Wahoo!!!! God is good!!!!

God is good!!!!   Samuel has been in surgery for over 12 hours now and they have a long way to go, but we have some very good news to share. It took Dr. Gearhart over ten hours to work her way through all the scar tissue and reach a point where they could actually see what they are working on. They said his abdomen looked like a bomb had went off in it. Anyway, their patience and persistency paid off and they found that he had far more intestine that was not compromised than what was described by the Houston doctors.  His organs were in better shape than what they expected to see.  At this point, Dr. Wright has taken over the case to do his part. They were able separate the bladder and bowel that had been fused and had a fistula since the accident, which was a feat we were told may not ever be possible. They were able to create Samuel a bladder again too, which was the best case scenario for that issue!  Because things were not as they seemed before they went in, he will have a few more months of additional tubes, but they will be temporary.  A lot will depend on what the next few weeks hold for Samuel. Dr. Gearhart is working on him again now.  When she is done, the plastics team will come in and try to start the closure phase of the surgery. They will be using several methods combined to try to get as much closure as they can. They do not feel that it will happen all in one surgery, especially with the swelling. That phase of the surgery will probably be about 4 hours depending on what can be done.  Whew....what an answer to prayer!   The most critical part is over and we got the best results given the damage done and the extensive injuries he suffered. We serve a God of miracles and He gave us the "dream team" of surgeons. All of them are amazing people, not just amazing doctors. They truly care and want the very best for Samuel. Praise God!!!!