Jason called and got the evening check-up:
-They have discontinued all antibiotics at this time---please pray the next cultures come back negative
-They dropped his rate to 48
-His oxygen is at 75%
-He weighed 2 pounds 7 ounces (gained 80 grams)
-They have upped his feeding to 5 CCs every 3 hours!!!! PRAISE!!!!! This makes mommy so happy! They will start increasing his feeding amount 1 CC every 12 hours. In addition to this they will reduce his IV fluids by .3 so that way he isn't getting too much fluid.
-They did a complete blood count (CBC) at 6pm and it looked ok.
-His head circumfrence is still at 24.5---pray that this stays within a good measurement.
-His next ultrasound is scheduled for September 3 so please pray for good results from this!!!
We appreciate all the prayers that everyone is sending!
Thank you!
Brie
Friday, August 31, 2012
Prayers Needed Please!
Morning Check-In
-His rate was at 50...down a little from last night which is great! PRAISE!
-His oxygen was at 70% which is up a little from last night but when they adjust the rate and other readings...it can have an affect on his oxygen.
-Still doing well on his feedings---we are actually having 4 CCs every 3 hours...NOT every 4 hours.
-Overall---he was having a good morning! PRAISE!!
Daddy's Visit
-Daddy took Aric to visit Colby at lunch and Colby's SATs were not doing very well so they had to bump his oxygen up to 80%.
Mommy's Visit
-Mommy took Laura to visit Colby later in the afternoon.
-Talked with the doctor and here were some updates that she went over with me:
-His spinal fluid test that came back positive was checked again twice since that first result and both of those were negative so the doctor wanted to continue with the original plan of ceasing the
antibiotics. So the two they started last night and the two he was already on have been stopped.
They will do another spinal tap and test the fluid in two days---if it is positive then they will put
him back on the antibiotics but at least they will know for sure. But the doctor seemed to feel that
the test will come back negative. PRAYER---Please pray that the test they do in two days comes
back negative for infection.
-They are concerned about his head growth right now. They have been measuring his head circumference each day and are now a little worried about what they are seeing. They don't want his head growing more than 1 cm in a 7 day period and Colby's has done this. A possible reason for this would be that his head bleed is blocking the spinal fluid from draining out correctly. If that is the case we would be looking at a trip to Children's Hospital and Colby would have a shunt put in. From what I understand---this is a tube that goes from his head through his body down to empty in his stomach. They are also concerned about the shadow/cyst that has been showing up on his ultrasound. PRAYER---That Colby's head slows down with it's growth to a normal rate, that the bleed he has is not blocking any of the spinal fluid from being moved around the body like it is supposed to. Please pray that God heals Colby's little head so he won't have to have surgery and there won't be any long term damage.
-Another issue was his blood hematocrit---Colby's was a little low and so was his blood pressure so they decided to give him some blood a couple days ago. This has helped his blood pressure wonderfully but his hematocrit isn't rising as well. The doctor wants to keep an eye on this because she isn't sure where the blood would be going. We want to make sure he isn't bleeding somewhere.
PRAYER--that his levels look right on this next test and that Colby isn't bleeding anywhere.
-The doctor told us that she only comes in every 2 weeks so she was able to see some good progress from the last time she was in. Last time she was there he was having skin issues, he was still on the oscillating ventilator, and he didn't have near as much hair as he does now! :) She also mentioned that she would like to get his numbers on his ventilator down a little but since we still had some wiggle room if we needed to move up. She was pleased at seeing these baby steps and did encourage us to celebrate those! PRAISE---We celebrate each of these wonderful baby steps we have come across! They keep our spirits high!
-While Mommy and Laura were there---Colby got his oxygen SATs in the high 90s---even reaching 100 a few times! Colby sure does love his Mommy!
We will be calling to check on him in about an hour and we will add another update to see how things are going for this evening.
We have been so fortunate to have had such really good days for the last couple of weeks. There is no doubt that God has blessed us. Please join us in praying for these specific things along with overall health and strength for our baby boy. We have been so blessed to have all of you as prayer warriors and we just ask that you continue your prayers!
Thank you and God Bless!
Brie
-His rate was at 50...down a little from last night which is great! PRAISE!
-His oxygen was at 70% which is up a little from last night but when they adjust the rate and other readings...it can have an affect on his oxygen.
-Still doing well on his feedings---we are actually having 4 CCs every 3 hours...NOT every 4 hours.
-Overall---he was having a good morning! PRAISE!!
Daddy's Visit
-Daddy took Aric to visit Colby at lunch and Colby's SATs were not doing very well so they had to bump his oxygen up to 80%.
Mommy's Visit
-Mommy took Laura to visit Colby later in the afternoon.
-Talked with the doctor and here were some updates that she went over with me:
-His spinal fluid test that came back positive was checked again twice since that first result and both of those were negative so the doctor wanted to continue with the original plan of ceasing the
antibiotics. So the two they started last night and the two he was already on have been stopped.
They will do another spinal tap and test the fluid in two days---if it is positive then they will put
him back on the antibiotics but at least they will know for sure. But the doctor seemed to feel that
the test will come back negative. PRAYER---Please pray that the test they do in two days comes
back negative for infection.
-They are concerned about his head growth right now. They have been measuring his head circumference each day and are now a little worried about what they are seeing. They don't want his head growing more than 1 cm in a 7 day period and Colby's has done this. A possible reason for this would be that his head bleed is blocking the spinal fluid from draining out correctly. If that is the case we would be looking at a trip to Children's Hospital and Colby would have a shunt put in. From what I understand---this is a tube that goes from his head through his body down to empty in his stomach. They are also concerned about the shadow/cyst that has been showing up on his ultrasound. PRAYER---That Colby's head slows down with it's growth to a normal rate, that the bleed he has is not blocking any of the spinal fluid from being moved around the body like it is supposed to. Please pray that God heals Colby's little head so he won't have to have surgery and there won't be any long term damage.
