XRay Results & Skate for Losh

Losh and Abby testing out his new bed today. Thanks, Stacey!

We have this theory that it's never good news when the doctor calls us with results from Aloshua's tests. Today was no exception. His pulmonologist called today with his X-Ray results, and as usually happens when we get those calls, it wasn't good news.

Aloshua's diaphragmatic hernia has reopened (which we knew), but pulmonology was concerned about it, so he has been referred to the surgery doctors.

He's had the hernia pretty much from birth, but in 2009, he got really sick and was in a lot of pain. We took him to the local ER and Urgent Care, and they kept telling us it was just a respiratory infection. We knew better so when he started throwing up (which he's not supposed to be able to do at all), we rushed him to Children's.

Turns out, that little niggling feeling we were having that something was seriously wrong was... well, right. His stomach and bowels had shifted through the hernia into his chest cavity and had gotten completely clamped off, causing all kinds of havoc in there.

An army of surgeons and ER doctors descended on us in the ER and rushed him back to surgery in the middle of the night. They weren't sure they were going to be able to save the bowels (which is really bad), and cautioned us not to expect a miracle. Thankfully, they were wrong and we got another miracle. They got him into surgery in time and were able to save the bowels, repair the damage, and close the hernia as best they were able with his shunt drainage tube in the way. It was pretty touch and go for a while there though, and we were all scared we were going to lose him.

So, the surgeons took a look at the X-Rays today and didn't see any really drastic changes, but there's cause for concern that the stomach and intestine/bowels may shift through it into the chest cavity again. Since his diaphragm is partially paralyzed already and he's already been through so much, they don't want to do another surgery on it until they have to do so though. So, we're just going to keep monitoring him closely for now as we have been, and at the first sign of stomach problems, they'll take him in for surgery.

Aloshua is nothing if not a champion, and if we've learned anything from him in the last six and a half years it's that we can do this. We can do this, and we will.

In the meantime, we're going to continue on as we have been, and hope you will all join us. We'll be at Thrills on Wheels in Searcy for Skate for Losh on Sunday at 4:30pm, and would love for you to come out, say hello, watch us fall (a lot), and meet Aloshua. :) We'll be there until 6:30pm and Aloshua is so excited to go "state" with everyone (which means he fully intends to make as many people as possible take him and his wheelchair for a spin around the rink)! 

Thrills On Wheels is located at the end of Main Street, just over the highway 67 overpass in Searcy, Arkansas. From Highway 67, use Exit 42. After exiting, go south 1/2 mile, and you'll see it on the left.

All our love,
Your Team Losh Captains