A blessed homecoming!

We are so happy to welcome Gregory, our one year old grandson, home from the hospital after an extended stay.  The first year of Gregory’s  life has been a bit rocky, and he celebrated his first birthday last week in the hospital.  Gregory was born with Gastroschisis, a condition where the abdominal wall does not completely close, leaving some of the intestines outside of the body.  Gregory’s Gastroschisis was diagnosed before he was born, so the doctors and hospital were prepared for immediate medical intervention at his birth.  Though he was born with one of the most severe cases ever seen by his team of gastroentologists, his initial surgeries at one day and two weeks old went surprisingly well and he was discharged from the hospital at five weeks old.

Though otherwise healthy, Gregory has always struggled with gastric issues.  Reflux, aspiration, malabsorption, food sensitivities, vomiting, chronic gas and diarrhea have hounded Gregory since birth.  Last October when he began losing weight and was no longer on the growth charts, his doctors began evaluating and doing various tests to try to pinpoint what his gastric disturbances where caused from.  This little guy really had the doctors puzzled, and after a time he had TEAMS of doctors puzzled and worried.

Gregory recently  suffered a very life threatening infection which had spread to his blood stream, but after much testing, eliminating, and extended hospitalizations,  the doctors now feel they know what Gregory’s condition is.  He has been given a diagnosis of protein losing enteropathy, or PLE, and lymphangiectasia.  Gregory loses his antibodies, lymphocytes and albumin somewhere in his intestine, essentially leaving him with no way to fight illness.

While there is no quick fix or cure for Gregory’s condition, we are thankful that they finally know what is wrong, and that he is stable and well enough to be at home with his family.  While the medical community might be short on solutions for PLE, we are hoping there might be some natural and alternative options to heal or strengthen Gregory for the long term.

Gregory is truly a valiant little fighter, and we are thankful for all the love, prayers,  and support of friends, family, and community throughout his illness.  Welcome home, Gregory!