus and made me feel welcome. I have a lot of LWC friends on facebook and found your blogspot about Luke on their page.
I'm in tears as I write this. This story is so special, amazing, heart-warming X a million adjectives. I've been keeping up with your posts, telling others about your story and asking every church I know of to pray for you all. I've made phone calls telling people of this little boy I don't even know and asking them to pray for your sweet son.
As a fellow Christian I admire your alls faith in God your knowing that He is ultimately in control and will see you all through this. As long as he's receiving glory, Luke will be around for a long time. My husband and I pray for you all so much. I'm a preacher's wife now so I know even more than ever how faith can move mountains!
Keep praying, keep singing, keep posting, keep giving God the glory and NEVER LOSE HOPE!!! Rest assured that many in Russell County are sending up daily prayers in the name of your son!!
Andrea Dykes-Owens
Holy father, bless this sweet family! I lift them up for healing and blessings. We know father to be absent from the body is to be present with the Lord. Sweet little Luke is resting in the arms of Jesus, completely healed and alive. In Jesus name I lift this family up!! Amen!
ReplyDeleteKristen and Benson, my heart is grieving for you both, as my soul rejoices for Luke who is in Heaven, in that glorious land of no more sorrow or no more pain where we as believers will be reunited with those who have gone on before us.
With Sisterly love!
we are all praying for little luke,god is watching over him,all gods angels are watching over him, its all in gods hands.everone say a prayer,god will listen.we all love you & we all know things will work out. luke you will be going home with your mommy soon, im sure of it. god loves you&keep praying.
ReplyDelete