What a roller coaster we're on!
Andrew and I finally were able to match up our visit to the doctor's rounds this morning. A group of five or six people come in, including a case worker, resident, 3 nurses and the doctor, and talk about Will's progress. The doctor told us not to worry about all the numbers they were throwing around since she would come and talk to us after they finished. Well, of course I still listened in to their conversation and knew what they were talking about. His stats this morning were:
6 easys
1 assist
1 bm
up 1/4 oz
tolerant of 15 cc
IV at 4
So, all of that means he had six episodes of apnea (he stopped breathing) that were easy (he started breathing on his own) to recover from and one time when he needed to be helped. He had another poopy diaper-- a big one according to his nurse who says she is the "magical poopy nurse" since all babies poop for her. (I've never been happier to have a nurse on his rotation!). He'd gained 1/4 of an ounce which is his first weight gain and he was tolerating the teaspoon of breast milk they were giving him every three hours. His IV is at 4 which is down again from 5. The sooner we can get that out, the better!
After they talked about him, the doctor came over to talk to us. She told us about all of his progress and noted that they would increase his feed to 18 cc for the next 7 hours and then go up to 21 cc if his IV came out (which is normal as a lot of the IV just start leaking and come out) to replace the fluid he wouldn't be getting.
She reinforced that we're not out of the woods even though he's making progress. The feeding is an essential part of his progess because preemies are so suceptible to bowel infections from feeding since their bodies are so immature. The best thing for him is to have breast milk and to get his IV out as soon as possible.
We were celebrating his little victory today and then I called in after his 9:00 pm assessment. The nurse said he was down to 1212 grams which is 2 lb 12 oz. He also had two times where she had to assist him to breathe again. Although she was very positive and reassured me that this is normal for preemies, Andrew and I are both disappointed because we thought his weight was on the upswing. The nurses told us from the beginning that we should A) look at his weight weekly and not daily since big poopy diapers (of which he had three today) or sweating (from the bili blanket) can cause them to really fluctuate and B) know that a preemie’s apnea gets worse up until two weeks so he'll have a lot more assists in the coming days when he stops breathing.
So, tonight's prayers are more for Will's parents than for Will. Pray that we would be encouraged by the big picture of his progress and that we would continue to trust God's hand in Will's life and body. For Will, please pray for weight gain and protection from infection.
Tomorrow we start accepting our friends' loving help with Libby. My prayer for her is that she would adjust to different people putting her down for naps. With so many people to impress with all of her newly learned skills, I think she'll tire herself out and nap well but....
Thanks for all the encouraging emails and calls you've sent. We really appreciate it.
Andrew and I finally were able to match up our visit to the doctor's rounds this morning. A group of five or six people come in, including a case worker, resident, 3 nurses and the doctor, and talk about Will's progress. The doctor told us not to worry about all the numbers they were throwing around since she would come and talk to us after they finished. Well, of course I still listened in to their conversation and knew what they were talking about. His stats this morning were:
6 easys
1 assist
1 bm
up 1/4 oz
tolerant of 15 cc
IV at 4
So, all of that means he had six episodes of apnea (he stopped breathing) that were easy (he started breathing on his own) to recover from and one time when he needed to be helped. He had another poopy diaper-- a big one according to his nurse who says she is the "magical poopy nurse" since all babies poop for her. (I've never been happier to have a nurse on his rotation!). He'd gained 1/4 of an ounce which is his first weight gain and he was tolerating the teaspoon of breast milk they were giving him every three hours. His IV is at 4 which is down again from 5. The sooner we can get that out, the better!
After they talked about him, the doctor came over to talk to us. She told us about all of his progress and noted that they would increase his feed to 18 cc for the next 7 hours and then go up to 21 cc if his IV came out (which is normal as a lot of the IV just start leaking and come out) to replace the fluid he wouldn't be getting.
She reinforced that we're not out of the woods even though he's making progress. The feeding is an essential part of his progess because preemies are so suceptible to bowel infections from feeding since their bodies are so immature. The best thing for him is to have breast milk and to get his IV out as soon as possible.
We were celebrating his little victory today and then I called in after his 9:00 pm assessment. The nurse said he was down to 1212 grams which is 2 lb 12 oz. He also had two times where she had to assist him to breathe again. Although she was very positive and reassured me that this is normal for preemies, Andrew and I are both disappointed because we thought his weight was on the upswing. The nurses told us from the beginning that we should A) look at his weight weekly and not daily since big poopy diapers (of which he had three today) or sweating (from the bili blanket) can cause them to really fluctuate and B) know that a preemie’s apnea gets worse up until two weeks so he'll have a lot more assists in the coming days when he stops breathing.
So, tonight's prayers are more for Will's parents than for Will. Pray that we would be encouraged by the big picture of his progress and that we would continue to trust God's hand in Will's life and body. For Will, please pray for weight gain and protection from infection.
Tomorrow we start accepting our friends' loving help with Libby. My prayer for her is that she would adjust to different people putting her down for naps. With so many people to impress with all of her newly learned skills, I think she'll tire herself out and nap well but....
Thanks for all the encouraging emails and calls you've sent. We really appreciate it.
5 comments:
You guys are doing great! I remember all of those same things from when my little brother was born 3 months premature (and 1 lb 8 oz.)! I was also in the hospital with my Crohns and my parents basically lived in the hospital and ran back and forth between the two wings. It is hard to see the big picture but now my brother is a miraculous, healthy, strong, and hilarious 17 year old. My four other siblings at home turned out great, too (: I'm sure my mom was feeling a lot of the same emotions you are--I will ask her what helped the most.
Lori,
It is great to see the progress Will is making! We are praying for all of you and that your "new normal" will continue to bless you and bring Him glory.
So glad to find your blog! I've added you to my blogroll and will check back often.
Marylois
Hey Lor, it is your other mama:) We were praying a condensed prayer for little Will throughout the day, breathe, eat, poop.....now we will pray for peace for Mom and Dad also. Hang in there and know that the Lord has established a medical team beyond compare for Will and they will be faithful. Sure wish I could be there to help with Libby, and I am a pretty good hand with NICU IV's though he won't need one much longer. Perhaps Miss Libbs would like to go to Graceland with me and have some great BBQ? Love you so much. Mama Heidi
Will is such a fighter already! We are praying for his daily progress, and will also keep praying for Libby to stay resilient through it all.
We will keep you all in our prayers - poop, poop and more poop it is! Do take care of yourselves and call us anytime. Love, The Franklins...
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