Owen’s femoral central catheter was taken out last night shortly before midnight. He received morphine for pain associated with the removal of this line. His ventilator was moved down to 10 breaths per minute overnight. He is receiving 21% oxygen- room air. The respiratory therapist was able to wean him fairly aggressively. Otherwise, he had another good night. I’m so thankful.
Owen also received another blood transfusion last night due to low red blood cells and low amounts of hemoglobin.
Extubation is planned for 2 p.m. today. The fellow has prepped me for the possibility that he may have to be reintubated. He has been intubated for 13 days now and there is a high occurrence rate of having to go back onto the vent after being on it for extended periods of time. On the flip side, he has been on low setting for the last several days and did very well on his ‘sprints’ over the weekend. Please pray with me that extubation would go very well. The og tube will come out at the same time. The og tube is in place to suck air out of the stomach. He will be switched over to a high flow nasal cannula following extubation. This is to help keep the air sacs open. If all goes well with the high flow nasal cannula, he will be able to wean off the liters and be switched to a regular nasal cannula. His feeds were shut off at 8 a.m. this morning to prepare for extubation. Just in case they have to reintubate, it is necessary for his tummy to be empty so he doesn’t vomit. The respiratory therapist said that switching to a high flow nasal cannula is much better than having to switch to the CPAP. That is what he did after being intubated following his heart surgery.
Owen’s x-ray looked marvelous this morning. Please pray that the fluid around the lung wouldn’t build back up. I am so happy with Owen’s progress. I’m glad he hasn’t had to have another chest tube put in since the tube was taken out on Tuesday. Right before 1 p.m., the nurse took the gauze dressing off of the chest tube site since it was dry. It was replaced with a normal bandage. It is healed- PRAISE THE LORD! AMEN!
I GET TO HOLD OWEN TODAY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! 50 minutes to extubation!
Hello from Cincinnati!
Owen went down this morning to have a chest x-ray at 8:30 a.m. and the patient transporter then took us to the holding area for the OR. We were scheduled as an add on since the removal of his central line wasn’t set in stone. It ended up that we had to wait for forty-five minutes because six hours had to pass since the time his feedings had been shut off. The procedure went great with no complications. It was smooth sailing. We were showed into the PACU following the procedure- where he was recovering. He didn’t even have to be intubated for the procedure. They just used a breathing mask, but he also received an IV while in the OR. The IV will be taken out in the morning.
We have been totally bombarded today with people in and out of the room. It’s been a bit overwhelming as we discuss the transfer of Owen’s care to the Missouri doctors. However, I think that it would seem this way no matter when it was happening. The hospital has done a great job of preparing us to leave, helping to make appointments, contacting doctors in Missouri, etc. Most importantly, we know that our insurance will cover the providers that Owen needs to see when we return. We were glad that his pediatrician was willing to double book his schedule in order to see us this Thursday. This is essential because we need to be seen by him to get referrals for other doctors that we need to see.
We are so excited about getting home and being together everyday. We cannot wait for everybody to meet Owen in person. Please give us time to settle in our house as a family. We’ll need to do some adjusting and get our huge load unpacked. We do appreciate all of the support and prayers we have received from all our friends and family. We know that this journey would not have been impossible without the prayerful support of our loved ones. We can’t wait for each of you to meet little Owen and hug on him. We just request that we could enjoy some time together to bond outside of the hospital.
Owen is a special little guy. Scott and I still get tears in our eyes when we think about our journey- the ups and downs- mostly because the Lord has been faithful again and again to bring Owen through all of his procedures. The Lord has sustained us and taught us to depend more fully on Him. We are so excited about being parents. We believe that the Lord has extraordinary plans for Owen’s life. We’ve already witnessed how he has brought many people together.
Please continue to pray for us. Pray for our travels HOME TOMORROW! Pray that we would all have a good night’s sleep prior to our traveling. Pray for safety as we journey the road back to Missouri tomorrow. Please continue to pray for Owen’s health. Pray that Scott and I would adapt to caring for his medical needs in our home environment. Pray that Owen would continue to heal and grow. I would ask you to pray healing over his oral feeding- as his gag reflex is very sensitive. Pray against infection. Pray for our safety as we travel to upcoming appointments and continued coverage through our insurance for all the services, medicine, and doctors that he needs to see. Pray for peace of mind and low stress as we adjust to caring for our son in the best way that we possibly can.
Thank you again for your support while Owen’s been receiving care at CCHMC. We have been blessed beyond measure and touched by God’s love in multiple ways. We have made some really good friends here in Cincy- but we know that miles do not separate bonds within the heart. In some ways it will be a bittersweet goodbye. We are grateful that the Lord has watched over us and planted friends in our paths that we will have forever. God is good. Hopefully I will be writing our next update from the comfort of our own home. Much love to everybody and we hope to see you all very soon.
Thinking of you all-
Scotty, Shannon, & Cheery-O