Mikie's heart rate is back to normal!  The problem has been corrected!  The perforation was as I expected, close to the feeding tube site.  It was a real mess but they washed him out and rearranged things, took out a little bit (maybe 6") of small intestine, and put him back together.  Doc just couldn't say if this all happened just since we had trouble with the feeding tube, but it sounds like it might have been going on for some time.  At the tube feed site there was a ball of looped upped intestine.  There were clear signs of infection (early on I said there wouldn't be) and cultures were taken so they will know how to treat him.  He has a new tube feed site and it is actually placed in the stomach this time.  Which likely means we will be able to bolus feed him and won't have to use a machine.  All that depends on how well he tolerates the feedings. 

It's not over yet, the tough part is recovery.  It was peritonitis secondary to the perforated bowel so all that has to heal.  He will be in ICU the better part of another week, that's my bet. 

We are happy that we didn't give up yet.  Mikie is likely to come out of this far better than he was doing even a few weeks ago.  Though we have been saying he is doing well the last few months, we have noticed some times of discomfort, especially in his chair or in the car.  We could still lose him in the next day or two, but we will be comforted by knowing we did all we could.  When God gets ready to take him home, we won't be able to do anything to stop him.

I'm starting to ramble, so let me quit.  We are very elated.  Our tears this time were tears of joy. 

Praise God!

Mike