Wyatt James Koger, A Fighter from Birth: Slow and Steady wins the race

Sunday, June 11, 2023

Slow and Steady wins the race

Wyatt is progressing, however we have a couple hurdles to go through first before coming home. When he stands and walks, he gets dizzy. All his stats are good, except his blood pressure is a little lower while walking. This could be the culprit but it’s not alarmingly low. He also gets very winded and can walk about 50 feet with assistance at a time. Today- about 175 feet total. Secondly, besides being on the Ortho team, neurosurgery is also following him. On Monday or Tuesday, he will be getting dye injected in his shunt to test the function and if it’s actually needed. The results of that test will determine if a surgery is needed to reconnect the tube.

Yesterday we had a visit from Wyatt’s very first CDH friend- Jack and his Mom and sister. They drove from northern VA to hang out with us. Vicki was my CDH mentor in 2007 since Jack was born in August and Wyatt in October. They had the same surgeons- Dr. Abdullah and Dr. Chandler and we kept in touch ever since! We have attended many ECMO Christmas parties together at Hopkins. We are so blessed to have them in our lives.

Jack and Fam!

Wyatt’s incision healing nicely

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Hurdles that I faced and achieved!

After birth, I was placed on ECMO at Johns Hopkins Hospital for 13 days. On day 13, I had a surgery to repair my hernia and was removed from ECMO, but my organs would not fit in my abdomen. I had a silo for a week and then surgery to place the organs back in the abdomen. Then, part of my intestines re-herniated into my chest cavity two months later and I had another surgery to repair that. After my first surgery, I experienced an intraventricular hemorrhage in my brain and at four months old I received a VP shunt. After I was extubated, I learned that I have right vocal cord paralysis. Then I had g-tube surgery and after I finally got to go home after 5 longs months at Johns Hopkins and Mt. Washington Hospital! Only for a few weeks, though. In mid-April my intestines reherniated again and sent me into surgery. I came home, and had a long run before my THIRD reherniation in the beginning of September on Labor Day weekend in 2008. Then I was hospitalized for twice during the winter 2009 for two respiratory infections. Well, I almost lasted a year until my next surgery! Just this past June, in 2009, I had surgery to wrap my stomach around the esophagus, a nissen. This has helped with my reflux and my hiatal hernia. I will be 2 in October, I love scooting around but refuse to stand up and walk. I am a little miracle and thank God, my doctors, my nurses, family, and friends for my strength, my fight and a happy life.