Don't have much time to write, so I am going to give some quick updates:
Bad news:
- oxygen level has gone up from 40ish to 61
- might have to have an IV placed in his scalp at some point. There are only so many times that he can get stuck until they run out of options in arms/legs.
- chest xray came back a little fuzzy. His bacteria is one that takes some time to kick. He has 56 doses of the medicine - and is only on #28.
Good news:
- PDA medicine seems to be doing its magic. Nurse nor doctor were able to hear murmur. Echo is tomorrow.
- carbon dioxide levels are down to 62 from 80 earlier today. They increased how much his lungs open up for every breath.
- heart rate and blood pressure are normal.
Other news:
- blood transfusion #5 today. The nurse named off about 8 tests that they ran today and just pulled too much blood. From same donor as #4. Other 3 transfusions all came from one donor.
Going over to Jennifer/Todd's tonight for dinner. Mom is in town and Shannon and Evelyn are going over as well. Time for Kristen and I to socialize and get our mind off things. :)
Reid has had a better day than yesterday and our visit was pretty uneventful - which is a good thing!
Wednesday, September 30, 2009
Blood Transfusion #4 - 4 weeks old
It is hard to believe, but today marks Reid's 4th week in this world. It has been a rough time for him, but he remains strong and is fighting his uphill battle. It has to get better from here on out... I didn't make a post yesterday, so let me see if I can fill in the details:
Reid had his 4th blood transfusion yesterday. His counts were a little low so the doctors made the order. This is the week (30 weeks gestational age) where his bone marrow is supposed to take over his own blood production, but they felt that Reid needed to be "topped off" with blood. Their main goal, in addition to the intubation, is for him to feel rested and regain his strength that he has lost over the past few weeks of having to work hard at his breathing. Having full strength should also help with his independence from the ventilator in days/weeks to come.
We also got a call yesterday from the NICU about 4:30 with news about his patent ductus arteriosis still (PDA) not being closed. "Patent" means "Open". If you read back through my blog, you will probably find an entry that talks about how he is given medicide to help close this artery. For those that don't remember, I found this blurb on the web that can help you understand what is going on:
"Once a baby is born, his first breath initiates changes in the function of the heart. Suddenly filling with air, the lungs expand, the blood vessels within the lungs relax or dilate, and blood flow increases, allowing for gas exchange. Blood flow to the umbilical cord and placenta drops to nothing. The ductus arteriosus begins to close rapidly. Under normal circumstances, the ductus arteriosus is completely sealed and replaced with scar tissue in a few weeks, never to open again. At this point, the baby’s heart is functioning and circulating blood in much the same way as an adult’s heart".
For Reid, this artery has not 100% closed (which is not too uncommon for premature babies). For some, this artery will close and reopen several times. Nonetheless, Reid is undergoing a second round of medicine (I believe it is called Indomethacin) and we are hopeful that this round will "seal the deal". He has another echocardiogram tomorrow to see if this medicine works. Cross all of your fingers and toes as one of the alternatives to the medicine not working is surgery.
Last night, his oxygen levels were in the upper 30's - which is a drastic change from the 80's the day before when he was on CPAP. His carbon dioxide levels had gone down slightly yesterday and are now hovering around 80 today. Ideally, it should be around 50 to 55, so they are a little concerned as to why this level isn't going down. Increasing the number of breaths he takes can help fight this (last night, he went from 50 to 60 breaths per minute).
Kristen is out getting her haircut and colored this morning, so it has been a quiet morning around the house. Was a chilly night in Atlanta last night, so the house is a bit cool today (you won't hear me complain). I am a little excited that fall weather is here -- it always seems to be a "breath of fresh air" for me. On the work front, I have a project team that is pursuing me to join next week. I would be a project lead of about 7 guys (split between Atlanta and Chennai, India) and working on a member portal for WellPoint (health benefits company). Had a chat with Human Resources this morning as I feel this may be a little too early to start another project considering that today is supposed to be my last day on the current AT&T project I have been leading for the past 15 months. I had planned on taking 3-4 weeks vacation starting today, and this project wants to get in the way of that. However, HR told me that I need to take care of my family first and that another project will come along when I am ready to come back to work (I have about 9 weeks of vacation built up for this year that I need to use). Nonetheless, I am going to approach this new project with the possibility of a later start date... so I will update you guys on this when I have more news.
Anyway, back to work. We will be heading to the hospital later today to check on Mr. Reid. Today has to be a better day than yesterday (that is what we are telling ourselves anyway). I will leave you with one last photo for the day - a picture that finds me laughing every time I look at it - Pampers needs to invent a diaper that is a bit larger than the "preemie" size and smaller than the "newborn" size. Reid has been swallowed by a diaper!
Reid had his 4th blood transfusion yesterday. His counts were a little low so the doctors made the order. This is the week (30 weeks gestational age) where his bone marrow is supposed to take over his own blood production, but they felt that Reid needed to be "topped off" with blood. Their main goal, in addition to the intubation, is for him to feel rested and regain his strength that he has lost over the past few weeks of having to work hard at his breathing. Having full strength should also help with his independence from the ventilator in days/weeks to come.
We also got a call yesterday from the NICU about 4:30 with news about his patent ductus arteriosis still (PDA) not being closed. "Patent" means "Open". If you read back through my blog, you will probably find an entry that talks about how he is given medicide to help close this artery. For those that don't remember, I found this blurb on the web that can help you understand what is going on:
"Once a baby is born, his first breath initiates changes in the function of the heart. Suddenly filling with air, the lungs expand, the blood vessels within the lungs relax or dilate, and blood flow increases, allowing for gas exchange. Blood flow to the umbilical cord and placenta drops to nothing. The ductus arteriosus begins to close rapidly. Under normal circumstances, the ductus arteriosus is completely sealed and replaced with scar tissue in a few weeks, never to open again. At this point, the baby’s heart is functioning and circulating blood in much the same way as an adult’s heart".
For Reid, this artery has not 100% closed (which is not too uncommon for premature babies). For some, this artery will close and reopen several times. Nonetheless, Reid is undergoing a second round of medicine (I believe it is called Indomethacin) and we are hopeful that this round will "seal the deal". He has another echocardiogram tomorrow to see if this medicine works. Cross all of your fingers and toes as one of the alternatives to the medicine not working is surgery.
Last night, his oxygen levels were in the upper 30's - which is a drastic change from the 80's the day before when he was on CPAP. His carbon dioxide levels had gone down slightly yesterday and are now hovering around 80 today. Ideally, it should be around 50 to 55, so they are a little concerned as to why this level isn't going down. Increasing the number of breaths he takes can help fight this (last night, he went from 50 to 60 breaths per minute).
Kristen is out getting her haircut and colored this morning, so it has been a quiet morning around the house. Was a chilly night in Atlanta last night, so the house is a bit cool today (you won't hear me complain). I am a little excited that fall weather is here -- it always seems to be a "breath of fresh air" for me. On the work front, I have a project team that is pursuing me to join next week. I would be a project lead of about 7 guys (split between Atlanta and Chennai, India) and working on a member portal for WellPoint (health benefits company). Had a chat with Human Resources this morning as I feel this may be a little too early to start another project considering that today is supposed to be my last day on the current AT&T project I have been leading for the past 15 months. I had planned on taking 3-4 weeks vacation starting today, and this project wants to get in the way of that. However, HR told me that I need to take care of my family first and that another project will come along when I am ready to come back to work (I have about 9 weeks of vacation built up for this year that I need to use). Nonetheless, I am going to approach this new project with the possibility of a later start date... so I will update you guys on this when I have more news.
Anyway, back to work. We will be heading to the hospital later today to check on Mr. Reid. Today has to be a better day than yesterday (that is what we are telling ourselves anyway). I will leave you with one last photo for the day - a picture that finds me laughing every time I look at it - Pampers needs to invent a diaper that is a bit larger than the "preemie" size and smaller than the "newborn" size. Reid has been swallowed by a diaper!
Tuesday, September 29, 2009
Intubation
I took a trip to the hospital around 9:30pm last night to visit Reid as I hadn't seen him all day. From the moment I got there, I had a bad feeling about what was to come. The nurse, off the bat, had told me that Reid was requiring 80% oxygen for an extended amount of time. Knowing that those levels of oxygen and not sustainable for the long term, she felt as if the ventilator was in the near future. Oxygen in high dosages can apparently scar the lungs just as bad as any infection could.
