"Normal"

When you have a child with multiple defects to multiple organ systems there is nothing more wonderful than hearing the word "normal" to describe any medical test results. I liken this phenomenon to winning the lottery because our odds of hearing the word "normal" in relation to Max's medical status are about the same as our winning the lottery. Yesterday we won one of the biggest lotto payouts ever, Max’s recent GI testing has been reported as “within normal limits -- not bad for a kid who was born with just half an intestine! In fact, the upper GI showed delayed emptying (this is a good thing as it means Max is absorbing more nutrients then we had previously thought) which is the exact opposite of what you would expect in a child with a short intestinal tract. Whoopeeeeeeee, Michele and I were right again, Max is indeed defying the odds!

It's all about faith my friends, faith in your child to continue to surprise one and all, faith in your own ability to know your child better than any medical professional ever could, and faith that in the end it will all be OK....or at least as OK as it can be.