Starks, Casey Richard

[left:69d564cc00]http://www.cherubs-cdh.org/Album/new/starks-casey.jpg[/left:69d564cc00]Hi there! My name is Casey Richard Starks. I was born on October 29, 1994. I was taken by ambulance to Ann Arbor, Michigan. My diagnosis is the same as yours, Diaphragmatic Hernia. I have all of my right lung but my left is short a lobe so I have a lobe and a nub on the left side. I ended up with a G-tube and have been fed with it for the 1st 5 months, we are gradually weaning from it to where these last few weeks we haven't used it. We got the G-tube because when the diaphragm was repaired and the stomach, bowels, and liver were moved down where they should have been the stomach decided to flip the 1st time which they went back in after a month and tried to straighten it when it moved again curving around itself which wouldn't let food pass through the stomach. So they did the 1st major surgery and ended up going back 2 more times to get the stomach to behave. We were flat on our back 56 days in the hospital. We came home Christmas Eve day. What a blessing! From the sounds of it this is pretty common.....What's going on to cause this?? I sure wish I knew!! Our biggest problem seems to be sucking. Casey doesn't take 4 oz. at a time yet. I think his stomach is too small or something (maybe too much pressure from the move). We are blessed he had a much easier time than most, but trying to feed him all day is real tiring sometimes. He eats best at night. Doctors want him to gain more weight....He does eat spoon foods so we're lucky in that respect...He's our first baby and he's very special no matter what we have to deal with. My sister has 2 girls and she's done- and I believe I'm done too!! I'd hate to see another baby possibly go through any of this and I don't think I could take it either, it was hard on our whole family.


Love, Casey Starks (and mom, Lori) (Michigan)
1996