Update #139 on Kevin - Trach Removal Scheduled for Morning

Trepidation, anxiety and excitement. That's what fills our thoughts tonight as we go to bed. Tomorrow (Tuesday) morning we have an appointment to see Kevin's pulmonologist when she is supposed to remove his trach. Tonight he went to bed with it and tomorrow he will not have it barring any unforeseen circumstances.


I supposed these are the kind of thoughts that anyone has whenever something you have waited for has finally come. In fact, I remember the feeling distinctly as we found out each time that things were in order for us to leave to Italy. I remember the very first time it took one year and ten months for us to raise enoug monthly support and get our legal permission in order to leave for Italy. I remember having mixed emotions of being excited for the next leg of the journey, but wondering if we were really ready for it. God was always there even if we felt unprepared. We were heading into the unknown with nothing more than faith that God would do what he had said in his word he would do.

Kevin has had his trach for exactly one year and nine months and three days. We have had to learn how to take care of his trach, knowing when to use the suction catheters and when not to, how to clean the inner canula (twice daily) and care for his skin around it all. We have become experts in something in which we didn't care to know. And now it's changing.

We are excited for sure though. Cautiously excited. Having the trach out means we hear more of his natural sounds. The past several days that Kevin has been capped we have heard his natural clearing of his throat more, snoring at night and other sounds that we don't normally hear coming from him. How will this change future speech therapy? There will be more focus on swallowing. He may be able to produce sounds easier or new ones altogether. At some point, we may starting feeding him by mouth. He may have less chance of feeling gagged, less sucretions, less potential for sickness.

All that doesn't take away the hurdles he faces. But we’ve been here before. Standing in the face of the unknown. Tomorrow I hope to write that everyting went great. The procedure painless and smooth. But we don't know what tomorrow looks like. It's unknown. What we do know is that God will be there for us tomorrow, like he has been for every step of our lives. He is greater than any temporary momentary troubles we face on this earth and there is a much larger message that needs to get out to the world.

Thanks for indulging me as I work through my thoughts before heading to bed. He's sleeping now, but I'll give Kevin a kiss on the forehead for you.

Thanks for reading and praying,
Matt, Angie and family
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