The nurse practitioner, Mary, came in around 11:00pm and had told me that Reid's xray from earlier in the day looked really good. There was a fairly drastic change from what it looked like the day before, so it was a little bit of good news. His CBC (Complete Blood Count) test numbers were also good and showed that the infection is most likely out the door. Bad numbers in the CBC would likely show if the infection was still prevalent or increasing.
Mary and I talked for almost an hour (I like to ask a lot of "why" and "how" questions) as I was a little concerned about the nurse's comments about the amount of oxygen that Reid was on. She was quick to point out that intubation and a round of steroids (to help grow the lungs and reduce any inflamation caused by the bacteria) was probably around the corner. She was going to monitor him for the next few hours and then talk to the doctor. She pointed out that he is a "fighter" and his body had adjusted well to the large amounts of oxygen and subsequently the large Carbon Dioxide (CO2) levels in his body which makes it a hard sell to put him on a ventalator. The doctors really try everything else before putting them on the ventelator. However, with his high CO2 levels, she was concerned. Ideally, he shouldn't have a CO2 level above 40% or 50% but his had been increasing throughout the day and was near 80% at the time. This is usually a sign that he needs some assistance.
I left the hospital around 11:15pm and headed home to tell the news to Kristen. Around 12:00am, I received a call saying that his CO2 levels were now around 90% and they were going to go ahead and intubate him, xray him and take his blood gasses. Mary described in detail how the procedure would be done and that they would sedate him with a little morphine to ease the "pain" of having a tube stuck down his throat. They would call me back when they were done.
About 1:00am, I received a second call from Mary and she had explained that within moments of Reid being on the ventalator, his oxygen requirements had fallen back down into the 35-40% range, which clearly meant that this was a drastic improvement. He was very tired and worn out from having to fight the infection and breathe on his own and was now sound asleep.
I woke up at 4:30am this morning with Kristen (her routine "milking session" time) and I got up to head to the NICU. I wanted to see in person what this looked like and how he was doing. Much to my surprise, he looked great. It was nice to see him out of the isolete and no hat and CPAP apparatus covering his face/head. Instead, as you will see in the pictures, he has a small tube in his mouth that leads all the way down to his lungs. The machine that is attached to this tube is quite amazing as it is able to sense when Reid is attempting to take a breath on his own and quickly goes ahead and assists him with that breath. In addition, it is making him have 50 breaths per minute regardless of whether Reid wants to or not. If he decides to breath more than that - that is fine - however, it is going to ensure that he gets at least 50/min. On the inside of this tube, there is yet another tube that sits just above the opening of his lungs. This tube can be suctioned to get any excess fluids/mucus that are sitting there.
Anyway, other than his improved aestetics (removal of the "gear" on his head), I felt really good about how he looked. His chest was no longer caving in everytime he needed a breath (from him pulling to get a good breath), his coloring looked good, and overall, he just looked peaceful. He did open his eyes a few times when I was there so I imagine he recognized my voice when I was talking to him.
Overall, a long night full of activity, but we are hoping that this is the turning point for him. His lungs have to clear up and his lungs have to grow and I believe that he was having to work too hard for his body to be able to focus on these two very important things.
Here is a picture of him when I first got to the hospital (sound asleep):
Here is a picture of his ventelator. In the bottom left corner, you will see 50; this represents the number of breaths per minute that the machine is going to ensure that he gets.
In the bottom right, you will see 42; this represents the oxygen level that he was currently at. And in the left/middle/top of the screen, you will see a graph that has a red, yellow and blue line. The red line represents a breath that the machine is taking on Reid's behalf. The yellow line represents a breath that Reid is attempting to take on his own. In this picture, both the red and yellow line are present as he took a breath right after the machine took one for him. This graph changes every second and can sometimes show multiple breaths --- the red line will fade and a new one will come up (in this case, a yellow one). The blue line underneath is showing the exhale of the breath (the machine helps him remove the CO2 that is expelled from his lungs). The other numbers on the screen represent, in some fashion, the volume of air that is being exchanged.
The following picture is of his normal monitor. I had taken this a few days back, but wanted to show how this can correlate back to the ventelator. The green line and large green number (178) in the upper right is his heart rate (beats per minute).
The yellow number in the bottom right (92) is his blood oxygen saturation (ideally, this number should hover around 85%, but is acceptable to be between 80 and 95. The lower the number, the lesser amounts of oxygen that are found in his blood. Now, if you go back to the ventelator screen, the oxygen that they give him (42%) is based upon the number that you see in this screen (92). If the saturation goes too high, they decrease the levels of oxygen; adversely, if the saturation goes too low, they increase the levels of oxygen (In the case yesterday with his CPAP, the machine would have read 80 where it now shows 42). And last, but not least, in this picture, you see a blue line and blue number in the middle (77). This number represents the number of breahs per minute that Reid is taking. As I mentioned, this picture is from when he was on CPAP, so today, you would see this blue number somewhere closer to 50 - which is the number of breaths that the machine is taking for Reid. If the monitor shows 50, it means that Reid is "riding the tube" - meaning that he is not taking any breaths on his own and is letting the machine do all of the work for him. However, if you see this number go north of 50, this means that Reid is trying to breathe on his own.
One last picture of Reid making sure that daddy was still around. And he was. :)
Keep him in your prayers --- he has a long road ahead of him. Hopefully we have reached the bottom and we are on our way up!
The nurse practitioner, Mary, came in around 11:00pm and had told me that Reid's xray from earlier in the day looked really good. There was a fairly drastic change from what it looked like the day before, so it was a little bit of good news. His CBC (Complete Blood Count) test numbers were also good and showed that the infection is most likely out the door. Bad numbers in the CBC would likely show if the infection was still prevalent or increasing.
Mary and I talked for almost an hour (I like to ask a lot of "why" and "how" questions) as I was a little concerned about the nurse's comments about the amount of oxygen that Reid was on. She was quick to point out that intubation and a round of steroids (to help grow the lungs and reduce any inflamation caused by the bacteria) was probably around the corner. She was going to monitor him for the next few hours and then talk to the doctor. She pointed out that he is a "fighter" and his body had adjusted well to the large amounts of oxygen and subsequently the large Carbon Dioxide (CO2) levels in his body which makes it a hard sell to put him on a ventalator. The doctors really try everything else before putting them on the ventelator. However, with his high CO2 levels, she was concerned. Ideally, he shouldn't have a CO2 level above 40% or 50% but his had been increasing throughout the day and was near 80% at the time. This is usually a sign that he needs some assistance.
I left the hospital around 11:15pm and headed home to tell the news to Kristen. Around 12:00am, I received a call saying that his CO2 levels were now around 90% and they were going to go ahead and intubate him, xray him and take his blood gasses. Mary described in detail how the procedure would be done and that they would sedate him with a little morphine to ease the "pain" of having a tube stuck down his throat. They would call me back when they were done.
About 1:00am, I received a second call from Mary and she had explained that within moments of Reid being on the ventalator, his oxygen requirements had fallen back down into the 35-40% range, which clearly meant that this was a drastic improvement. He was very tired and worn out from having to fight the infection and breathe on his own and was now sound asleep.
I woke up at 4:30am this morning with Kristen (her routine "milking session" time) and I got up to head to the NICU. I wanted to see in person what this looked like and how he was doing. Much to my surprise, he looked great. It was nice to see him out of the isolete and no hat and CPAP apparatus covering his face/head. Instead, as you will see in the pictures, he has a small tube in his mouth that leads all the way down to his lungs. The machine that is attached to this tube is quite amazing as it is able to sense when Reid is attempting to take a breath on his own and quickly goes ahead and assists him with that breath. In addition, it is making him have 50 breaths per minute regardless of whether Reid wants to or not. If he decides to breath more than that - that is fine - however, it is going to ensure that he gets at least 50/min. On the inside of this tube, there is yet another tube that sits just above the opening of his lungs. This tube can be suctioned to get any excess fluids/mucus that are sitting there.
Anyway, other than his improved aestetics (removal of the "gear" on his head), I felt really good about how he looked. His chest was no longer caving in everytime he needed a breath (from him pulling to get a good breath), his coloring looked good, and overall, he just looked peaceful. He did open his eyes a few times when I was there so I imagine he recognized my voice when I was talking to him.
Overall, a long night full of activity, but we are hoping that this is the turning point for him. His lungs have to clear up and his lungs have to grow and I believe that he was having to work too hard for his body to be able to focus on these two very important things.
Here is a picture of him when I first got to the hospital (sound asleep):
Here is a picture of his ventelator. In the bottom left corner, you will see 50; this represents the number of breaths per minute that the machine is going to ensure that he gets.