-Another issue was his blood hematocrit---Colby's was a little low and so was his blood pressure so they decided to give him some blood a couple days ago. This has helped his blood pressure wonderfully but his hematocrit isn't rising as well. The doctor wants to keep an eye on this because she isn't sure where the blood would be going. We want to make sure he isn't bleeding somewhere.
PRAYER--that his levels look right on this next test and that Colby isn't bleeding anywhere.
-The doctor told us that she only comes in every 2 weeks so she was able to see some good progress from the last time she was in. Last time she was there he was having skin issues, he was still on the oscillating ventilator, and he didn't have near as much hair as he does now! :) She also mentioned that she would like to get his numbers on his ventilator down a little but since we still had some wiggle room if we needed to move up. She was pleased at seeing these baby steps and did encourage us to celebrate those! PRAISE---We celebrate each of these wonderful baby steps we have come across! They keep our spirits high!
-While Mommy and Laura were there---Colby got his oxygen SATs in the high 90s---even reaching 100 a few times! Colby sure does love his Mommy!
We will be calling to check on him in about an hour and we will add another update to see how things are going for this evening.
We have been so fortunate to have had such really good days for the last couple of weeks. There is no doubt that God has blessed us. Please join us in praying for these specific things along with overall health and strength for our baby boy. We have been so blessed to have all of you as prayer warriors and we just ask that you continue your prayers!
Thank you and God Bless!
Brie
Update for 8-30-12
Thursday Morning Check-In
-His oxygen is at 66%
-The blood he was given last night and it helped his blood pressure!
-He was still doing well with his feedings
-He was in the process of having an EEG when I called. (This is a test I have had occasionally for my epilepsy.) Brain cells talk to each other by producing tiny electrical signals, called impulses.
An EEG helps measure this activity. Flat metal disks called electrodes are placed all over your scalp. The disks are held in place with a sticky paste. The electrodes are connected by wires to a speaker and recording machine. The recording machine changes the electrical signals into patterns that can be seen on a computer. It looks like a bunch of wavy lines.
-It will be a day or so until we have the results on this.
Thursday Visit
-Jason and I had a meeting with Colby's eye doctor. This was to get an idea of what he would be looking for when he did his checks on Colby's eyes.
-After visiting with his eye doctor we went over to see our pumpkin :)
-Colby's oxygen SAT was doing really well so Sheila tried to adjust his oxygen down a little. Then about 15-20 minutes later he wasn't keeping his SATs up as much so Sheila went back up the little bit she had come down. Stubborn little boy! :)
-After the EEG our little one got his hair washed a little bit so his hair was all wavy when we saw him! So cute!!!!
Evening Check-In
-Our pumpkin had to have his spinal fluids checked to make sure this infection that he had didn't get into his spine. The test came back positive so they started him on two more antibiotics.
-His oxygen was at 62%
-His rate was 55
-His gases at 6pm were good
-His feeding is now up to 4 CCs every 4 hours
-Colby weighed 2 pounds and 4 ounces! Our little man is growing! :)
Please keep those prayers going for our little one. We are very excited about his little victories and say praises for those and for the days we hold steady!
Brie
-His oxygen is at 66%
-The blood he was given last night and it helped his blood pressure!
-He was still doing well with his feedings
-He was in the process of having an EEG when I called. (This is a test I have had occasionally for my epilepsy.) Brain cells talk to each other by producing tiny electrical signals, called impulses.
An EEG helps measure this activity. Flat metal disks called electrodes are placed all over your scalp. The disks are held in place with a sticky paste. The electrodes are connected by wires to a speaker and recording machine. The recording machine changes the electrical signals into patterns that can be seen on a computer. It looks like a bunch of wavy lines.
-It will be a day or so until we have the results on this.
Thursday Visit
-Jason and I had a meeting with Colby's eye doctor. This was to get an idea of what he would be looking for when he did his checks on Colby's eyes.
-After visiting with his eye doctor we went over to see our pumpkin :)
-Colby's oxygen SAT was doing really well so Sheila tried to adjust his oxygen down a little. Then about 15-20 minutes later he wasn't keeping his SATs up as much so Sheila went back up the little bit she had come down. Stubborn little boy! :)
-After the EEG our little one got his hair washed a little bit so his hair was all wavy when we saw him! So cute!!!!
Evening Check-In
-Our pumpkin had to have his spinal fluids checked to make sure this infection that he had didn't get into his spine. The test came back positive so they started him on two more antibiotics.
-His oxygen was at 62%
-His rate was 55
-His gases at 6pm were good
-His feeding is now up to 4 CCs every 4 hours
-Colby weighed 2 pounds and 4 ounces! Our little man is growing! :)
Please keep those prayers going for our little one. We are very excited about his little victories and say praises for those and for the days we hold steady!
Brie
Wednesday, August 29, 2012
First Visit with the Eye Doctor
Morning Check-In
Colby was having a good morning. His oxygen was at 60% and his rate was at 42%. He was still doing well with his feeding so he is still at 2 CCs every 3 hours. They said that his ultrasound showed a slight PDA but they didn't need to do anything at this point.
Afternoon Visit
Our visit was good. Our pumpkin was laying on his tummy with his eyes open. Sheila had to give him some eye drops to dilate because the eye doctor was coming to have his first eye exam. Colby was doing well with his feedings still---yeah!
Evening Check-In
Colby was having a good night for his nurse-Lauren. His blood pressure was a little low and they had to move his oxygen up to 70% so they decided to give him some blood. He was also on his back, which he usually isn't a fan of, so Lauren was going to give him some tummy time soon.
