Noah's Surgery

Hi family!
I just wanted to ask ya'll to start (or keep) praying for Noah. He is having surgery on January 5th. He has a branchial cleft cyst in his right ear. We've seen two doctors and got the same answer from both of them--and surgery is the only way to fix it.

Essentially what it is, is his ear did not form right in utero. What I've been told, and what I've read is that early on in utero, babies have slits in the sides of their neck, kind of like fish gills--for lack of better explanation. They are supposed to close up, but sometimes they don't and it can be years before anything appears. There are 4 or 5 levels of these branchial clefts cysts depending on which slit or cleft did not close properly. Noah has the first degree or level which is up around his ear, and is extremely rare. Basically, he has an extra ear canal in his right ear which doesn't lead anywhere, but only serves as a bacteria catcher--thus the cysts.

The doctor won't know exactly what they are dealing with until they put him to sleep and probe his hear with a camera. We're praying the extra ear canal is very short or shallow, b/c that'll mean an outpatient surgery. If they get in there and see that it is a long canal, that's when it gets complicated and starts interfering with facial nerves--which would mean a cut along the outside of his ear. And he'd have to stay overnight.

We're wondering if his many, many lymph-node infections in his neck are connected to this somehow. The doctors seem to think it's very likely--not that he's has more cysts in his neck, but that his body has been fighting the infections in his extra ear canal, which is making his lymph nodes swell. It'd be great to finally have an answer to that too!

Please just pray that everything goes smoothly--that only minor surgery is required---that he does well with the anesthesia--that he'll heal quickly--and anything else you can think of. :)

Thank you and we love you all!
Love,
Eddie Dedra Noah and Caleb