In the bottom right, you will see 42; this represents the oxygen level that he was currently at. And in the left/middle/top of the screen, you will see a graph that has a red, yellow and blue line. The red line represents a breath that the machine is taking on Reid's behalf. The yellow line represents a breath that Reid is attempting to take on his own. In this picture, both the red and yellow line are present as he took a breath right after the machine took one for him. This graph changes every second and can sometimes show multiple breaths --- the red line will fade and a new one will come up (in this case, a yellow one). The blue line underneath is showing the exhale of the breath (the machine helps him remove the CO2 that is expelled from his lungs). The other numbers on the screen represent, in some fashion, the volume of air that is being exchanged.The following picture is of his normal monitor. I had taken this a few days back, but wanted to show how this can correlate back to the ventelator. The green line and large green number (178) in the upper right is his heart rate (beats per minute).
The yellow number in the bottom right (92) is his blood oxygen saturation (ideally, this number should hover around 85%, but is acceptable to be between 80 and 95. The lower the number, the lesser amounts of oxygen that are found in his blood. Now, if you go back to the ventelator screen, the oxygen that they give him (42%) is based upon the number that you see in this screen (92). If the saturation goes too high, they decrease the levels of oxygen; adversely, if the saturation goes too low, they increase the levels of oxygen (In the case yesterday with his CPAP, the machine would have read 80 where it now shows 42). And last, but not least, in this picture, you see a blue line and blue number in the middle (77). This number represents the number of breahs per minute that Reid is taking. As I mentioned, this picture is from when he was on CPAP, so today, you would see this blue number somewhere closer to 50 - which is the number of breaths that the machine is taking for Reid. If the monitor shows 50, it means that Reid is "riding the tube" - meaning that he is not taking any breaths on his own and is letting the machine do all of the work for him. However, if you see this number go north of 50, this means that Reid is trying to breathe on his own. One last picture of Reid making sure that daddy was still around. And he was. :)
Keep him in your prayers --- he has a long road ahead of him. Hopefully we have reached the bottom and we are on our way up!
Monday, September 28, 2009
Kristen was able to hold Reid today for the first time in quite awhile. He appears to look a little better than he has in previous days --- we will take any small improvement these days. :) As you will see in the picture, his CPAP aparatus has changed slightly to where the tube is going over the top of his head rather than the sides of his face. The doctors are still slightly concerned with his fluids, so they have removed all fluids from his diet and are fortifing his breast milk with fomula to give him more calories with less liquid. Essentially, his 20 calorie per ounce milk is now becoming 22 calires per ounce. Not much is new; just wanted to post a couple of pictures.
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Reid's little hands
I have been meaning to post this picture over the past few days and just now getting around to it. I love this picture as you can see how small his hands are compared to my fingers. :)
Stable
Kristen just called the hospital to get an update on Reid... not much is new and he is hanging in there. The new CPAP seems to maybe be working slightly better and they tried to move him down to a +5 on the CPAP. His blood gasses didn't look like they hoped that they would, so they bumped him back up to +6. He had previously been on +7 over the past few days, so this is slightly better. Remember, the level of CPAP defines how much pressure is being placed in his lungs and ultimately helps him breathe.
We will be going into the hospital this afternoon, so maybe another update later today?
We will be going into the hospital this afternoon, so maybe another update later today?
Sunday, September 27, 2009
I realized that I hadn't posted in a couple days so let me see if I can do a recap. I wish that I had better news, but Reid hasn't had a very good couple of days. His breathing hasn't gotten any better and is struggling to maintain normal oxygen levels in his blood. Over a short period of time, the nurses can wein him off the larger amounts of oxygen, but he slowly starts getting tired from working harder and then has to have a little more help. His carbon dioxide levels in his blood are a little high, but his kidneys seem to be compensating as his pH levels are about normal. His body is fighting hard to ward off the infection, but can't do it all by itself.
Today is the fourth of fourteen days of his antibiotic for his lungs and is the last day of the other antibiotic for his blood infection. The cultures have shown that his blood infection is no longer present, so that is a little bit of good news.
The doctors have made a couple orders for today: 1) chest xray; 2) an aerosol to help open his lungs (much like an asthma patient would be given); 3) a new CPAP that will help keep the seal around his nose by way of a mask; 4) continuous feedings. The xray should let them see if there is some unnecessary fluids on his lungs that are hampering his breathing. If so, they will administer another drug to help with that. The hospital doesn't have the other CPAP device, so they are currently looking at the sister hospital (Kennestone). And if they don't have it, they will be renting it from somewhere else. The continuous feedings are the equivalent of 20cc every three hours but are distributing it over a longer period to lessen the chance that a swollen/full belly can press against his lungs.
He has also been taken off his lipids that he has been receiving since birth. He is now getting all of his nutrients from the milk, so he has one less IV bag hanging next to him.
And that is about it. I have a few pictures to post but will do that when I get home. Just wanted to get a posting done while I was at the hospital. Until next time...
Today is the fourth of fourteen days of his antibiotic for his lungs and is the last day of the other antibiotic for his blood infection. The cultures have shown that his blood infection is no longer present, so that is a little bit of good news.
The doctors have made a couple orders for today: 1) chest xray; 2) an aerosol to help open his lungs (much like an asthma patient would be given); 3) a new CPAP that will help keep the seal around his nose by way of a mask; 4) continuous feedings. The xray should let them see if there is some unnecessary fluids on his lungs that are hampering his breathing. If so, they will administer another drug to help with that. The hospital doesn't have the other CPAP device, so they are currently looking at the sister hospital (Kennestone). And if they don't have it, they will be renting it from somewhere else. The continuous feedings are the equivalent of 20cc every three hours but are distributing it over a longer period to lessen the chance that a swollen/full belly can press against his lungs.
He has also been taken off his lipids that he has been receiving since birth. He is now getting all of his nutrients from the milk, so he has one less IV bag hanging next to him.
And that is about it. I have a few pictures to post but will do that when I get home. Just wanted to get a posting done while I was at the hospital. Until next time...
Friday, September 25, 2009
Blood transfusion #3
Reid is undergoing his third blood transfusion today in hopes that this will help him with his breathing. The doctor wasn't overly excited about his color this morning, so this transfusion should help out with that as well.
As for his fluids, the doctor wasn't too concerned with his lab test this morning so they aren't going to do anything on that front.
We haven't made the trip to the hospital yet today and will probably go this evening. This has given Kristen a little bit of a break for some much needed rest. We won't be able to hold him tonight as he has probably had a rough day.
Anyway, that is it for now. Until next time...
As for his fluids, the doctor wasn't too concerned with his lab test this morning so they aren't going to do anything on that front.
We haven't made the trip to the hospital yet today and will probably go this evening. This has given Kristen a little bit of a break for some much needed rest. We won't be able to hold him tonight as he has probably had a rough day.
Anyway, that is it for now. Until next time...
GIVE ME MORE MILK!!!
I went to visit Reid last night by myself as Kristen and Carol had gone earlier in the day. They really only want 2 people in the room at any given time, so I decided to stay back and get some much needed work done around the house. It was one of the first times that I had gone by myself to visit him, so it was a quiet visit.
The nurse had just weighed him when I got there and he was up to 2 lbs 10 oz. He is retaining some fluids, so that may be part of the weight gain he has experienced over the past week. The fluids may also be the reason he is having a harder time breathing. Generally, when they retain water, their lungs are the first thing to get impacted. The doctor ordered a test for this morning to check his albumin levels. This will measure the levels at which his protein are retaining water.
Reid's feedings are now at 16cc every 3 hours. He had reached his goal of 15cc/3hrs yesterday and the doctor changed the order to now increase it up 1cc every 12 hours until he reaches 20cc (5 oz per day). The nurses always comment on how well he eats and poops --- so at least he has one positive thing going for him. :)
As I type this message, Kristen just got off the phone with the nurse and the test for his water retention came back with a albumin level of 2.1. They generally like the babies to be under 2.0, so it is questionable if they are going to treat him or not. The doctors have not made their rounds yet this morning, so we will have to wait and see if they are going to order anything for this.
To top it off, his hematocrit levels show 28 this morning which may necessitate another blood transfusion. Looking back over the past three weeks, there is a pattern of his breathing struggles when his blood count is low. So, if they do give him another transfusion today, let's cross our fingers that it helps his breathing. This would be transfusion #3.
This guy doesn't get a break, does he? We should know more around 1PM today, so I will post another entry later today.
