finley and the hospital

Most of you know that Finn has had a lump on the right side of his neck for 2-1/2 weeks now. It started out pea size and got bigger with each day. We noticed that it was getting really big last Sunday. It looked like a swollen lymph node with its location and feel, but we decided to take him into the doctor on Monday just to make sure. Dr. Bell (his primary) was out until Wednesday so we went in to see another doctor. He prescribed Augmentin for an infected lymph node or a cyst that was having trouble draining. When Wednesday rolled around and the Augmentin hadn't helped to take any of the swelling down and in fact the lump had gotten bigger we decided to go see Dr. Bell. After examining him, she got us an appointment with an ENT on Friday. He ordered a CT scan scheduled for the following Friday and sent us home. However, Saturday morning we got up and noticed it had grown more so we went to Urgent Care in Crookston.

Here he is in Urgent Care in Crookston. You can see the lump on the right side of his head.


Crookston sent us to Altru where we were immediately admitted and set up in a room. Crookston traced around the lump to help keep track of how big it was throughout our treatment. Here are Matthew and Finn watching something that looks amazingly interesting. Couldn't tell you for sure what it was, but my guess would be Nemo or the Jungle Book...the 2 movies we can all recite by heart (including Finn)!


Watching TV and a good shot of the front of the lump.


Sleeping peacefully.


One of the few not-so-painful times getting his IV hooked up. That has been an ordeal even up to this day. The lines that they use are not meant for long-term use and they come out very easily. He has been poked 9 times as of today in his 4-day stay at the hospital. He hates when a nurse comes in the room.


Getting hooked up. We loved this nurse and wish she could work with us 24-7!


Going in for his CT scan scheduled for 6:30 pm. The results were inconclusive and showed something that they thought was a mass surrounded by something that looked like infection.


I have been so fortunate and thankful that my mom is here during this very hard time. They were scheduled to be here a week earlier than they got here. We were all wondering why all the hold ups. Now we know for a fact it was God, in his sovereignty, choosing the best time for them to get here. If they had gotten here a week earlier, they would have left just before all of this started and missed the whole thing. God is good even when we don't know what his plans are and get impatient. This is the morning that Finn had his biopsy under general anesthesia done. There was talk of something called an infected branchial cleft anomaly.


A sweet and happy moment with Finn. Through all of this the mass/infection has caused him no pain at all and he has played every day as if nothing were abnormal. We have been so thankful. The doctors all think it doesn't make sense, but again, this is all God's doing and we are thankful for Finn's same, happy spirit every day. Minutes after having a painful needle stick or IV hook up, he will be smiling and laughing. What a sweetie!


The three of us lounging together...probably watching Nemo! =) Matthew stayed in the hospital last night with us. It gave Grandma a good break and some much-needed rest at home in a real bed. We also heard this day that staph and strep were found on 1 of the cultures. They had switched him to Vancomycin earlier in the day which covers both of these so the mass/infection should respond to it. There was also talk of us going to Fairview in Minneapolis for some more concerted efforts with pediatric ENTs, but nothing certain until we get all of the results back.


Finn got to go outside and play for the first time today. He had a blast and the weather was perfect. Unfortunately, his IV was pulled out by accident as he was playing which led to a dramatic half-run back into the hospital to clean the blood off of his hands and clothes and then more needle sticks. After 3 tries from Vascular Access, Anesthesia finally got an IV in. Today we learned that there was no malignancy found in the tissue from the biopsy taken the day before. Praise GOD! We have also decided that if he doesn't respond to the Vancomycin or there is actually a branchial cleft anomaly that will need to be removed, we are going to Fairview for the pediatric ENTs.


Running in the halls with the wagon they gave him. This is a special wagon that he can ride in even when he is hooked to the IV. It has straps in the back to hook it to. Again, we are so thankful that none of this has caused him any pain.


Grandma and Finn walking the halls. I love his laugh...it makes my day!