Post-Op
- ashleydking89
- Feb 14
- 5 min read
It is so hard to believe we are already 8 days post surgery. Gideon has been handing everything so incredibly well. Our surgeon did such an amazing job and has explained the process so well to us. Gideon's cleft is bilateral - it is complete (no palate) on one side and incomplete on the other (partial palate) and his lips and nose form this perfect space - mostly symmetrical just missing his upper lip and the space between lip and nose. Our surgeon took those pieces and brought them all in together in the middle. There is a small "scar" but it actually isn't even noticeable, and the area between his nostrils is a little withdrawn given the fact that that piece of skin was not as thick as we thought it might be. He will need a rhinoplasty later on in life for sure to add to some of those weaker spots.
It really is amazing all that they can do and how talented these surgeons are. Ours in particular is also an amazing human which really drew us in. He continued to ask us if we were concerned, had additional questions, etc. And all I could say is "this is the easy part compared to everything else" and it really has been. A struggle of mine with this blog is tying in our story and where to begin, since it's been a little over a year of the Gideon story and it's hard to put things in chronological order. So today, I will take us back a year. Which still isn't the actual "beginning", but it is relevant. A little over a year ago, Daniel and I walked into our 20 week scan, planning to get our scan and go have a lunch date. Oddly, I was nervous walking in there, and I didn't know why. Our tech starts doing the scan and spends a lot of time on several different places, and also, Gideon was quite a wiggle worm. He had so much life running through him. One in particular was the heart. The overall scan took almost an hour and then she said a doctor would be in with us. Now it had been 10 years since I've had an ultrasound, so I couldn't remember how long my others took. Then comes the tech back in to take another look, and then she leaves me jellied up so the doctor can also take a look. He came in a while later and also did some scanning and then stood across from us in the room and started to list a laundry list of things wrong with Gideon.
Intrauterine Growth Restricted (>1% for growth)
Double outlet right ventricle
VSD
Cleft lip and palate
Nuchal fold - 6mm (indicating trisonomy)
Flat nasal bridge
We were offered an amniocentesis there in the clinic with the doctor bragging about his success rates. An amniocentesis is a giant needle put into your stomach, through your water bag, to take a sample from the amniotic fluid. There is actually high risk of miscarriage or early labor at this point. We were told that we were at risk for the pregnancy not being viable and to prepare for a stillbirth/ preterm birth. These tests can give you a lot more information but are stil not 100% accurate.
We were so shocked at this news. We called our midwife immediately afterwards and she suggested a blood panel but absolutely not am amnio. The risks were too high (which we agreed as well). So I went in the next day for the blood work - and I was a mess the whole time and the poor woman working in the lab was so sweet about it. We were told to expect results in 7-14 days. That is a long time for waiting, but it would at least kind of give us some basic answers. Again, another test that may or may not be accurate. The positive results on these could mean, yes this gene is present, but it's not enough to cause a problem. The negative results are 99% accurate.
Fast forward to that weekend. After a few days of wallowing a bit and not really sure what to do with ourselves, Daniel went and talked to our pastor. I took a hot bath. We both relaxed a small amount. Daniel said the leadership team wnated to pray over us on Sunday and that sounded great to me. As i was laying in our tub, I heard God say, this baby needs a name. Ok, what should we name him? And I heard loud as a bell, Gideon.
So a little more back story - we were adamant that we were having a girl. Daniel is just a great girl dad to Evelyn. A few days before we had our gender reveal/ telling the kids we're having a baby, I had a dream that was clear as a bell "Be OK with having a boy". I woke up and knew. And when we broke those cookies open, I was not surprised. We had a list of 10 girls names and literally our spreadsheet said "boy names, just in case" with nothing listed. We spent the next 2 months trying to be inspired for boys names. Something outdoorsy or travel related, but nothing we loved. While we were in Peru after Christmas, Daniel, being curious, wondered if there Gideon's Bibles in our hotel room (there weren't). And as we were laying there, he asked, what about the name Gideon? I said I didn't hate it and we put it on the list. I knew Gideon was a judge, but I had not read the story of Gideon in a long time.
Fast forward to that weekend, after I was told to name him Gideon, I read Judges 6-8. I probably read it 3 times and the symbolisms in there were outstanding. Gideon, was the smallest of his family, which was the weakest clan. God took Gideon and gave him an army of 32,000 and dwindled it down to 300 to fight the Mideanites (and they won). Gideon went up into the clefts in the mountains. Gideon built an altar called "The Lord is Peace". I could go on, but go read for yourself.
So Saturday night, Daniel and I were going to bed and I said, our baby needs a name and it should be Gideon. I told him what I had read and told him to read it. Sunday morning before we went to church he came downstairs and said "so Gideon is his name". And that, is how Gideon gained his God-given name.
And thank-you again to all our sweet family and friends. I was not expecting the out pouring of love on us again as we were gone for 3 days with his surgery. The gift cards and meals brought to us the days after soothed our souls and stomachs so much!
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