Now that his larynx has strengthen and he no longer has stridor and retractions when breathing, it is just about the time to release his tongue lip adhesion. Furthermore he already has 4 teeth on the upper gum and 'some' teeth on the lower part, which means his tongue needs to be detached from the lip so that he doesn't bite his own tongue.
The release of his tongue lip adhesion took place on last Monday, 21st March 2016. He went to OT in the morning, under full GA. It was his 3rd operation, and this time around i was the one that hold and accompanied him all the way to the OT room. The procedure was a success, despite him being cranky on the first 24 hrs post-op due to no fluid was allowed for several hours, and the fact that he can only take plain water or milk via a NG tube in the evening. He screamed his lungs out upon seeing his bottle, and the feeding process via his NG tube was really challenging. No solid was allowed at least for 48 hours, so that adds on to his crankiness.
Lucky it was just an overnight stay, he got discharged on the very next evening, that after me having a hard time trying to persuade and convince his surgeon that Irfan is ok and fit to be discharged. Of course his lip and tongue are still a little bit swollen with stitches, and we got home with 2 different types of antibiotics.
Irfan is really a new baby now. To our eyes and his brothers, he looks like a different baby altogether. Whenever he smiles, the 4 white teeth (which is previously hidden by his tongue) at the bottom gum is now visible. He bites hubby a lot on his 1st day at home after discharged, probably 'lepas geram', feeling curious and just figured the fact that 'oh so now i have something that makes chewing and biting more interesting!'. I am happy to see him able to bite his biscuits easily. I feel more encouraged to look up for new recipes and introduces more textures into his solids, without worrying him get chokes and vomits.
Most importantly, I am grateful for Allah has made it easier for him to live his life as days pass by. Any person that see him today would never thought how rough his life has been before. How he had struggled for air just to breath, how miserable his early days for not being able to sleep even for more than 10 minutes, how he continuously wanted to breastfeed because the calories he were getting burned quickly and used up a lot for breathing only, how he had spent 3 mths in the hospital after his 1st op and got series of infection, how he was put on a CPAP o2 machine to aid in his breathing, how myself and the nurses need to do suctions at least 3x a day to take out the unexplainable lots of secretions from his body, how he was put on an NG tube for feeding all the time and not being able to take anything orally, how he was put under several physiotherapist to massage his whole body due to being bed-ridden for too long, and how miserable my life has been for being away from hubby and my other 3 growing kids, looking pale and down almost all the time since the doctors were unable to give answers and hope on when Irfan is going to recover. Those uncertainties are painful to swallow, almost unimaginable to digest, which sometimes i even hope to temporarily 'pengsan' and shut down my body so that i don't have to remember all the pain.
To all my friends who are being tested, do not give up, gather your strength and always have faith in Him. Everything is coming from Him, and only to Him we return and ask. May Allah eases our ways in striving for barakah in this world and Hereafter.
Thank you all for your endless prayers, for the love and support showered to us, i can never repay your kindness and i always hope Allah will give you something in return for your kindheartedness. Amin.
Love,
-mama Irfan Faris-
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