After starting off strong for the first part of 2011 with a major site upgrade to BizTalkGurus.com, blogging more frequently, and sending out new editions of The BizTalker, I have really dropped the ball for the past 6 months.
But let me explain. In the past 6 months my life has changed. We had our first baby on 2-9-11. His name is Westin. While a new baby in itself takes a lot of work Westin is very special. A few weeks after birth we noticed Westin just was not eating enough to put on any weight and that is when things started to get more complex.
To summarize what my past 6 months have been like: 29 nights in the hospital (5 separate stays), 11 days in the ICU, 3 MRI’s, 2 surgeries, 12 different doctors covering almost every part of the body, so many x-rays and ultrasounds I have lost count, and countless doctor appointments with as many as 8 in a week. Then Westin was finally diagnosed with a rare genetic disorder called Costello Syndrome. They estimate less than 300 people in the world have this disorder. You can read more about Westin and his life with Costello Syndrome on his blog.
That said, we are hoping the hard part of not knowing what is wrong and not knowing what to expect is over so I am starting to get back into the swing of things. I’ve been back to work for a few months now, traveling again, and life is starting to look a little more normal. I have some upcoming blog posts and even new sample code almost ready and also have some more free BizTalk related books to give away.
Be on the lookout for more to come from me in the near future.
I have just read Westin’s blog and all i can say is that my thoughts are with you and your family through what must be very tough times.
With our second son we had to rush to hospital one evening in the back of an ambulance, and he has had two further overnights in hospital since (thankfully nothing for a couple of years now!) and I can honestly say I have never been more worried than seeing his tiny frame hooked up to various monitoring equipment and hoping things turn out okay.
Our third was born in June and the thought of going through what you have would break my heart.
I hope you have better times ahead.
Stephen, best of luck with Westin. I know it is very hard when your little one gets very sick.