Thank you for all your prayers!
Brie
Colby was having a good morning. His oxygen was at 60% and his rate was at 42%. He was still doing well with his feeding so he is still at 2 CCs every 3 hours. They said that his ultrasound showed a slight PDA but they didn't need to do anything at this point.
Afternoon Visit
Our visit was good. Our pumpkin was laying on his tummy with his eyes open. Sheila had to give him some eye drops to dilate because the eye doctor was coming to have his first eye exam. Colby was doing well with his feedings still---yeah!
Evening Check-In
Colby was having a good night for his nurse-Lauren. His blood pressure was a little low and they had to move his oxygen up to 70% so they decided to give him some blood. He was also on his back, which he usually isn't a fan of, so Lauren was going to give him some tummy time soon.
Thank you for all your prayers!
Brie
Tuesday, August 28, 2012
1 month old today!
First of all I would like to say thank you to the fantastic nurses and doctors at Baptist South NICU. I can not begin to express our gratitude for all that you have done for our family and for our little man! The sweet card and pictures you left for us for his one month "birthday" are so special and it touched our hearts! I am adding the pictures to the blog so everyone can see them. Precious!
Thank you also to all of our family and friends that have supported us in so many ways this last month. I don't know where we would be without you. We love you all.
And to all of you who we haven't actually met that are praying for us---we are humbled by your continuing prayers and support! Thank yo
u so much!
Morning Check-In
Colby was doing okay this morning. His oxygen was down a little to 58%. His pressure on the ventilator was at 20 and his rate was at 42. He was still feeding at 2 CCs every 6 hours. He was supposed to have his ultrasound a little after I called. (Depending on what they saw they might have to give him medicine and stop his formula)
Mommy's Morning Visit
Our pumpkin was just hanging out in his bed. They had adjusted his feeding to 2 CCs every 3 hours which makes mommy happy! They had done his ultrasound and we hoped to have his results this afternoon. He was moving around quite a bit at one point and looked like he was going to come right out of his little bean bag thing that he is tucked into! Too cute!
Daddy's Evening Visit
Daddy went to see Colby after dinner tonight and our little man was still doing well. His oxygen was up to 60% and his rate was at 42 (same as this morning). He was still getting his formula so we arent' sure what is going on with his ultrasound. His night nurse said she hadn't been told of any medicine he needed or that he needed to be taken off his formula. Hope to have an update tomorrow.
Love,
Brie
Thank you also to all of our family and friends that have supported us in so many ways this last month. I don't know where we would be without you. We love you all.
And to all of you who we haven't actually met that are praying for us---we are humbled by your continuing prayers and support! Thank yo
u so much!
Morning Check-In
Colby was doing okay this morning. His oxygen was down a little to 58%. His pressure on the ventilator was at 20 and his rate was at 42. He was still feeding at 2 CCs every 6 hours. He was supposed to have his ultrasound a little after I called. (Depending on what they saw they might have to give him medicine and stop his formula)
Mommy's Morning Visit
Our pumpkin was just hanging out in his bed. They had adjusted his feeding to 2 CCs every 3 hours which makes mommy happy! They had done his ultrasound and we hoped to have his results this afternoon. He was moving around quite a bit at one point and looked like he was going to come right out of his little bean bag thing that he is tucked into! Too cute!
Daddy's Evening Visit
Daddy went to see Colby after dinner tonight and our little man was still doing well. His oxygen was up to 60% and his rate was at 42 (same as this morning). He was still getting his formula so we arent' sure what is going on with his ultrasound. His night nurse said she hadn't been told of any medicine he needed or that he needed to be taken off his formula. Hope to have an update tomorrow.
Love,
Brie
Monday, August 27, 2012
Fantastic News!!!!
Morning Check-In
Colby was on his back and was pretty irritated for a little bit this morning so his oxygen had been bumped up to 50%. He was tolerating his food and his blood gases were looking a little better. His amplitude was at 19 so we had a pretty good morning!
Afternoon Visit
Colby had lots of visitors today! Grandma, Grams, Aunt Ali, along with Mommy and Daddy! At lunch he was doing pretty well. Sheila measured him today and he has grown another inch from last Monday! He is now at 15 1/4" long! His oxygen was down to 35% and his pressure was at 9.
Evening Check-In
I called in and Stephanie gave me the evening's updates!
-He was having a good night.
-He weighed in at 2 lbs 5 oz
-Colby has been changed back to a conventional ventilator!!!!! PRAISE!!!! PRAISE!!!! PRAISE!!! I am so excited about this progression! Here are some things to know about this ventilator:
-Pressure---his is at 22 and that is a pretty good number to have it at
-Rate---his is at 45 and they can go as high as 60 and as low as 10. We are hoping to get this number a little lower once he gets used to it.
-Oxygen---they currently have him at 65% oxygen but hope to see this weened down.
-He has been given 2 CCs of formula now every 6 hours. PRAISE!!!
-They believe they heard a heart murmur again so they will check him in the morning to see if his PDA has reopened. If it has, we will have to get medicine for that and his feedings will have to be stopped again. PRAYER!!!
-They also put his arterial line back in so he won't have to have his little foot stuck every time they need to do a blood gas.
Thank you so much for all your prayers for our family! We are so thankful for you and for all these PRAISES!!!!! Our God is wonderful!
Brie
Colby was on his back and was pretty irritated for a little bit this morning so his oxygen had been bumped up to 50%. He was tolerating his food and his blood gases were looking a little better. His amplitude was at 19 so we had a pretty good morning!
Afternoon Visit
Colby had lots of visitors today! Grandma, Grams, Aunt Ali, along with Mommy and Daddy! At lunch he was doing pretty well. Sheila measured him today and he has grown another inch from last Monday! He is now at 15 1/4" long! His oxygen was down to 35% and his pressure was at 9.