The nurse had just weighed him when I got there and he was up to 2 lbs 10 oz. He is retaining some fluids, so that may be part of the weight gain he has experienced over the past week. The fluids may also be the reason he is having a harder time breathing. Generally, when they retain water, their lungs are the first thing to get impacted. The doctor ordered a test for this morning to check his albumin levels. This will measure the levels at which his protein are retaining water.
Reid's feedings are now at 16cc every 3 hours. He had reached his goal of 15cc/3hrs yesterday and the doctor changed the order to now increase it up 1cc every 12 hours until he reaches 20cc (5 oz per day). The nurses always comment on how well he eats and poops --- so at least he has one positive thing going for him. :)
As I type this message, Kristen just got off the phone with the nurse and the test for his water retention came back with a albumin level of 2.1. They generally like the babies to be under 2.0, so it is questionable if they are going to treat him or not. The doctors have not made their rounds yet this morning, so we will have to wait and see if they are going to order anything for this.
To top it off, his hematocrit levels show 28 this morning which may necessitate another blood transfusion. Looking back over the past three weeks, there is a pattern of his breathing struggles when his blood count is low. So, if they do give him another transfusion today, let's cross our fingers that it helps his breathing. This would be transfusion #3.
This guy doesn't get a break, does he? We should know more around 1PM today, so I will post another entry later today.
Wednesday, September 23, 2009
Lung development
We had a little troubling news from the doctor today about Reid's lungs. His overall xray seems to look better than it did in the past, however, a test that they ran about two and a half weeks ago came back today with a little bit of bad news. His lungs, when looking at the xray, show what the doctor likes to call "salt and pepper". Usually, if you look at an xray of normal, healthy lungs, you would see a dense mass, and all of one color. In Reid's xray, you see white and black spots -- which are actually the air sacs in the lungs. Some are open and others are closed. The doctor said that this would be typical of a premature baby that had chronic lung issues (such as one that had been intubated for quite some time). Knowing that this wasn't the case, the doctor pursued a test for a particular bacteria that would exhibit these symptoms. Because this bacteria is very hard to grow in a lab environment, the culture they took from Reid took almost 2.5 weeks to prove itself... in this case, it came back positive. This bacteria makes the little air sacs in his lungs become less pliable and rigid. Without them being able to be flexible every time he takes a breath, he has a harder time absorbing the oxygen he breathes. Because of this, the doctors have increased his oxygen levels in his CPAP to be around 50%. This is the temporary fix/treatment...
In normal, healthy humans, a dosage of Tetracycline (an antibiotic commonly used for acne) would be the cure. However, to make things more difficult, Tetracycline is not a drug that they can give premature babies. Erythromycin is the next best drug and is the one that they will use. Reid will take it (I believe) for 14 days. This drug has great success in killing the bacteria, however, Reid will still exhibit issues with his breathing until his own body can produce new, good lung tissue. The antibiotic is the easy part and Reid will have a long road ahead of him until he will 100% outgrow this issue. The doctor says that it may take 9 months, but should definitely be gone by 12. Now, this doesn't necessarily mean that Reid is going to be struggling to breathe until he is a year old, but for his lungs to fully heal, it will take that long. Reid controls how fast this issue corrects itself by how fast he can grow and how fast his lung tissue can repair itself. I am not worried about the outcome --- it just may bring some new obstacles along the way. This pregnancy hasn't been easy, so I wouldn't expect everything else to be either. We have to stay strong, keep a positive outlook on things, and everything will be OK.
On a positive note, Reid weighed in at 2 lbs 8oz last night. I believe he is up to 13 cc of breast milk and only has 2 more cc until he reaches his "suggested" intake of 15 cc every 3 hours. At that time, they will evaluate the caloric intake that is needed for him to properly grow and adjust it accordingly. I would not think that it would be increased every 12 hours like it is now, but more of a gradual increase over time as he begins to grow and necessitates more calories.
Kristen and I were at the NICU for a little over 2 hours today, long enough to change two diapers (so we both got the chance to do it). Reid's new diapers are almost comical they are so big. He outgrew the old size, and this new size fits babies up to 6 pounds. The back of the diaper goes half way up his back and the front has to be tucked under so that his chest isn't inside the diaper. :)
And check out his belly button. The other day, his umbilical cord fell off which resulted in us being able to see what his belly button looks like --- and it is an "outie". The nurse said that this doesn't mean that it will be like that permanently as this is very common in premature babies. Nonetheless, it gave Kristen and I a good laugh today. In the picture, you can see how big his diapers are and the heart-shaped piece of foil on his stomach is actually holding his temperature probe on his belly. This is tied in with his monitors to tell the incubator how hot it needs to be inside to help regulate Reid's body temperature.
Anyway, that is all for tonight. It is a long post, but I wanted to get a lot out there for you to read about his lung issues. Things will work out --- so please do not worry about this. There is nothing we can do but wait for it to correct itself.
In normal, healthy humans, a dosage of Tetracycline (an antibiotic commonly used for acne) would be the cure. However, to make things more difficult, Tetracycline is not a drug that they can give premature babies. Erythromycin is the next best drug and is the one that they will use. Reid will take it (I believe) for 14 days. This drug has great success in killing the bacteria, however, Reid will still exhibit issues with his breathing until his own body can produce new, good lung tissue. The antibiotic is the easy part and Reid will have a long road ahead of him until he will 100% outgrow this issue. The doctor says that it may take 9 months, but should definitely be gone by 12. Now, this doesn't necessarily mean that Reid is going to be struggling to breathe until he is a year old, but for his lungs to fully heal, it will take that long. Reid controls how fast this issue corrects itself by how fast he can grow and how fast his lung tissue can repair itself. I am not worried about the outcome --- it just may bring some new obstacles along the way. This pregnancy hasn't been easy, so I wouldn't expect everything else to be either. We have to stay strong, keep a positive outlook on things, and everything will be OK.
On a positive note, Reid weighed in at 2 lbs 8oz last night. I believe he is up to 13 cc of breast milk and only has 2 more cc until he reaches his "suggested" intake of 15 cc every 3 hours. At that time, they will evaluate the caloric intake that is needed for him to properly grow and adjust it accordingly. I would not think that it would be increased every 12 hours like it is now, but more of a gradual increase over time as he begins to grow and necessitates more calories.
Kristen and I were at the NICU for a little over 2 hours today, long enough to change two diapers (so we both got the chance to do it). Reid's new diapers are almost comical they are so big. He outgrew the old size, and this new size fits babies up to 6 pounds. The back of the diaper goes half way up his back and the front has to be tucked under so that his chest isn't inside the diaper. :)
And check out his belly button. The other day, his umbilical cord fell off which resulted in us being able to see what his belly button looks like --- and it is an "outie". The nurse said that this doesn't mean that it will be like that permanently as this is very common in premature babies. Nonetheless, it gave Kristen and I a good laugh today. In the picture, you can see how big his diapers are and the heart-shaped piece of foil on his stomach is actually holding his temperature probe on his belly. This is tied in with his monitors to tell the incubator how hot it needs to be inside to help regulate Reid's body temperature.Anyway, that is all for tonight. It is a long post, but I wanted to get a lot out there for you to read about his lung issues. Things will work out --- so please do not worry about this. There is nothing we can do but wait for it to correct itself.
Tuesday, September 22, 2009
Evening pictures - WIDE AWAKE
Kristen took a few pictures tonight on her visit --- Reid aparrently seems to be wide awake. By the way, he loves to be placed on his belly!!! I am starting to feel guilty that I didn't make the trip to the hospital tonight and will probably venture there once I wrap up my work for the evening.
Putting on his big boy britches...
Kristen made the trek to the hospital by herself today. I had some work to do and had ten million other things to take care of so I stayed beyond. Kristen enjoyed her visit with Reid today as she didn't feel rushed. I think that when we both go together, she knows in the back of her mind that there are many things to get done, so she cannot relax. She had a good visit with Reid, who apparently was wide awake all day long. When she was able to hold him against her chest, he zonked out and took a nice long nap.
Reid weighed in at 2 lbs 5oz today and was upgraded to the next diaper size. Guess this is a true sign that he is growing. Larger baby means larger turds. He is also taking in 11cc of breast milk every 3 hours. Kristen is getting worried that she isn't producing enough milk, so she met up with the lactation specialist today to see what else she could do. She recommended that she take a supplement called fenugreek that will help with the production.
In addition, she said that she needed to be more regular with his breast pumping (as if we weren't already tied down enough with trying to do it every 3 to 4 hours)! Oh the joys that Kristen has!!!
