I can still remember the exact feelings I had when a doctor told me that Deacon had a disease called Recurrent Respiratory Papillomatosis and would need surgery very quickly to go in and remove the papillomas, which we have lovingly called “bumps” since that day.  A few words stand out to me and sometimes the conversation is played out like this … rrp … disease …. cancer …. surgery … death …. remission …. no cure …. unpredictable …. forever.

Those are words that I relate to when I hear RRP.  You see unfortunately there is no cure for this disease and doctors are not even 100% sure how a person gets it or why some do and some don't.  RRP can lead to cancer and just as of yesterday was reminded of this when my doctor told me that 1/2 of all people who get throat cancer and have never smoked are from papillomas.  We were told on that first visit that Deacon would have this forever.  There's no cure.  He will have these surgeries as long as he's alive.  It is a very unpredictable disease and can come and go with no warning or explanation.  BUT and this is a big BUT … you can go into remission.  Some people do for years and some people do for a lifetime.

After his last surgery in February, which was his 6th surgery, we got amazing news!!!  The doctor told us that he saw very little and we could very well be in remission.  Oh was that great news.  The best news ever!  He hugged me and told me congratulations and that man is so nice that I think he even had a tear in his eye when he told me.  REMISSION.  REMISSION.  REMISSION.

We had our 6 month follow up visit yesterday and to say we were all a little nervous was an understatement.  We prayed for no bumps and for Deacon to be brave during the exam because I thought they were going to have to put the tube down his nose to see his vocal cords and he hated that the first time.  At the visit the doctor looked down his throat with a different tool (no tube!!!) and he saw …… NOTHING!  NO BUMPS.  NO BUMPS.  NO BUMPS.  NO BUMPS.  He was again so sweet and excited to tell me that there was nothing there and all looks great.

The doctor wants to see us back in 6 months at the hospital so he can get the best possible look in there and if he sees some he'll perform the procedure to get them off and if he sees none than we could be done with him and with surgeries for now.  PRAISE GOD!!!

We are so excited that there are no bumps, and we are crediting God for this miracle.  I'm such a thinker that I find myself in the same breath thanking God for this protection and healing and also wondering how long until they are back and what if it's worse.  I am going to try very hard to not think that way, and to rest in this miracle, but I'm afraid it's always in the back of my mind.

To read all the posts on my blog about RRP and Deacon's surgeries click HERE.

Deacon is super happy about being no more bumps and you should have heard his sweet voice demanding to call daddy before we were even out of the office to tell him the good news!  He was so excited in proclaiming NO MORE BUMPS!

Deacon is happy for two reasons … no more bumps and he finally has a loose tooth!!!