Owen had a pretty good night. Scott stayed over with him at the hospital so I could get a good night’s sleep. On his x-ray this morning, the lung didn’t look as good as they had hoped. However, they decided to go ahead and take out the vent. Instead, he is now on a machine called a CPAP. They say it is a step in the right direction for him. Its job is to push air in and help inflate the lung. The upper lobe is still semi-collapsed. They say this is common following surgery. With the vent in, extra secretions are present that could have irritated the lung. He’s been really uncomfortable all afternoon. The CPAP pushes on his nose and forces air in rather quickly through his nostrils. The dr. said that him being a little uncomfortable helps him remember to breath. He said it would take about six or seven hours for him to get used to the CPAP. They may have to put him back on the vent, but they don’t know yet. His first blood gas since the removal of the vent showed that his levels were good. They hadn’t changed much since he’d been on the vent- so the dr. said he was stable in that way. With the CPAP, he has to wear a little white cap and the machine is connected to his face with straps on his cheeks and then velcroed to his head. Finally today, we were able to wrap him up in a blanket. I was so happy about that. It will probably be at least two days before I can hold him. The last line in his heart has to be removed before I can hold him. That line has to remain until he is off of heart meds. Currently, he is still on one heart med. Today, his bandages where the chest tubes were located were oozing blood. They said it was good that the blood was coming out, though. Please pray for me as I try to help my son the rest of this day and this evening. I wish like everything that I could pick him up and hold him. I would like to cradle him in my arms, sing him to sleep, and comfort him. However, I can’t hold him now. When he cries, there’s very little I can do for him. Please keep praying for Owen’s lung. The attending dr. says that Owen’s breathing looks good. Overnight tonight or early in the morning, they plan on removing the CPAP and putting him on a regular nasal cannula. This will be good because the O-man will be able to take his wubba nub pacifier.Pray for me as I ache to have my precious boy in my arms again. I pray the Lord would hold him in his arms and comfort him. Many thanks to those of you who faithfully post on Owie’s care page. It means a lot to us to know that we have the support of our family and friends. In His Love- Shan
Owen has been uncomfortable, unsettled, and irritated. I stayed overnight at the hospital last night to give Scott a break. I got to hold my baby for quite some time, but this didn’t seem to comfort him either. We now know that this is connected (most likely) to his reflux trouble. His routine x-ray this morning revealed that he still has a small collapsed triangular section under the upper right lobe. His chest tube is still draining throughout the day and he is now nearing 550 mls. The attending talked to us about the stress he has had on his lymphatic system. We found out today that this may also need to be repaired through surgery. Since he is taking the Monogen, they will wait a few days to see if this problems resolves itself. The different fat content of Monogen should make it easier for Owen’s lymphatic system to transport. If the drainage has not ceased in a few days, they will stop feeds and use IV nutrition. They are saying this process should take about nine more days and he cannot leave the hospital with the chest tube. This drainage/fluid issue could clear up before then, but it could take longer, too. Owen also received a NEW (yes, new as in different from the one yesterday) IV this morning. The IV that was put in his left foot yesterday wouldn’t flush today. Scott and I were eating breakfast at the time, but it was reported that they got him on the first stick. Owen had an echo this morning to check the pressure in the right side of his heart. It is down 2%. At about 2 p.m. this afternoon, we made a return trip to radiology to have his ng tube advanced into the jejunum. Moving the tube past the stomach and into the small intestine will help alleviate the problems with the acid reflux. The doctor had some minor problems moving the tube because it was coiling in the stomach. She pulled out all her tricks and luckily enough it worked. She was able to get the tube in position by using a heavy- weighted wire and a small dose of sedation. The calmer he got, the easier the procedure was for the doctor. At least the feeding tube was already in and all that they had to do was push it further into the small intestine. The biggest discomfort for O-man was the running of the tube up and down the back of his throat as they adjusted it. They FINALLY gave us the OK to exit the CICU today, however there isn’t a room currently available on the floor. They tell us that the hospital is full to the brim. There was a room available this morning, but it went to our next door neighbor here in the CICU. She was ready to leave the unit this morning. They wanted to wait until Owen’s ng tube was advanced before clearing him to leave this unit. So currently, we are just hanging out in the CICU. According to Dr. Chima, the attending, he says we are “on the launching pad.” We are all three ready to blast out of here. This kind of reminds me of a roller coater I’ve ridden at World’s of Fun called the Orient Express. When you begin the ride, you creep up the first incline. This is comparable to our adoption journey prior to meeting Owen. Of course, no other part of the roller coaster is slow- after you make it to the top of that first steep hill, you are going full speed ahead. Right now I kind of feel like we’re on one of the loops hanging upsidedown. These surgeries were kind of unexpected “lurches” in our ride. The great news is that in reality we serve a BIG God who has set our feet on steady ground. He’s comforted our racing hearts, cleared our busy minds, and dried our wet cheeks. On days or during hours when I think how can I handle yet another thing- I remember that He has equipped us for this journey. He’s sent comforting messages through friends. He’s put caring nurses, doctors, and fellow housemates in our paths. Please continue to pray comfort for Owen. Pray good sleep for all us. Pray for the doctors and nurses that work with Owen. Pray for healing for our baby boy. Thanks- Shan