The not-so-great news today was that one of Reid's blood cultures came back positive for an infection, so he will continue with his antibiotic. He will also have a culture taken either every day or every other day and will continue to do so until the culture comes back negative. This is conflicting with what we heard the other day, so it was a little disappointing to say the least.
Another set of chest xrays were taken, and overall, the doctor was a little pleased. He did see some progress in his lung development, but was slightly concerned with some fluid on the left lung. To help remove this fluid, Reid now undergoes a CPT (Chest Physical Therepy) every 6 hours. Kristen said it is like a little vibrating-toothbrush-looking-thing that they set on his chest or back to help aggitate the fluids to help them move. Not sure how long he will have this done, but we do know that Reid does not like it in the least bit. He undergoes a lot of poking and proding throughout the day...
Kristen's mom came in today from Houston for a week long visit. We had troubles getting to the airport as they had closed down I-285 south in Cobb County due to the floods, but we did end up getting her about an hour after he flight came in. The trip home took about 40 minutes (about twice as long as normal), but we are all safe and sound. :) The Chattahoochie River had spilled over its banks and caused a lot of roads around this part of town to be closed off. Ugh.
Anyway, that is about all for today. Kristen and Carol are going to head back to the hospital tonight. I am going to stay back and get some things done around the house.
By the way, the picture that was posted tonight, the piece of tape over Reid's nose keeps the CPAP in place -- it shoves his nose up and looks very uncomfortable. Kristen and I like to believe that he is used to it by now as it is the only thing he has known in this world.
Reid weighed in at 2 lbs 5oz today and was upgraded to the next diaper size. Guess this is a true sign that he is growing. Larger baby means larger turds. He is also taking in 11cc of breast milk every 3 hours. Kristen is getting worried that she isn't producing enough milk, so she met up with the lactation specialist today to see what else she could do. She recommended that she take a supplement called fenugreek that will help with the production.
In addition, she said that she needed to be more regular with his breast pumping (as if we weren't already tied down enough with trying to do it every 3 to 4 hours)! Oh the joys that Kristen has!!!The not-so-great news today was that one of Reid's blood cultures came back positive for an infection, so he will continue with his antibiotic. He will also have a culture taken either every day or every other day and will continue to do so until the culture comes back negative. This is conflicting with what we heard the other day, so it was a little disappointing to say the least.
Another set of chest xrays were taken, and overall, the doctor was a little pleased. He did see some progress in his lung development, but was slightly concerned with some fluid on the left lung. To help remove this fluid, Reid now undergoes a CPT (Chest Physical Therepy) every 6 hours. Kristen said it is like a little vibrating-toothbrush-looking-thing that they set on his chest or back to help aggitate the fluids to help them move. Not sure how long he will have this done, but we do know that Reid does not like it in the least bit. He undergoes a lot of poking and proding throughout the day...
Kristen's mom came in today from Houston for a week long visit. We had troubles getting to the airport as they had closed down I-285 south in Cobb County due to the floods, but we did end up getting her about an hour after he flight came in. The trip home took about 40 minutes (about twice as long as normal), but we are all safe and sound. :) The Chattahoochie River had spilled over its banks and caused a lot of roads around this part of town to be closed off. Ugh.
Anyway, that is about all for today. Kristen and Carol are going to head back to the hospital tonight. I am going to stay back and get some things done around the house.
By the way, the picture that was posted tonight, the piece of tape over Reid's nose keeps the CPAP in place -- it shoves his nose up and looks very uncomfortable. Kristen and I like to believe that he is used to it by now as it is the only thing he has known in this world.
Monday, September 21, 2009
Monsoon-type weather in ATL
Today felt like it was the 100th day in a row where Atlanta has had rain. Everytime I woke up last night, it was lightening, thundering and the rain was coming down in buckets. Ugh. Nonetheless, Kristen and I made our daily trek to the hospital to visit Baby Reid. We were planning on a short visit, but Kristen ened up holding him, so it was a solid 2 hour stint at the NICU. We hadn't eaten lunch and it was 90 degrees in the room, so I was ready to go when it was all said and done.We visited Reid late last night and between then and our visit at 1 today, I swear to God, he had packed on some serious weight. Even though the scales only showed a half-ounce increase, he visually looked larger. The nurses, as I mentioned yesterday, had moved him into a new incubator (which is where they weigh him), so that may have had something to do with the slight change.
I guess we will see tonight if there was any further change.His feedings are up to 10cc today. Maybe I am just being a proud dad, but that is twice of what his three-pound-fourteen-ounce-thirty-two-week neighbor is eating. :)
Anyway, that is about all the news I have for today. Not much has changed since our last posting... his assisted oxygen levels are still in the 50% range and still on CPAP level 6.
Very few apnea episodes... so we are just hanging in there. Oh, and by the way, I found a few pictures on my iPhone that I didnt post last week when he was having his CPAP equipment changed. It isn't often that you get to see him without the gear and hat, so I thought I would upload those pictures as well. Enjoy!
Sunday, September 20, 2009
Half way up the food ladder
I realize it has been almost two days since I last posted, so let me get the news hot off the press...
We are at the hospital right now and Kristen is holding him as I type this message. It has been a very busy day for the two of us and this is the first time we have been here all day. We would have liked to gotten here earlier, but we had a late start to the day as we slept in until 10:30. It is a little embarassing to sleep in that late, but honestly, it was the first time in the last 3 months that Kristen and I have had the chance. In addition, it is probably the first time Kristen's health has afforded us the ability to do it. She is starting to feel normal again, so we took off this afternoon and ran a bunch of errands. Shannon, Brian and Evelyn came over tonight and brought us a yummy dinner. Cooking seems to be the last thing we have the opportunity to do, so it was nice to have a home cooked meal brought to us. Anyway, we got to the hospital about 8:45 tonight...
Here are the updates:
Feedings: he is currently at 8cc every three hours and going up 1cc every 12 hours. His max feeding will be 15 cc every three hours, so he is a little over half way up the ladder. He had two bowel movements today and his stool is starting to get a little green, so his meconium is phasing out.
Blood cultures: negative. No blood infection and the previous test was a false positive. He remains on the antibiotic, but should be close to being done with it. Very good news on that front.
CPAP: He is still at level six and a fairly high oxygen level (45-50%), but he seems to be doing well with it. His apnea eppisodes have drastically fallen and is only having a few a day. I expect that he will remain like this CPAP level for some time, but his little lungs just have to keep growing.
Reid's Grandma and Grandpa Elley were in town this weeknd and were able to see their little grandson for the first time since he was born. Grandma Hart will be in town on Tuesday, so the little guy is enjoying the new company. We wish that we could bring more people into the NICU as we know there are a bunch of aunts and uncles that are dying to see him, but with the threat of the flu, his living quarters are on lockdown.
And speaking of living quarters, Reid was put into a new incubator today. A new baby was brought into the NICU that needed Reid's old quarters and is a sign that Reid is growing up. He now lives in the same type that the rest of the babies live in. He will be 29 weeks on Wednesday.
OK, I think that is it for now. I will try getting some pictures up later this evening. Hope everyone had a good weekend.
We are at the hospital right now and Kristen is holding him as I type this message. It has been a very busy day for the two of us and this is the first time we have been here all day. We would have liked to gotten here earlier, but we had a late start to the day as we slept in until 10:30. It is a little embarassing to sleep in that late, but honestly, it was the first time in the last 3 months that Kristen and I have had the chance. In addition, it is probably the first time Kristen's health has afforded us the ability to do it. She is starting to feel normal again, so we took off this afternoon and ran a bunch of errands. Shannon, Brian and Evelyn came over tonight and brought us a yummy dinner. Cooking seems to be the last thing we have the opportunity to do, so it was nice to have a home cooked meal brought to us. Anyway, we got to the hospital about 8:45 tonight...
Here are the updates:
Feedings: he is currently at 8cc every three hours and going up 1cc every 12 hours. His max feeding will be 15 cc every three hours, so he is a little over half way up the ladder. He had two bowel movements today and his stool is starting to get a little green, so his meconium is phasing out.
Blood cultures: negative. No blood infection and the previous test was a false positive. He remains on the antibiotic, but should be close to being done with it. Very good news on that front.
CPAP: He is still at level six and a fairly high oxygen level (45-50%), but he seems to be doing well with it. His apnea eppisodes have drastically fallen and is only having a few a day. I expect that he will remain like this CPAP level for some time, but his little lungs just have to keep growing.
Reid's Grandma and Grandpa Elley were in town this weeknd and were able to see their little grandson for the first time since he was born. Grandma Hart will be in town on Tuesday, so the little guy is enjoying the new company. We wish that we could bring more people into the NICU as we know there are a bunch of aunts and uncles that are dying to see him, but with the threat of the flu, his living quarters are on lockdown.