Evening Check-In
I called in and Stephanie gave me the evening's updates!
-He was having a good night.
-He weighed in at 2 lbs 5 oz
-Colby has been changed back to a conventional ventilator!!!!! PRAISE!!!! PRAISE!!!! PRAISE!!! I am so excited about this progression! Here are some things to know about this ventilator:
-Pressure---his is at 22 and that is a pretty good number to have it at
-Rate---his is at 45 and they can go as high as 60 and as low as 10. We are hoping to get this number a little lower once he gets used to it.
-Oxygen---they currently have him at 65% oxygen but hope to see this weened down.
-He has been given 2 CCs of formula now every 6 hours. PRAISE!!!
-They believe they heard a heart murmur again so they will check him in the morning to see if his PDA has reopened. If it has, we will have to get medicine for that and his feedings will have to be stopped again. PRAYER!!!
-They also put his arterial line back in so he won't have to have his little foot stuck every time they need to do a blood gas.
Thank you so much for all your prayers for our family! We are so thankful for you and for all these PRAISES!!!!! Our God is wonderful!
Brie
Sunday, August 26, 2012
Sunday Update and Lesson 8-26-12
Morning Check-In with Elizabeth
-Doing good this morning
-Resting well at the moment
-His pH level had been low but he got some blood last night so they were keeping an eye on that with his blood gases
Daddy went for a visit
-Colby's gases were looking better...almost where they would like them
-Amplitude was at 19
-Oxygen was at 30%
-Mean Pressure was at 9
Evening Check-in with Stephanie
-Mean Pressure = 9 (when the air is blown into his lungs---this number shows the amount of expansion. The higher the number---the more pressure is being used to expand his lungs to take in the air. We would like this number to stay around 9---this is a good setting to see!)
-Oxygen = 30% (the air we breathe has 21% oxygen in it...if his setting is at 30%--he is getting 9% more than what we are breathing in. We want this number as close to 21%...30 is doing good! :)
-Amplitude = 20 (This is the the amount of wiggle room---if you watch Colby's chest, the machine actually vibrates his little chest. The higher the amplitude-the more vibrations. We need to shoot for this number to be in the teens.
-Weight---still at 2 lbs 2 oz
-Checked his blood gases and the his pH is looking better. (pH is the acid in your blood. Too much can be bad and too little can be bad. They like to have his registering somewhere between 7.25 and 7.4...his gas at 6pm showed his pH level at 7.23 so he was getting closer.
-He had a 6pm feeding and should be getting another 1 CC at midnight. Colby seems to be doing good with his feedings so far!
-His platelet count this morning was in the 90,000s!!! They like for this to be above 60,000 so we are doing really well with this!
Thank you to all our prayer warriors! These things above are all PRAISES right now! We are so blessed that Colby has had a few good days in a row and they warm our hearts! I know that God has heard our prayers and He is holding my little boy in His hands and protecting him. Please continue to pray for good days and for Colby to continue to get stronger! Our little pumpkine will be 1 month old on Tuesday!!! WOW!!! (I was going to write "time flies" but I won't Ann Allen!!!! Ha!)
We pray for you guys everyday---thank you for your prayers for our family!
Love,
Brie
-Doing good this morning
-Resting well at the moment
-His pH level had been low but he got some blood last night so they were keeping an eye on that with his blood gases
Daddy went for a visit
-Colby's gases were looking better...almost where they would like them
-Amplitude was at 19
-Oxygen was at 30%
-Mean Pressure was at 9
Evening Check-in with Stephanie
-Mean Pressure = 9 (when the air is blown into his lungs---this number shows the amount of expansion. The higher the number---the more pressure is being used to expand his lungs to take in the air. We would like this number to stay around 9---this is a good setting to see!)
-Oxygen = 30% (the air we breathe has 21% oxygen in it...if his setting is at 30%--he is getting 9% more than what we are breathing in. We want this number as close to 21%...30 is doing good! :)
-Amplitude = 20 (This is the the amount of wiggle room---if you watch Colby's chest, the machine actually vibrates his little chest. The higher the amplitude-the more vibrations. We need to shoot for this number to be in the teens.
-Weight---still at 2 lbs 2 oz
-Checked his blood gases and the his pH is looking better. (pH is the acid in your blood. Too much can be bad and too little can be bad. They like to have his registering somewhere between 7.25 and 7.4...his gas at 6pm showed his pH level at 7.23 so he was getting closer.
-He had a 6pm feeding and should be getting another 1 CC at midnight. Colby seems to be doing good with his feedings so far!
-His platelet count this morning was in the 90,000s!!! They like for this to be above 60,000 so we are doing really well with this!
Thank you to all our prayer warriors! These things above are all PRAISES right now! We are so blessed that Colby has had a few good days in a row and they warm our hearts! I know that God has heard our prayers and He is holding my little boy in His hands and protecting him. Please continue to pray for good days and for Colby to continue to get stronger! Our little pumpkine will be 1 month old on Tuesday!!! WOW!!! (I was going to write "time flies" but I won't Ann Allen!!!! Ha!)
We pray for you guys everyday---thank you for your prayers for our family!
Love,
Brie
Saturday Update 8-25-12
I am sorry we are a little behind! This will be a quick update on how Saturday went and the I will update you on how today went. :)
Morning Check-In
-weighed in at 2 lbs 1 oz
-30% oxygen
-Amplitude is at 18
-Mean Pressure was at 9.5
Dr. Bonner called to give me an update
-She said they were going to continue his 1 CC of formula every 6 hours
-X-Ray was looking better than the last few days
-They were going to change him to another diuretic that wasn't as strong
-Dr. Bonner talked with me about his weight and told me not to really worry about what it was from day to day and look at more of what it was each week to see if we were moving in a positive direction.
