Sunday, June 28, 2009

Sunday News

Hello all. Neither of us really got a chance to post anything yesterday. It was kind of a crazy day. Reed slept an hour late and we went to the grocery store before coming to the hospital (which is not as easy as jumping in your car and running up to the Publix. We walk about 10 blocks to get there and then carry our groceries home). Plus the metro is really slow due to maintenance...it was just a weird day. Gaines added to it by having a little fever and being inconsolable for most of the day. He was only quiet and settled about 20 minutes out of every hour yesterday and he had a temp of 38 C (I don't know what that converts to in Fahrenheit but 37 is 98.6 so it was a little high). And I don't mean he just kind of whimpered...something was wrong and he wanted the whole floor to know about it.

He cried like something was hurting him and when he'd finally wear himself out he'd breathe really hard to try and catch his breath. The doctor listened to his lungs and said they sounded good and his sats were great when he actually calmed down for a few minutes so I didn't feel like it was lung related. The doctors decided to quit giving him the caffeine he was getting (caffeine helps prevent any apneas). Apparently too much caffeine can cause you to be irritable and warm. They also cut back on his lasix (they had doubled his dose when he got back on them this week) because they thought he might be getting too dry. Apparently being too dry (they didn't use the word dehydrated so I'm not sure if too dry and dehydrated are the same thing in the NICU world) can make you irritable and warm as well.

By the end of the day he finally settled down and was at 25-26% oxygen with no fever but he gave us a little scare with all of that. The doctors also decided yesterday to do an MRI (sometime this week I think) to check his lungs for two possible problems. I don't know that they really believe he has them but since Gaines is not "typical" they are checking him for everything. They explained the two possibilities to me but I can't remember much about them. I figure if he has one of them I'll learn more than I ever wanted to know about it and I'm not going to waste my time worrying unless I have to.

Oh...and he probably has a hernia. Nothing to be worried about for now but if it doesn't correct itself it could mean surgery later on. Awesome.

Today has been a pretty good day for Gaines so far. He is resting well and was at 26% oxygen at my last check. I'm going back in about 30 minutes to help with his cares and do the kangaroo care. Please continue to keep Gaines and our family in your prayers. He has made some great progress this week and I pray that it continues. Please pray for patience and wisdom for Beau and me as well. We are still waiting for insurance to decide about a possible transfer home. I'm not sure how all of this works but I think they are waiting on information from my company. I did find out how much it would cost and wow. I hope we don't need to transfer home but if we do, I sure hope they find it in their hearts to pick up the tab for us.

Reed's doing well. I think he picked up a little summer cold for a couple of days but he seems better now. I had some family in town the last few days so he's enjoyed getting to spend some time with them. He amazes me everyday with how grown up he's gotten. God has really blessed me with a wonderful family...immediate and extended. I can't wait for Gaines to get out of here so he can meet all of them.

We are headed to church this afternoon and then to Five Guys for dinner. It's pretty much my new favorite place. I've been looking forward to it all week. I hope you all have a great Sunday.

Love to all,

Brittany

3 comments:

Michelle Gregory said...

I haven't posted in a while but I haven't stopped praying for you guys. Praying especially that today Gaines will have a much more restful day. Absolutely being too dry(dehydrated) will cause your temp to go up. So glad his sats were good and he didn't require more oxygen. Will continue to pray for his lungs. I pray God will continue to prepare your heart, Brittany, for your departure on July 11th. I know He will wrap His loving arms around you and comfort you. And who knows!...I believe in miracles! Maybe Baby Gaines could still be ready for transfer. Have faith!

Prayers and Hugs from Prattville!

Unknown said...

Brit:
Don't worry about the hernia--my oldest granddaughter, Maggie, had one right after she spent three weeks in the NICU in Montgomery. The IV's were in her umbilical vessels, so it's probably the reason the are prone to them. As she grew, it disappeared--it just got "absorbed" as she got bigger.
Love you guys--hope the transfer comes thru so you guys come home together. angie b. sasser

Tara Harden said...

If the hernia is umbilical, it could possibly go away, but if it's inguinal, it will have to be fixed. We usually fix them on NICU babies before they go home. It's still surgery, but not a big deal. Tiny incision, and babies don't act like big people after surgery. They handle it so much better. The incision is nearly impossible to find when it heals. Premies are prone to hernias, but it doesn't mean they will be prone to it later. Just my 2 cents... I need to use all this schooling I've suffered through...
Still keeping you in our prayers too. Every day.
Tara