May 27, 2011

Things in the NICU are pretty much the same. My ventilator settings are down a little bit more and I am now up to 5cc. of breast milk! The doctor told mom that it would take 10 cc. for me to be able to maintain hydration without the IV fluids... however, they will probably continue the IV fluids until about 15 cc. feedings. He also said that there is a chance that I could be up to the 10 cc. feedings by early next week. The more I eat the more I grow, and the more I grow the stronger I am. The doctor also told mom that if I get to the 15 cc. feedings, they may take out my picc line. This is a good thing because the more lines I have going into me, the more chance of infections. The doctor also had a talk with the nurse practioner about possibly moving me to the conventional ventilator. They decided to wait a little longer and let me become a little stronger before they do that. The doctors rotate every three weeks, and therefore a new doctor will be starting on Monday. Hopefully he will continue with the same ideas as my current doctor. Today I am four weeks old... I have fought against all the odds and am stronger now than I was. Mom and dad keep saying that I must have been brought here for a reason, and that I teach them each and every day about strength. I may be small, but I have more strength in me then any full grown adult! I hope everyone enjoys their long weekends.

May 25, 2011

The past two days have been going really well for me. The steroids seem to be working well and my oxygen and ventilator settings are continuing to go down. The nurses are saying that they feel I look a lot better and when mom and dad visit me I am more active. They finished the last dose of 2 mg. of the steroids, and today will start six doses of 1 mg. After that they will see how I am doing before making any more decisions. They increased my feedings today from 1 cc. of breast milk to 2 cc. The nurse also was curious as to how much I weigh and so she did a mid-week weighing... I am now 800 grams! (Up 20 grams from Saturday night)



I can see you!!!



May 23, 2011

So... last night the nurses started giving me the steroids. They are going to start with six doses (three days). Since then, my blood gases have come back really good and they have gone down six settings on the ventilator! That is very exciting. We are hoping that the steroids are the right answer and that it helps my lungs enough to move foward and maybe off this ventilator. Mom and dad visit as many times a day as they can and they are keeping their hopes up. So far so good, and its time for me to get some good sleep. Mom said she will try to get some new pictures sometime this week, but it is not really easy always to get pictures in the nicu.

May 22, 2011

I had a pretty difficult night last night, and spent a lot of today trying to remain calm and stable. The not so good news first, my ventilator settings had to be brought up quite a bit last night and the doctor has decided that it is time to start steroids for my chronic lung disease. I will be starting that tonight. Now, there is some better news... I had a bath last night and did really enjoy that. Also, I now weigh 780 grams (1 pound 12 ounces), so I am continuing to gain weight. Mom and dad are asking that the positive thoughts for me continue, as I need them now as I fight through this rough time. Thanks!

May 21, 2011

Today was pretty much the same in my life. I am stable and no changes have been made to my medications or ventilator. As much as mom and dad want to hear that I am progressing, they are happy to know that I am stable too. The nurses said they were going to give me a bath tonight! Mom and dad also got my birth certificate and social security card in the mail, so I am an offical US citizen! I am tolerating the feeding well still so I am  hoping to be able to give news on good progress real soon.

May 20, 2011

I am sorry that I was unable to post yesterday. Mom and dad have been working hard to get my house in shape, and the internet had to be unplugged for a day as new carpet was installed into the den and grandma's room. Now, the internet is back and my house is starting to look much better. Now, as for me... I am doing about the same. I started a new antibiotic for what the doctor thinks may be a lung infection (like pnemonia). It will take a few days to see if that is what I really have, and if the antibiotics are working. Other than that, I am still eating and the doctor says that it seems I am tolerating the feeds well. That is super important because I need to grow so that I can fight off infections easier! When mom and dad have visited me today and yesterday, I have been spending a lot of time sleeping. Happy three week birthday to me! Each week is a little closer to coming home to my mom and dad!

May 18, 2011

This morning, when mom and dad came to visit me, the nurse told them that I had a little bit of a difficult time last night. My CO2 levels were going up again, therefore, the ventilator settings had to be increased. They started another blood transfusion and were they were going to wait and see how I was doing after that. When mom returned in the afternoon, my ventilator settings had gone down one and I the nurse reported that my CO2 levels were back to normal. Hopefully, all I needed was some more blood and mom and dad are hoping that I am back on an upward spiral. Mom went to visit her students at school today. She told them all about me, one of them asked her to come back. She told them that she couldn't be back yet because she needs to be with me. He stated that he would build me a bed that I could stay in and that his mom is a nurse and both her and I could come be with mom all day at school. Mom was glad to know that her students miss her as she misses them! It was also very nice of them to say that I could come to school too1 Think I am ready for fifth grade yet?

19 days old! I am getting bigger and stronger each and every day.