Daytime Visit
I went up for a visit and took my best friend since high school, Robin, so she could officially meet Colby and we had a nice visit. Colby behaved himself for the most part while we were there and he opened his eye and peeked at Ms. Robin. :)
Evening Check-Up
Things were pretty similar throughout the day with his ventilator settings. Brandy (Colby's evening nurse) did let Jason know that they had done a blood gas and his pH levels were a little low so they were giving him some blood. He weighed 2 lbs 2 oz (but he only gained 10 grams more than last night...just the way the numbers rounded out to change it from 1 oz to 2 oz...)
Morning Check-In
-weighed in at 2 lbs 1 oz
-30% oxygen
-Amplitude is at 18
-Mean Pressure was at 9.5
Dr. Bonner called to give me an update
-She said they were going to continue his 1 CC of formula every 6 hours
-X-Ray was looking better than the last few days
-They were going to change him to another diuretic that wasn't as strong
-Dr. Bonner talked with me about his weight and told me not to really worry about what it was from day to day and look at more of what it was each week to see if we were moving in a positive direction.
Daytime Visit
I went up for a visit and took my best friend since high school, Robin, so she could officially meet Colby and we had a nice visit. Colby behaved himself for the most part while we were there and he opened his eye and peeked at Ms. Robin. :)
Evening Check-Up
Things were pretty similar throughout the day with his ventilator settings. Brandy (Colby's evening nurse) did let Jason know that they had done a blood gas and his pH levels were a little low so they were giving him some blood. He weighed 2 lbs 2 oz (but he only gained 10 grams more than last night...just the way the numbers rounded out to change it from 1 oz to 2 oz...)
Friday, August 24, 2012
More Goods Days
First of all PRAISE THE LORD for this week.
Colby is having an amazing week and we are so thankful for all of you who are praying constantly for our little boy. Our God is listening and his healing hand is holding Colby's all the time.
Colby is doing great on the ventilator. His gases have been good so they are weening his pressures and amplitude down. Tonight he was at 9.5 mean pressure, 19 amplitude, and hovering between 40% - 50% on his oxygen.
Last night his weight was down to 1lb 11oz which the doctor was happy about because he was getting rid of the fluid. Tonight he was back up to 2lbs 1oz. Obviously that is a lot of swing in his weight for a 48 hour period and we will find out more about that tomorrow.
His blood counts have been good over the last couple of days. He is starting to produce his own platelets rather than having the nurses give them to him from a syringe, wich means they are getting the infection under control and that is very good news.
At noon today they started back on his feedings. 1cc every twelve hours. Hopefully his tummy will tolerate this and they will be able to increase the amount over the next few days.
"Keep on asking, and you will receive what you ask for. Keep on seeking, and you will find. Keep on knocking, and the door will be opened to you. For everyone who asks, receives. Everyone who seeks, finds. And to everyone who knocks, the door will be open." Matthew 7:7-8
Prayer is an amazing thing. Please continue to pray with us for Colby that he will continue to have good days and weeks.
Colby is having an amazing week and we are so thankful for all of you who are praying constantly for our little boy. Our God is listening and his healing hand is holding Colby's all the time.
Colby is doing great on the ventilator. His gases have been good so they are weening his pressures and amplitude down. Tonight he was at 9.5 mean pressure, 19 amplitude, and hovering between 40% - 50% on his oxygen.
Last night his weight was down to 1lb 11oz which the doctor was happy about because he was getting rid of the fluid. Tonight he was back up to 2lbs 1oz. Obviously that is a lot of swing in his weight for a 48 hour period and we will find out more about that tomorrow.
His blood counts have been good over the last couple of days. He is starting to produce his own platelets rather than having the nurses give them to him from a syringe, wich means they are getting the infection under control and that is very good news.
At noon today they started back on his feedings. 1cc every twelve hours. Hopefully his tummy will tolerate this and they will be able to increase the amount over the next few days.
"Keep on asking, and you will receive what you ask for. Keep on seeking, and you will find. Keep on knocking, and the door will be opened to you. For everyone who asks, receives. Everyone who seeks, finds. And to everyone who knocks, the door will be open." Matthew 7:7-8
Prayer is an amazing thing. Please continue to pray with us for Colby that he will continue to have good days and weeks.
Thursday, August 23, 2012
Visit with Colby was medicine for Mommy!
I knew that they would be coming but these last couples of days have been very hard for Mommy. I have been an emotional wreck. I have wondered "Why us?", "Why my baby?", and worried about what is to come. I know deep in my heart that our God has a plan and I must be patient to see what it is. I know that Colby is making a difference already---even with just this short amount of time he has been with us. I just needed to have a pity-party. I know I won't make it through this time in the hospital without a few more of these days but they are brutal.
Everyone keeps telling me that I don't have to be strong, that I can let go and cry. I know this is true but if you know me...I don't do this very well. I am not usually an emotional person that cries easily. I feel like I am in a funk and I couldn't figure out a way to get out of it.
Then I realized that I needed to give God my worries back...I know my baby boy is going to come out of this healthy and strong and we just have to get through the next few 2 1/2 months so we can bring him home! I know that God has a plan and Colby came when he was supposed to in order to live that plan out. I know God has put Jason and I in this position to learn how to trust, grow in our faith, and make us better, stronger parents and stronger Christians. I also know that our family is extremely blessed to have our little one alive and getting stronger everyday. We may have a long road ahead but we are going to make it!
Which brings me to our visit with Colby this afternoon. Visiting with Colby brings a smile to my face and sends this warm sensation from my heart out. I just love watching him. He has been doing so well today but his nurse had just gotten some blood to do some tests and he wasn't very happy. She went ahead and turned him on his back (yet another reason for him to get worked up) and suctioned his mouth to see if that would help (nope...not so much). So his oxygen SAT wasn't doing very well...it was reading as low as 68 up to 75! Not where we want it at all! (I like for the number to be in the low to mid 90s!)
