Well they are all done with surgery. They extended the fusion down to C3 instead of C2 for increased support/stabilization. This should prevent future damage from occurring since that lesion wiped out his odontoid process over time. It's too early to tell if his symptoms will resolve indicating nerve healing but at least it won't get worse.
His Halo vest is pretty epic and Jonathan is VERY excited to start designing his Halloween costume now that he has this intimidating fixation device.
The surgery took less time than expected which was a nice surprise and we got a chance to get out and walk around the University of Washington Botanic Gardens and then we went out to U-Village for a slice of pizza and some shaved ice. Right when we decided to head back we got the page to head up to the waiting area to meet with the surgeons. It was a nice and distracting morning that gave us some exercise, sunshine, and yummy treats.
Harrison will be in his Halo for around 12-weeks but they'd like 16-weeks if his body will tolerate it. They'll watch him closely for the next day or so and are shifting their focus to pain control, getting him solid on his ventilator, and restarting his feeding and getting him up to optimal levels. We're anticipating a transfer down from intensive care to the "floor" around Monday if everything goes well. After that point, it'll likely be several weeks of rehab and assessing the neurological deficits.
Whew...it's been a intense day and I think we all need a nap. We love you all!
-Jonathan & MariClaire
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