It is Friday afternoon and I am ready to head home from the office. I got here about 7, but I still feel guilty for leaving at 4pm, so I am going to type up a quick blog entry and then head out --- and hopefully miss some of the rush hour traffic that commonly plagues the top-end perimeter area here in Atlanta...

Reid has had a pretty good week. While still on bubble CPAP level 5, his oxygen levels have come down drastically. Last week, he was in the 60% range, and this week, we have seen a trend to be hovering around 40-45 and has been as low as 30% today! At 30%, that is only 9% more than what you and I breathe on a daily basis!!! So, why is he still on the CPAP level 5? Good question… but the doctors really want to take it slow and wean him gracefully. They are expecting to, in the next few days to either move to Level 4 or to the nasal cannulas. One thing to note however, is that his CO2 levels are still really high. Today’s reading was at 78, but his body seems to be handling it well --- all of his levels as seen in his most recent blood tests appear to be normal. That doesn’t mean that the high levels are good, but talking to Dr. Lipsom today, she mentioned that it can take a long time for his body to get used to lower oxygen and start lowering his CO2. In fact, she said that he may still go home with high CO2 levels and he will level out over time. With that being said, there are a couple of things that they are changing: 1) stopped the diuretic medicine that he was on – which will contribute to higher levels of CO2; 2) possibly giving him calcium supplements – apparently, CO2 can cause calcium leaching of the bones. Long story short, he is progressing in the right way, and we are happy that his oxygen requirements have come way down.

He has been sleeping a lot more over recent days, however, this may be due to the high CO2. Apparently, this is a very common side effect. When he isn’t sleeping though, he has taken a trip to his in-room swing and seems to like it on the fast level. :) Also, when he is being held, he likes to have his bottom patted. Talking to one of the nurses, this is something that kids with Chronic Lung Disease tend to enjoy. So, Kristen pats away and he likes it.

Monday, he has a follow-up eye appointment. Still crossing fingers that the growth has slowed down..

Anyway... it is now 4:23pm and it is time to go. Been a long week and ready for a cold beer. Next week, I am heading to DC for three days and then it is time to relax with the Thanksgiving holiday. Woo Hoo! Enjoy your weekend!