Our nurse didn't want to go up on his oxygen if at all possible...so she told me to put my hands in there and touch him and talk to him to see if I could settle him down. His little (big) feet were tucked in so I could only gently push/hold the ball of his foot and gently lay my hand on his head. I started talking to him and pretty soon his SAT started moving up and up. He finally seemed like he was settling down and I was able to take my pinky finger and let him try to hold onto it. He had opened his eye to look at mom and dad but you could tell he was getting sleepy. His SATs went up to 95 at one point!! Go mom! When we left he was sleeping and his oxygen SAT was back in the low 90s! I just thank God for giving me that special time with Colby and for letting me know things are going to be alright!
Thanks for listening to me blab!
Brie
P.S.
He was having a good day...talked to the doctor and his x-ray looked better than yesterday, his tummy on the x-ray looked better as well. Blood gases were coming back good and his platelet count was doing good (they check that in the mornings). They were going to move his amplitude down by one and his mean pressure was at 11. :)
Everyone keeps telling me that I don't have to be strong, that I can let go and cry. I know this is true but if you know me...I don't do this very well. I am not usually an emotional person that cries easily. I feel like I am in a funk and I couldn't figure out a way to get out of it.
Then I realized that I needed to give God my worries back...I know my baby boy is going to come out of this healthy and strong and we just have to get through the next few 2 1/2 months so we can bring him home! I know that God has a plan and Colby came when he was supposed to in order to live that plan out. I know God has put Jason and I in this position to learn how to trust, grow in our faith, and make us better, stronger parents and stronger Christians. I also know that our family is extremely blessed to have our little one alive and getting stronger everyday. We may have a long road ahead but we are going to make it!
Which brings me to our visit with Colby this afternoon. Visiting with Colby brings a smile to my face and sends this warm sensation from my heart out. I just love watching him. He has been doing so well today but his nurse had just gotten some blood to do some tests and he wasn't very happy. She went ahead and turned him on his back (yet another reason for him to get worked up) and suctioned his mouth to see if that would help (nope...not so much). So his oxygen SAT wasn't doing very well...it was reading as low as 68 up to 75! Not where we want it at all! (I like for the number to be in the low to mid 90s!)
Our nurse didn't want to go up on his oxygen if at all possible...so she told me to put my hands in there and touch him and talk to him to see if I could settle him down. His little (big) feet were tucked in so I could only gently push/hold the ball of his foot and gently lay my hand on his head. I started talking to him and pretty soon his SAT started moving up and up. He finally seemed like he was settling down and I was able to take my pinky finger and let him try to hold onto it. He had opened his eye to look at mom and dad but you could tell he was getting sleepy. His SATs went up to 95 at one point!! Go mom! When we left he was sleeping and his oxygen SAT was back in the low 90s! I just thank God for giving me that special time with Colby and for letting me know things are going to be alright!
Thanks for listening to me blab!
Brie
P.S.
He was having a good day...talked to the doctor and his x-ray looked better than yesterday, his tummy on the x-ray looked better as well. Blood gases were coming back good and his platelet count was doing good (they check that in the mornings). They were going to move his amplitude down by one and his mean pressure was at 11. :)
Morning Update---BIG NEWS!!!!
I just couldn't wait until this evening to put this morning's check-in information up so here is the update when Jason called this morning and talked with Angela:
-His platelet count was still holding steady around 66,000 which is wonderful! He is building up the platelets on his own and not needing to be replenished so often which is wonderful! PRAISE!!! We are going in a positive direction on this.
-Colby is still on his antibiotics but they seem to be helping which is another big PRAISE!!!
-They haven't started his feeding yet but hopefully that should be sometime this week---we don't want to start that too soon and run into trouble but we want to get him back on getting more nutrients to help his little body grow stronger and stronger. PRAYER---that his little body will be ready for food soon!
-His oxygen is down to...(are you sitting down????) 26%!!!!!!! PRAISE!! PRAISE!!! PRAISE!!! This is wonderful news! I know that we are probably going to go back up but I am thankful that we made some progress to this point! What a wonderful piece of morning news! (Just to give you an idea, we breathe 21% oxygen) He is getting closer on this setting and if we can continue making progress on the other settings (amplitude and mean pressure) we will work our way to the other ventilator again.
Please keep praising and praying---God is listening!
Brie
-His platelet count was still holding steady around 66,000 which is wonderful! He is building up the platelets on his own and not needing to be replenished so often which is wonderful! PRAISE!!! We are going in a positive direction on this.
-Colby is still on his antibiotics but they seem to be helping which is another big PRAISE!!!
-They haven't started his feeding yet but hopefully that should be sometime this week---we don't want to start that too soon and run into trouble but we want to get him back on getting more nutrients to help his little body grow stronger and stronger. PRAYER---that his little body will be ready for food soon!
-His oxygen is down to...(are you sitting down????) 26%!!!!!!! PRAISE!! PRAISE!!! PRAISE!!! This is wonderful news! I know that we are probably going to go back up but I am thankful that we made some progress to this point! What a wonderful piece of morning news! (Just to give you an idea, we breathe 21% oxygen) He is getting closer on this setting and if we can continue making progress on the other settings (amplitude and mean pressure) we will work our way to the other ventilator again.
Please keep praising and praying---God is listening!
Brie
Day Late for Wednesday Update!
Yesterday was a good day!
Morning Check-In
When Jason called for his morning check-in Colby was having a good day. His oxygen was at 40% and his platelet count was at 66,000 (BIG PRAISES!!!!) so he didn't have to have any platelets yesterday morning!