And speaking of living quarters, Reid was put into a new incubator today. A new baby was brought into the NICU that needed Reid's old quarters and is a sign that Reid is growing up. He now lives in the same type that the rest of the babies live in. He will be 29 weeks on Wednesday.
OK, I think that is it for now. I will try getting some pictures up later this evening. Hope everyone had a good weekend.
Friday, September 18, 2009
When are his lungs going to mature?
Reid had a rough night last night - he had 8 episodes of apnea. At 2am, the respiratory therapist increased his CPAP level to 6 (which is the highest it can go). The next possible thing to go to would be the intubation, but the doctors are going to really try hard to avoid it at all costs. Usually when babies are intubated, they have a hard time coming off of it. The doctor feels that with Reid's growth that he will eventually be able to outgrow this problem on his own.
Speaking of growing, Reid is up to 2lbs 4oz. He has shown a nice steady incline in weight gain and the doctors are pleased. His feedings are now up to 4cc every three hours and they expect to be increasing the feedings daily. He is eating like a champ. :)
Blood transfusion #3??? Not quite yet. His hemocratic count is at 35, which is close enough to warrant another transfusion, but the doctors are now giving him Procrit/Epogen to help him produce his own blood. He is finally at an age and weight where he can take this medicine and the doctors are crossing thier fingers that it will work. Today is day one of this medicine and he will get it every three days.
What else? Possible blood infection. One early test came back positive for a staph infection (which could have easily come from his own skin during an IV placement). Another test came back negative, so a second blood test was taken on the 16th. Meanwhile, they have started Reid on an antibiotic just in case. The second culture should come back today and they will continue doing cultures until they come back negative. Doctor has not ruled out that his blood may have been contaminated between the time it was taken to the time it was put in the culture. Doctors and nurses are very methodical about this and are not overly concerned, so Kristen and are remaining positive and calm. No use worrying over something that may turn out to be a false positive. So, note to family: don't stress out about this. We will know more soon and no need for you to worry. And no need for you to make us worry. :)
Anyway, this post is a lot to digest. Doctors keep reminding us that Reid is doing a lot better than some of the tests and numbers show. They do factor in the visual clues into their magic they do and are very pleased with how he reacts to stimulation and feedings. Prognosis is still excellent and it is just a waiting game (or growing game as the nurses like to call it).
Speaking of growing, Reid is up to 2lbs 4oz. He has shown a nice steady incline in weight gain and the doctors are pleased. His feedings are now up to 4cc every three hours and they expect to be increasing the feedings daily. He is eating like a champ. :)
Blood transfusion #3??? Not quite yet. His hemocratic count is at 35, which is close enough to warrant another transfusion, but the doctors are now giving him Procrit/Epogen to help him produce his own blood. He is finally at an age and weight where he can take this medicine and the doctors are crossing thier fingers that it will work. Today is day one of this medicine and he will get it every three days.
What else? Possible blood infection. One early test came back positive for a staph infection (which could have easily come from his own skin during an IV placement). Another test came back negative, so a second blood test was taken on the 16th. Meanwhile, they have started Reid on an antibiotic just in case. The second culture should come back today and they will continue doing cultures until they come back negative. Doctor has not ruled out that his blood may have been contaminated between the time it was taken to the time it was put in the culture. Doctors and nurses are very methodical about this and are not overly concerned, so Kristen and are remaining positive and calm. No use worrying over something that may turn out to be a false positive. So, note to family: don't stress out about this. We will know more soon and no need for you to worry. And no need for you to make us worry. :)
Anyway, this post is a lot to digest. Doctors keep reminding us that Reid is doing a lot better than some of the tests and numbers show. They do factor in the visual clues into their magic they do and are very pleased with how he reacts to stimulation and feedings. Prognosis is still excellent and it is just a waiting game (or growing game as the nurses like to call it).
Wednesday, September 16, 2009
So sleepy and so cranky
Here are two videos that were taken yesterday... only moments apart. In the first one, Reid looks like he is pretty sleepy with yawns and stretches. The second video is of him getting a little cranky (you can't see, but his face gets beat red)...
On a different note, Reid's feedings have now been increased to 3 cc every 3 hours. For those of you (like me) who don't really know what a "cc" is, 3 cc = .61 teaspoons.
On a different note, Reid's feedings have now been increased to 3 cc every 3 hours. For those of you (like me) who don't really know what a "cc" is, 3 cc = .61 teaspoons.
2 weeks old
Reid is 2 weeks old today (28 weeks adjusted gestational age). His feedings are doing well and they have increased his milk amount to 2cc every three hours (double from what he was receiving).
The nurse weighed him last night and the scales showed 2 lbs 3oz, but everyone said to not trust that number. The nurse who weighed him aparently doesn't know how to run the scale - so we will wait for his updated weight tonight.
I was able to hold him for about an hour yesterday, which was the first time I got to hold him since the delivery room.
It was a very uneventful holding session (I secretly think he had been waiting for some male bonding time, so he was well behaved and slept almost the entire time). The times that his eyes were open, it appears that he could see the bill of my red U of Georgia hat when I would put my face close to him. It is good that a UGA hat can get him excited (a future Dawg in the making).
Kristen is holding him now as I type this message, so she is officially a happy camper. Not much else is new today; I will post some pictures and videos later this afternoon when we get back from the hospital.
The nurse weighed him last night and the scales showed 2 lbs 3oz, but everyone said to not trust that number. The nurse who weighed him aparently doesn't know how to run the scale - so we will wait for his updated weight tonight.
I was able to hold him for about an hour yesterday, which was the first time I got to hold him since the delivery room.
It was a very uneventful holding session (I secretly think he had been waiting for some male bonding time, so he was well behaved and slept almost the entire time). The times that his eyes were open, it appears that he could see the bill of my red U of Georgia hat when I would put my face close to him. It is good that a UGA hat can get him excited (a future Dawg in the making). Kristen is holding him now as I type this message, so she is officially a happy camper. Not much else is new today; I will post some pictures and videos later this afternoon when we get back from the hospital.
Monday, September 14, 2009
Open your eyes
Kristen and I made a visit to the hospital around 1:30 this afternoon. Not much is going on in his little world right now as he sleeps a little over 23 hours a day. The one hour that he isn't asleep can be attributed to the nurses moving him around and Kristen asking him to open his eyes.
Well, as it would be, he listened to Kristen today and I took a little video so you can see his eyes open. It doesn't happen all too often, so it was nice to be able to capture it. :)
Other news today, Reid has hit the 2 pound mark today!!! Nurses say that an average weight gain from here on out is about a half an ounce a day. Now, this doesn't take into consideration that he may dip back down at some point, but the trend should be in the right direction.
Reid got a new roommate today. His past two roommates have been 12 and 7 pounds, respectively. They have come and gone, but today, he got a new buddy that may be there with him for awhile. This baby, if I had to guess is probably in the 3 to 4 pound range, but I expect that he will be there in the NICU with Reid for a little bit.
Well, it is about dinner time. Kristen seems to have gained her appetite back, but she probably isn't eating enough with her new-found lactation hobby. Even she said today that she needs to start eating more. So, chicken fingers and homemade mac n' cheese tonight for dinner. Off I go...
Well, as it would be, he listened to Kristen today and I took a little video so you can see his eyes open. It doesn't happen all too often, so it was nice to be able to capture it. :)
Other news today, Reid has hit the 2 pound mark today!!! Nurses say that an average weight gain from here on out is about a half an ounce a day. Now, this doesn't take into consideration that he may dip back down at some point, but the trend should be in the right direction.
Reid got a new roommate today. His past two roommates have been 12 and 7 pounds, respectively. They have come and gone, but today, he got a new buddy that may be there with him for awhile. This baby, if I had to guess is probably in the 3 to 4 pound range, but I expect that he will be there in the NICU with Reid for a little bit.
Well, it is about dinner time. Kristen seems to have gained her appetite back, but she probably isn't eating enough with her new-found lactation hobby. Even she said today that she needs to start eating more. So, chicken fingers and homemade mac n' cheese tonight for dinner. Off I go...
Furniture
Reid's furniture came in over the weekend. I opted to pay for delivery and installation (crib setup) as it was only $150 for both and saved me time and frustration. I would have had to rent a UHaul and then cursed and screamed my way through setting up the crib. Was probably the best money I have spent in quite some time. Over the weekend, I made countless trips down to the basement from upstairs with all of the furniture that was in the room previously. I was able to move the mattress, box springs, night stand, bed, TV and miscellaneous junk all by myself. I knew that I wasn't going to be able to move the armoire by myself, so I asked the furniture delivery guys if they could move it for me. I had taken the drawers out previously, so it wasn't quite as heavy for them. They would have done it for free, but I ended up slipping them a 20-spot upon departure.
