Vocal Cords

Last night Carson underwent another procedure where the surgeon went in to see if his cyst had reformed and was collecting fluid again. The surgeon referred to the size of the original cyst as "huge" and said that the walls of the cyst were not as flimsy as many of the smaller cysts she has seen. As a result, the cyst cannot be removed at this size without significant trauma. Therefore, she is simply try to keep it drained and see how well it is absorbed by the surrounding tissue.

The good news
The surgeon did not see any indication that the cyst had recurred and it continues to drain normally.

The bad news
Unfortunately, it appears that the size and location of the cyst may have impacted the development of his vocal cords on one side. As a result his voice will likely always have a raspy or hoarse sound. We just don't know if that means he's gonna talk like a cowboy or whisper like a monk. Either way, his challenges pale in comparison to being born without an esophagus (which is what we were told originally).

ETA
Spoke with the neonatologist today and he indicated that if things went well we could probably take Carson home in 5-7 days. There is a small chance that he could come home sooner, and if things go south he could be there longer. But that was his best guess.

Kristen should be leaving to visit him in about 15 minutes. I'm sure he's looking forward to seeing mommy.