Afternoon Visit
I took Emily up to see Colby today for the first time and she was very excited! When we got there he was on his tummy and all tucked in. They moved his amplitude to 16 while we were there but he stayed pretty quiet and slept most of the time we were there visiting.
Night-time Check-In
Carol gave us lots of information when we checked in last night!
-Colby's weight was 2 pounds 1 ounce (He lost 3 ounces but it seems like it is water weight so that is ok) PRAISE!
-He has been tee-teeing like crazy she said! PRAISE and PRAYER--that he will continue to keep this going!
-His oxygen was at 40% and his amplitude was still at 16---both of these were staying pretty steady! PRAISE!!
-His last gas looked pretty good! PRAISE and PRAYER that this continues looking good!
-They were going to check his platelets in the morning to see how they were doing. PRAYER--that his platelet count will stay above 60,000 so he won't have to have some as often as he has been. This infection has been eating them up---PRAY that this infection goes away as well!
-When I was talking with Carol she said he was having a pretty good temper tantrum---he was on his back (which he doesn't like) and kicking his legs around, moving his arms and both his eyes were wide open! I asked her to get out the disposable camera and take a picture for me! :) PRAISE and PRAYER---I know that most parents don't normally say a praise for a temper tantrum but that is one of the most normal things a baby does and we like those kinds of things! Pray that he keeps getting stronger and stronger! I can't wait until the day I get to hear him scream at us for messing with him!
Thank you for following our story, for your prayers, and for your praises. Knowing our precious little boy is touching lives in ways we never knew possible is so humbling and shows us that we have an AMAZING GOD! May He continue to use Colby and our family to help others and to show people that miracles happen everyday---you just have to be open to accepting them for what they are.
God Bless,
Brie
Morning Check-In
When Jason called for his morning check-in Colby was having a good day. His oxygen was at 40% and his platelet count was at 66,000 (BIG PRAISES!!!!) so he didn't have to have any platelets yesterday morning!
Afternoon Visit
I took Emily up to see Colby today for the first time and she was very excited! When we got there he was on his tummy and all tucked in. They moved his amplitude to 16 while we were there but he stayed pretty quiet and slept most of the time we were there visiting.
Night-time Check-In
Carol gave us lots of information when we checked in last night!
-Colby's weight was 2 pounds 1 ounce (He lost 3 ounces but it seems like it is water weight so that is ok) PRAISE!
-He has been tee-teeing like crazy she said! PRAISE and PRAYER--that he will continue to keep this going!
-His oxygen was at 40% and his amplitude was still at 16---both of these were staying pretty steady! PRAISE!!
-His last gas looked pretty good! PRAISE and PRAYER that this continues looking good!
-They were going to check his platelets in the morning to see how they were doing. PRAYER--that his platelet count will stay above 60,000 so he won't have to have some as often as he has been. This infection has been eating them up---PRAY that this infection goes away as well!
-When I was talking with Carol she said he was having a pretty good temper tantrum---he was on his back (which he doesn't like) and kicking his legs around, moving his arms and both his eyes were wide open! I asked her to get out the disposable camera and take a picture for me! :) PRAISE and PRAYER---I know that most parents don't normally say a praise for a temper tantrum but that is one of the most normal things a baby does and we like those kinds of things! Pray that he keeps getting stronger and stronger! I can't wait until the day I get to hear him scream at us for messing with him!
Thank you for following our story, for your prayers, and for your praises. Knowing our precious little boy is touching lives in ways we never knew possible is so humbling and shows us that we have an AMAZING GOD! May He continue to use Colby and our family to help others and to show people that miracles happen everyday---you just have to be open to accepting them for what they are.
God Bless,
Brie
Tuesday, August 21, 2012
Tuesday's Update 8-21-12
AM Check-In
-Colby weighed in at 2 pounds 5 ounces!
-45% oxygen
-Colby is still tee-teeing good
-Overall, Colby was having a good morning
Afternoon Visit
-SATs were ok-his nurse had just finished working with him so it took him awhile to settle back down
-Colby measured almost 14 and 1/4" long
-His amplitude was at 17
-His bacteria was looking better. So far, his blood culture from yesterday has come back negative so we are able to keep his PICC line in for now
-His X-ray was not looking as good today
-Hope to start his feeding again in the next few days!!! Yeah!
Evening Check-In
-48% oxygen
-Colby dropped an ounce to 2 pounds 4 ounces
-Platelets went from 71,000 to 69,000 on this last blood gas. If they fall below 60,000 on the next check they will give him some more platelets
-Overall, Colby is having a good night as well and was taking a nap
Thank you for all your prayers and thoughts and please keep them going. I know that Colby has had some good days but he is far from being out of the woods. His little body has so much to go through in order to get stronger and healthier so we can bring him home. :)
-Colby weighed in at 2 pounds 5 ounces!
-45% oxygen
-Colby is still tee-teeing good
-Overall, Colby was having a good morning
Afternoon Visit
-SATs were ok-his nurse had just finished working with him so it took him awhile to settle back down
-Colby measured almost 14 and 1/4" long
-His amplitude was at 17
-His bacteria was looking better. So far, his blood culture from yesterday has come back negative so we are able to keep his PICC line in for now
-His X-ray was not looking as good today
-Hope to start his feeding again in the next few days!!! Yeah!
Evening Check-In
-48% oxygen
-Colby dropped an ounce to 2 pounds 4 ounces
-Platelets went from 71,000 to 69,000 on this last blood gas. If they fall below 60,000 on the next check they will give him some more platelets
-Overall, Colby is having a good night as well and was taking a nap
Thank you for all your prayers and thoughts and please keep them going. I know that Colby has had some good days but he is far from being out of the woods. His little body has so much to go through in order to get stronger and healthier so we can bring him home. :)
Monday, August 20, 2012
Monday 8-20-12
Wow...I can't believe the end of August is drawing near...where does the time go? Colby had a good day today and we got lots of information today:
Morning Check-In
-Had to get more platelets this morning. This infection is just eating up his platelets.
