Praying for Louis and Greg

The cause of the intermitten fever has been diagnosed. One of the central lines is infected.  This was not immedately evident but "grew out" over days.  To remedy this,  Louie made a trip to Interventional Radiology this afternoon where a PICC line was inserted in his arm and the infected line removed.. 
Dr. Hall came by today and took the staples out of Louie's leg. This area was the donor site of a "flap"  of skin, fat, and muscle that became the cover for the previously open abdomen.  As you can imagine, that leg is very painful because of the deep section that was removed.  It looks wonderful, and the doctors are very pleased. He also took the staples out of another area on his side--this patch was covered with a muscle flap---it also looks good. The stiches  of the larger abdomen area will stay in longer but it is amazing. Dr. Hall confessed to putting much thought all hours of the day and night into this procedure.  We essentially presented him with an open area  with three mounds of  leaking intstines outside his body and looked for answers.  It was nothing that either he nor his asociate expected calling it a "plastic surgeons nightmare". The morning of the surgery he outlined Plan A, Plan B, or Plan C.  We joined hands and prayed the Our Father togerther.  I am so impressed with these surgeons who use their skills acknowledging that it only comes from God.  He was able to put Plan A into effect with great results.
Louie was also begun evaluation to be consided for the rehab floor.. You must be able to tolerate 3 hours of therapy per day and meet other medical criteria.  We hope that this move will be in his future.
     As Tracy indicated,  we were stunned on Sunday to hear the word fistula from Dr. Saggi . After he said that word I don't think we heard anything else.  Our eperience with fistulas is so extreme!  Since then we have been able to process that it is small, it should close by itself ( really? really?--we do not have the capacity to understand this) and he is doing well. 
The NG tube in his nose will stay in for now, and the wound vac-these will both decrease the fluid of the fistula.  Still no food or drink.   He is hanging in there and I am really proud of him.  We have a plaque at home that states "Faith makes things possible, not easy". How true! 
Thanks for your continued healing prayers---Ruthie