As a side note Brian, you lucked out! It would have been payback for that armoire that we somehow got up your stairs... so I guess I will have to find something else for you. :)
Anyway, I just wanted to post a few pictures of the furniture in the room. Not sure everything is where it will eventually end up, but we have a little bit of time. We need to buy a glider/rocker for Kristen and then decorate. Kristen should enjoy this one (all at our credit card's expense).
Sunday, September 13, 2009
No news is good news
Today wrapped up a very uneventful weekend for Reid. But as the famous saying goes, 'No news is good news'! Since Reid has been put back on the CPAP, his apnea is almost non-existent. 
He may have had 2 or 3 all weekend and I believe that he was able to correct himself before the nurse was able to come into his room to remind him to breathe.
Kristen was able to hold him again today. They wrapped him up in some warm blankets and he had a good 45 minute visit with mom. It was probably my turn to hold him, but personally, I would rather give Kristen the time with him right now. I think that she needs it more than I do (her motherly instincts have kicked into gear).
Over the past day or two, his feedings have gone from once every 12 hours to once every 6 hours, and now to once every 4 hours. I know these are baby steps, but Kristen and I are *so ready* for him to start putting on some weight. It is frustrating at times to see babies come and go in the NICU that are of normal weight (and some that are overweight, like his 12 lb roommate a few days back), so of course, we want baby Reid to be a big boy as well. However, knowing that he is perfect in every sense of the word, I can take his slightly-less-than-two-pound frame any day of the week. Time will correct these things... and we have to remind ourselves to be patient.
Off to bed for the two of us. I have neglected this blog today so I wanted to get something out here before the clock stuck midnight. :) Good night...
He may have had 2 or 3 all weekend and I believe that he was able to correct himself before the nurse was able to come into his room to remind him to breathe.Kristen was able to hold him again today. They wrapped him up in some warm blankets and he had a good 45 minute visit with mom. It was probably my turn to hold him, but personally, I would rather give Kristen the time with him right now. I think that she needs it more than I do (her motherly instincts have kicked into gear).
Over the past day or two, his feedings have gone from once every 12 hours to once every 6 hours, and now to once every 4 hours. I know these are baby steps, but Kristen and I are *so ready* for him to start putting on some weight. It is frustrating at times to see babies come and go in the NICU that are of normal weight (and some that are overweight, like his 12 lb roommate a few days back), so of course, we want baby Reid to be a big boy as well. However, knowing that he is perfect in every sense of the word, I can take his slightly-less-than-two-pound frame any day of the week. Time will correct these things... and we have to remind ourselves to be patient.
Off to bed for the two of us. I have neglected this blog today so I wanted to get something out here before the clock stuck midnight. :) Good night...
Saturday, September 12, 2009
Just shy
Reid is packing on the pounds. Well, not really... He is, however, a little heavier than when he was born and is just shy of the 2lb mark by 1.1oz. No news today. Been a very quiet day with only 1 episode of apnea. Big improvement from the other day when he had 8 in a 12hr period.
You know when...
You know that Kristen has been in the hospital way too long when she wakes up out of a deep sleep and asks immediately if I can raise the back part of the bed up...
Friday, September 11, 2009
It's a first for daddy
It's official - I changed my first diaper. Somehow I managed to go 31 years without doing one and I can say it wasn't all that bad. Of course, it was only a number 1 and there just isn't that much to wipe and clean. :) And being that it is my own son, it just isn't that gross. Ask me again in a few months when he is having mammoth craps that are going to clear the house... It might be a different story.
We timed out visit perfectly tonight. His CPAP needed to be changed, so we got to see his naked face again. Kristen massaged his head while the gentle giant (Thomas the respiratory therapist) replaced all of the equipment.
His EKG came back and the artery hadn't completly closed, but it doesn't sound like they are too concerned. His feedings are going to resume (1cc every 6 hours). Mmmm, breast milk.
Some good news - he has gained a little bit of weight. He is back to his original birth weight. This may be partially due to his blood transfusion, but it is good to see that he hasn't lost anymore.
That is all for now. Good visit. Time to go feed mom and dad. Didn't eat lunch today until 3 and had a nice long nap afterwards (we needed it).
We timed out visit perfectly tonight. His CPAP needed to be changed, so we got to see his naked face again. Kristen massaged his head while the gentle giant (Thomas the respiratory therapist) replaced all of the equipment.
His EKG came back and the artery hadn't completly closed, but it doesn't sound like they are too concerned. His feedings are going to resume (1cc every 6 hours). Mmmm, breast milk.
Some good news - he has gained a little bit of weight. He is back to his original birth weight. This may be partially due to his blood transfusion, but it is good to see that he hasn't lost anymore.
That is all for now. Good visit. Time to go feed mom and dad. Didn't eat lunch today until 3 and had a nice long nap afterwards (we needed it).
Blood transfusion #2
Little Reid had a rough night last night with 8 episodes of apnea. The doctors increased the level of his CPAP (air pressure in his lungs) today to 5 which seems to be helping out. The number of episodes seems to have decreased with the change.
His EKG was done this morning and the doctors are awaiting the official word. The tech said that the artery was not 100% closed yet, but that doesn't necessarily mean that he will undergo another treatment of NeoProfen. We will find out more this evening.
On top of all of this, his hematocrit levels are down to 34 and will require his second blood transfusion. This drop can be attributed to two things: 1) he is growing and the blood is further distrubted; 2) the number of blood gas tests deplete the amount of blood he has in his body. His bone marrow is not mature yet and he is not capable of quickly replacing his lost blood. Next Tuesday, he will be placed on iron supplements and a drug called Procrit that will help with his anemia. The doctor mentioned that premies don't do too well on this drug during their first week; hence the delay.
This blog entry may seem doom and gloom, but it is not as bad as it sounds. These are all common issues that premature babies face and it is only a matter of time before ge outgrows them. He has had a couple rough days, so we are looking for some improvement over the weekend. I know that mom is dying to hold him again...
Grow Baby Reid, grow!!!!
His EKG was done this morning and the doctors are awaiting the official word. The tech said that the artery was not 100% closed yet, but that doesn't necessarily mean that he will undergo another treatment of NeoProfen. We will find out more this evening.
On top of all of this, his hematocrit levels are down to 34 and will require his second blood transfusion. This drop can be attributed to two things: 1) he is growing and the blood is further distrubted; 2) the number of blood gas tests deplete the amount of blood he has in his body. His bone marrow is not mature yet and he is not capable of quickly replacing his lost blood. Next Tuesday, he will be placed on iron supplements and a drug called Procrit that will help with his anemia. The doctor mentioned that premies don't do too well on this drug during their first week; hence the delay.
This blog entry may seem doom and gloom, but it is not as bad as it sounds. These are all common issues that premature babies face and it is only a matter of time before ge outgrows them. He has had a couple rough days, so we are looking for some improvement over the weekend. I know that mom is dying to hold him again...
Grow Baby Reid, grow!!!!
When you have the chance, take it...
When we were at the hospital earlier today, we had the chance to hold Reid, but due to not having much time, we opted not to hold him and would do it this evening. The doctors like for us to hold him for a minimum of 45 minutes at a time as it is a pretty lengthy process to get him out of his incubator and then put him back in.
Kristen was looking forward to this evening all day long, and the moment we walked in the NICU, the nurse told us that tonight probably wasn't a good night to do so. He has had quite a few cases of apnea today and they wanted him to rest.
The two previous days of being on the nasal cannula took their toll and made him work harder than he could take. He does not yet have the "white fat" that most newborns have (which stores the energy that is used to do common functions such as moving, eating, breathing, etc). Until this comes in, it is hard on Reid to do anything extra --- in this case, the removal of the CPAP the other day was just too much for him this early. The doctors gave it a try in hopes that it would work and they would never know until they try... so they will wait awhile and probably try again.
The EKG will take place in the morning and should have results by the end of the day. If the artery has not yet closed, they will most likely continue another 3 doses of the NeoProfen over the weekend.
