We have a quick note about Kevin’s surgery, which went really well. The goal of the surgery was to set Kevin up for a device that can stimulate his diaphragm so he can breathe without the assistance of a ventilator, at least for some portion of the day. Kevin was in and out more quickly than anticipated – which was for a good reason.  Initially, the surgeons believed that they would need to graft nerves from Kevin’s shoulder or leg for the device to work. During the surgery, however, they found some scarring that had been inhibiting the responsiveness of the nerve that controls the diaphragm. The doctors discovered that the nerve was more responsive than previously thought, which meant that they did not need to graft any additional nerves.

This is good news because it increases the chances that this device will work for Kevin. We still do not know yet whether it will work or how much it will reduce his dependence on the ventilator, but today’s surgery was very encouraging and an important first step.

Kevin was really happy to hear the news and he was, of course, tremendously grateful to the staff at Jersey Shore Medical Center for taking good care of him.

In a few weeks, he will start working with the device to see if it will work. We are optimistic, as always. We will keep you posted on his progress!

The plan is for Kevin to be home from the hospital on Thursday, but we are still not sure when he will be ready for visitors.  We will try to keep everyone posted. In the meantime, please call ahead if you’re planning to visit.

Thanks again for everyone’s prayers and support!