I have miraculous news to share with you all today! First, the update….
Justin got his feeding tube yesterday and it’s a temporary one. The doctors are letting us take him to a nearby hotel if we come back tomorrow to do a new swallow test to see if he can swallow anything yet. IF he passes, (fingers crossed), they will take out the tube and start him out on a liquid diet and we can go back home to Bremerton and just follow up with speech therapy, etc. If he doesn’t pass he has to keep the tube in for another two weeks (he is NOT happy about that scenario as you can imagine) and then come back to do the swallow test again at that time. If he still doesn’t pass he will probably have to have a permanent feeding tube surgically implanted in his stomach and that will change his life, so we are praying that doesn’t happen. So it’s a “wait and see” thing right now.
The miraculous news is that five days ago my son died for 5 minutes and then was on life support and today we are taking him to a hotel! I have ABSOLUTELY NO DOUBT that it was the prayers of all of our friends and family and extended online friends that helped make this happen. I totally believe in the power of prayer and we are so blessed to have SO MANY wonderful people who have been praying for him all around the world.
Words cannot express how grateful I am to everyone who has sent messages on youtube, facebook, by email and here on my blog for Justin. Your kindness and caring has been amazing and so appreciated by Justin, myself and my family. How can I possibly thank you all? Thank you for not judging my son because of his addiction, thank you for the messages, the thoughts the prayers and for those of you who shared your own personal stories of your family members’ struggle with addiction. I believe that addiction is pure evil and the only thing that can help you overcome it is God and lots of work. Hard work. That’s where this next request comes in.
Please continue to remember Justin in your prayers so that he can overcome this horrendous addiction and lead a long, healthy, happy and clean life. He has so much hard work ahead of him and this is only the beginning. It is going to be a long, arduous road but I have hope that he will make it, but your prayers will help so much.
So thanks again and I will keep you updated here on my blog as things progress! We are leaving the hospital in the next few hours and will be settling in at a nearby hotel for the night, hopefully to get some sleep!
I love you all so much!
Hi, just wanted to say that even if your son needs to get a G-Tube (the permanent feeding tube you were speaking of), it does NOT have to be permanent. It can always be removed if he does not need it anymore. There are lots of people who have G-Tubes who live otherwise normal lives, and just because he has one does not mean he will never eat again, must live with it forever, etc. It is capped off when not in use, so it is not always hooked up to something. Hopefully he will not need one, but if he does, it is not the worst thing in the world, either. Good luck to you and your son. I love your videos.
I am so happy that Justin is going to leave the hospital with his loved ones for just one night. That is huge for what he has been through. Prayers definitely do help and with god’s hands over him, he will over come this horrible addiction. I pray for your family to get some rest, and hopefully tomorrow everything will work out for the best.
Ana
Hey Kat, this is your cousin. Granddad told me and Dad about Justin. I’m sorry to hear about what happened. Justin was such a sweet little boy, and he’s grown up to be quite handsome. I promise that I’ll pray at least a whole 15 decades of the Rosary for him.
I tried to post on Facebook but for some reason you weren’t on my friends list anymore. Maybe I dreamed that I added you. I’m am so happy to hear about Justin and will continue to pray for his fight ahead. Glad to hear you are coming home!
I just read your posts about Justin and immediately lifted you both up in my prayers!!! I am sooooo glad to hear that he is improving. Gentle hugs to you…
Hey Kat, you and Justin and all out there are in my daily thoughts and prayers. I wish I could make it all go away. I loved seeing the snow in your yard, it’s the first time I’ve seen it and it looks so tranquil and beautiful. It is hard but count the blessings and keep putting one foot in front of the other, shoulders up, head high. God is with you and so am I.