SCARY Week

So this week has been extremely stressful for

 the Toler's.  Austin  stopped breathing on Wednesday night.  He was in the middle of one of his coughing spells and just stopped coughing and grabbed as his throat like he was choking, and he was.  His eyes were bulging out of his head, and he was writhing around like he was drowning on his bed.  It was horrible.  Jonathan was in South America and I was about to call 911, but realized before he passed out I had to do something.  I carried him downstairs and we went out on the deck and the freezing air opened his throat and he started coughing hysterically again.  I gave him more steroids and many steam tents.  The next day the Dr. needed to see Austin and we also went to our pulmonoligist.  Both Dr.'s TOLD me that Austin HAS TO GET THE SURGERY that will stop his relux.  What is happening is that Austin's upper airways (lungs are fine) but he has such inflammation on his upper airways and scar tissue from having erosions and burns on his esophagus due to servere reflux that whenever Austin gets any kind of respiratory cold/anything, his airways close up it's like trying to breathe through a straw.  Then his cough forces even more stomach acid up and he aspirates the acid into his bronchial tubes.  So what he had the other night was a layrngospasm where the acid has inflamed the larynx/vocal cords too much and the throat just slaps shut!  It was horrifying.  I never want to go through that again.  I called Jonathan the next day and he was on the next flight home from Bogota, Columbia.  All the Dr.'s said that at this point, we can't "not" do the surgery.  It's now a life or death situation and we've prayed about it and feel good about it.  It's not fair that a 5 year old boy is going through this much.  On steroids every month whenever he gets any kind of cold, his airways are like straws, not to mention Austin's infamous "cough" that he does chronically.  We know there's a risk with the procedure, but at the same time, they say we're making him worse by not doing it.  And if he has another laryngospasm it could be acute death sydrome.  

Heavenly Father is watching out for us and we know it.  I think he was really trying to tell us that Austin needs this procedure after we'd already made up our minds we weren't going to do it.  Jonathan and I both agreed that we'd give him the surgery if it came down to a life or death situation.  And unfortunately it came to that.  

The surgery will be at DC Children's Hospital and will let you know when it's scheduled.

To close on a positive note, we're so thankful for our kids and for our Heavenly Father.  Times get rough, but they're rough for everyone.  We're thankful for our gospel and the truth and closeness it gives us.  In times of adversity it's easy to throw in the flag but that's not what the Lord wants us to do.  We're thankful for our friends and family and the support you give us and our kids.  

THANKS YOU GUYS!!!  

Love,

Angie