As for Mom, she has had a very long day. Most of the afternoon she slept as her medicine is causing drowsiness. She is still having an allergic reaction to something (even after we got her off the Percocet), so tonight we made a trip to CVS to pick up some Latex-free medical tape. She has had quite a bit of tape on her over the past week and we are desperate to find out what is causing the itchiness and raised red skin on her stomach, upper legs and back. I changed the dressing tonight and we will see in the morning how she is doing. Cross your fingers that $5 tape will solve her problems. If so, Percocet may be back on her menu. :)
Well, it has been another long day. Signing off and going to go downstairs to decompress and do some mind-numbing exercises (i.e. watch the tube). Good night...
Kristen was looking forward to this evening all day long, and the moment we walked in the NICU, the nurse told us that tonight probably wasn't a good night to do so. He has had quite a few cases of apnea today and they wanted him to rest.
The two previous days of being on the nasal cannula took their toll and made him work harder than he could take. He does not yet have the "white fat" that most newborns have (which stores the energy that is used to do common functions such as moving, eating, breathing, etc). Until this comes in, it is hard on Reid to do anything extra --- in this case, the removal of the CPAP the other day was just too much for him this early. The doctors gave it a try in hopes that it would work and they would never know until they try... so they will wait awhile and probably try again.
The EKG will take place in the morning and should have results by the end of the day. If the artery has not yet closed, they will most likely continue another 3 doses of the NeoProfen over the weekend.
As for Mom, she has had a very long day. Most of the afternoon she slept as her medicine is causing drowsiness. She is still having an allergic reaction to something (even after we got her off the Percocet), so tonight we made a trip to CVS to pick up some Latex-free medical tape. She has had quite a bit of tape on her over the past week and we are desperate to find out what is causing the itchiness and raised red skin on her stomach, upper legs and back. I changed the dressing tonight and we will see in the morning how she is doing. Cross your fingers that $5 tape will solve her problems. If so, Percocet may be back on her menu. :)
Well, it has been another long day. Signing off and going to go downstairs to decompress and do some mind-numbing exercises (i.e. watch the tube). Good night...
Thursday, September 10, 2009
Diaper Change
Just got back from the hospital for a quick visit. We have an appointment between 1 and 3 today for our internet connection issues, so we had to cut the visit a little short. Our luck, the technician wont be here until 5.
As the nurse had said, Reid was back on his CPAP. It was something that we had hoped we wouldn't see again, but oh well. He was starting to wake up when we walked in the room, so we had an active baby.
His diaper was primed and ready to be changed so Kristen was able to take care of that. Much more difficult to change than we had thought due to the infinite number of wires and tubes. Nonetheless, he has a clean diaper. I offered to take care of the next diaper... and in the same breath, told Kristen that it would probably be the last time that I offer. :)
The nurse gave Reid a pacifier while we were there (a very tiny one at that) and we were able to see him suck away. We didn't think that he was able to handle this so early, but it is the sucking and swollowing coordination that babies aren't able to handle until around 34 weeks. He had his eyes open today more than we had ever seen in the past, so we were pleased to see that. He was moving his eyes side to side as if he were trying to understand where the heck he was and why he was in this crazy world.
We will be going back to the hospital tonight around 8.
As the nurse had said, Reid was back on his CPAP. It was something that we had hoped we wouldn't see again, but oh well. He was starting to wake up when we walked in the room, so we had an active baby.
His diaper was primed and ready to be changed so Kristen was able to take care of that. Much more difficult to change than we had thought due to the infinite number of wires and tubes. Nonetheless, he has a clean diaper. I offered to take care of the next diaper... and in the same breath, told Kristen that it would probably be the last time that I offer. :)
The nurse gave Reid a pacifier while we were there (a very tiny one at that) and we were able to see him suck away. We didn't think that he was able to handle this so early, but it is the sucking and swollowing coordination that babies aren't able to handle until around 34 weeks. He had his eyes open today more than we had ever seen in the past, so we were pleased to see that. He was moving his eyes side to side as if he were trying to understand where the heck he was and why he was in this crazy world.
We will be going back to the hospital tonight around 8.
Two steps forward, one step back
I called the NICU this morning, as Kristen does on a daily basis, to get Reid's status. Everything went well last night but they decided to put him back on his CPAP. They were a little concerned about the frequency of his apnea and felt that the change to the nasal cannulas may have been a little early. Since he went back on the CPAP at 11pm, he hadn't had another case of amnea, so it seems to be working. Back to being the little astronaut he looks like with all of the tubes....
He takes his last dose of NeoProfen today and will have a follow-up EKG in the morning to see if the artery closed. From what they can tell right now, things are looking OK in that department.
We just got done with Kristen's doctor appointment. She has developed an alergic reaction to her percocet, so she is now off the good pain meds and now taking benadryl along with her motrin. Her pains have really subsided, so she should be OK with just taking the motrin.
I just dressed her wound (my dreaded daily task) and we are off to the hospital to check on the little guy. As I told Kristen this morning, the trips to the hospital are getting a little wearing on me. I have made the trip every day (and sometimes multiple times a day) for almost the past 3 months. I am ready for her to be able to drive. :) The days are getting a little easier and I am hoping that today will be a good one. I stayed up late last night (until about 3am) trying to catch up on some work, so I am a little cranky and tired, but as long as mom is happy, I am happy.
He takes his last dose of NeoProfen today and will have a follow-up EKG in the morning to see if the artery closed. From what they can tell right now, things are looking OK in that department.
We just got done with Kristen's doctor appointment. She has developed an alergic reaction to her percocet, so she is now off the good pain meds and now taking benadryl along with her motrin. Her pains have really subsided, so she should be OK with just taking the motrin.
I just dressed her wound (my dreaded daily task) and we are off to the hospital to check on the little guy. As I told Kristen this morning, the trips to the hospital are getting a little wearing on me. I have made the trip every day (and sometimes multiple times a day) for almost the past 3 months. I am ready for her to be able to drive. :) The days are getting a little easier and I am hoping that today will be a good one. I stayed up late last night (until about 3am) trying to catch up on some work, so I am a little cranky and tired, but as long as mom is happy, I am happy.
Wednesday, September 9, 2009
I am a connected baby...
Here is a short video of the nurses putting Reid back into his incubator after Kristen got to hold him today. As you can see, he is connected by a ton of wires (heart rate, blood oxygen, temperature, etc) and by IVs. It takes the nurses a good 5 minutes to situate him after he "gets out" of his little home.
Check him out... he likes to stretch his long legs and arms. He has big feet... just like his daddy. :)
1 Week Birthday
Kristen and I had another good visit with Reid today on his 1 week birthday. He is now 27 adjusted gestational weeks old! This is a major milestone for the little one and has passed with flying colors.Yesterday, he was removed from his CPAP (Continuous Positive Air Pressure) gear and now on a nasal cannula that is delivering him minimal amounts of oxygen. The CPAP was keeping Reid's lungs a little more inflated to help him breathe, whereas the cannulas are letting Reid work more for his air. This will help him build the skills he needs to breathe with no assistance. Not sure this means a whole lot to those that are reading this, but the biggest positive for us right now is that we can actually see his face. :)
Today, Reid took his second dose of NeoProfen which will help close his ductus arteriosus artery (an artery that diverts blood from the lungs in utero that usually closes prior to full term birth). Doctors didn't notice the heart murmur that they heard yesterday, so it sounds like he is making good progress. He has one more dose coming to him tomorrow and he should be set!
Kristen was able to hold him for about an hour today. He had two episodes of apnea when he was on Kristen's chest, but she was quickly able to remind him to breathe by rubbing his back. This is a very common issue that is found in premature babies.
All in all, it was a great visit. He never ceases to amaze us and we are so grateful that he is in our lives.
Wednesday, September 2, 2009
It's my birthday...
Kristen had some complications with her pregnancy which resulted in an earlier than expected birth of our child. Reid Phillips Elley was born at 2:28 pm on Wednesday, September 2nd and weighed 1lb 14.5oz and measured 13 inches in length.
The pictures are a little deceiving --- he is much smaller than he looks as his entire body can probably fit in my hand with his legs hanging off. Despite his small size, he is a very strong boy and is breathing quite well --- all by himself. Kristen is also doing well and is on the quick road to recovery. Unfortunately we will be going home on Sunday without Reid, but I am looking forward to having Kristen back at home after what will be 3 weeks in the hospital.
The pictures are a little deceiving --- he is much smaller than he looks as his entire body can probably fit in my hand with his legs hanging off. Despite his small size, he is a very strong boy and is breathing quite well --- all by himself. Kristen is also doing well and is on the quick road to recovery. Unfortunately we will be going home on Sunday without Reid, but I am looking forward to having Kristen back at home after what will be 3 weeks in the hospital.
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