-Oxygen is holding steady at 45%
-Amplitude was raised to 15
-They had taken Colby off the dopamine but had put him on hydrocotisone for his blood pressure.
Afternoon Visit
-SATs looking good
-Oxygen was staying between 45% - 48%
-Amplitude still at 15
-Mean pressure was still at 11.5
-Had just had a diaper change and had a good amount of tee-tee!
Dr. Bonner Check-In
Dr. Bonner called Jason after assessing Colby and gave him this update:
-His ultrasound from Friday showed that the left ventricle swelling was on the high side of normal so they feel this is subsiding and that his head felt good PRAISE!!!
-The ultrasound also showed suggestions of the cyst that they saw 2 ultrasounds ago but they won't know for certain until they can do an MRI which will be awhile before they can do PRAYER--that this is really just a shadow and nothing more
-His blood culture came back and he has coagulus-negative staphylococci (this is a bacteria that is on your skin and his got into his blood stream) PRAYER--that the antibiotic that they have him on works and he is able to get rid of this infection
-They were going to start trying to ween Colby off the hydrocortisone
Nighttime Check-In
-Colby is having a good night! PRAISE!!!
-SATs are holding steady
-Platelet count was 38,000 so he had to get some more platelets (they upped it to 15cc/kilo instead of 10cc/kilo so hopefully that will help as well)
-He was going to have another count done at 10pm tonight but he would probably need some more tonight as well
-They have done another blood culture and if the results come back positive they will have to remove his PICC line (which will mean more sticks for my baby when they need to draw blood, etc.) PRAYER--that this test comes back negative and he is able to keep his PICC line in
-They replaced his feeding tube this evening (even though he isn't eating right now) and there isn't any more green stuff coming from him tummy! (Green stuff = bile...yucky!) PRAISE!!!
Morning Check-In
-Had to get more platelets this morning. This infection is just eating up his platelets.
-Oxygen is holding steady at 45%
-Amplitude was raised to 15
-They had taken Colby off the dopamine but had put him on hydrocotisone for his blood pressure.
Afternoon Visit
-SATs looking good
-Oxygen was staying between 45% - 48%
-Amplitude still at 15
-Mean pressure was still at 11.5
-Had just had a diaper change and had a good amount of tee-tee!
Dr. Bonner Check-In
Dr. Bonner called Jason after assessing Colby and gave him this update:
-His ultrasound from Friday showed that the left ventricle swelling was on the high side of normal so they feel this is subsiding and that his head felt good PRAISE!!!
-The ultrasound also showed suggestions of the cyst that they saw 2 ultrasounds ago but they won't know for certain until they can do an MRI which will be awhile before they can do PRAYER--that this is really just a shadow and nothing more
-His blood culture came back and he has coagulus-negative staphylococci (this is a bacteria that is on your skin and his got into his blood stream) PRAYER--that the antibiotic that they have him on works and he is able to get rid of this infection
-They were going to start trying to ween Colby off the hydrocortisone
Nighttime Check-In
-Colby is having a good night! PRAISE!!!
-SATs are holding steady
-Platelet count was 38,000 so he had to get some more platelets (they upped it to 15cc/kilo instead of 10cc/kilo so hopefully that will help as well)
-He was going to have another count done at 10pm tonight but he would probably need some more tonight as well
-They have done another blood culture and if the results come back positive they will have to remove his PICC line (which will mean more sticks for my baby when they need to draw blood, etc.) PRAYER--that this test comes back negative and he is able to keep his PICC line in
-They replaced his feeding tube this evening (even though he isn't eating right now) and there isn't any more green stuff coming from him tummy! (Green stuff = bile...yucky!) PRAISE!!!
Sunday, August 19, 2012
Sunday Update
We just got back from seeing our little man! Here is how his day went:
Morning Check-In
Jason called this morning before church to see how he was doing.
-He had to get some platelets this morning but his nurse thought that would bring his levels up to where they needed them and hopefully he wouldn't have to have any tonight.
-His oxygen was at 40%
-His amplitude was at 14!!!! Fantastic news!!!
Evening Visit
We went up this evening and Stephanie was taking care of our pumpkin! We were able to watch while she did his little check up. She changed his diaper, cleaned him up, weighed him, turned him over, he peeked his eye open, and boy did he get mad! He may not be able to yell at us yet but his little facial expressions were not happy ones! :)
-Oxygen was at 40%
-Mean pressure was down to 11.5
-Amplitude was holding steady at 14
-His SATs stayed pretty strong while we were there...even when Stephanie was doing her routine check!
-He weighed 1010 grams---2 pounds 4 ounces (rounded up)
-He is being treated for yeast and staff with a couple of antibiotics---hope that works. Should have the results on what the infection is in the next day or two hopefully.
-Still no feeding which bums Mom out but it is better for him at this point. Hopefully we can start that again soon.
Going to try and go to bed early tonight! God Bless all of you and thank you so much for following along with how Colby is doing and praying for him! Our God is an awesome God and I know He has wonderful plans for our little man. I can't wait to witness them!
Love,
Brie
Morning Check-In
Jason called this morning before church to see how he was doing.
-He had to get some platelets this morning but his nurse thought that would bring his levels up to where they needed them and hopefully he wouldn't have to have any tonight.
-His oxygen was at 40%
-His amplitude was at 14!!!! Fantastic news!!!
Evening Visit
We went up this evening and Stephanie was taking care of our pumpkin! We were able to watch while she did his little check up. She changed his diaper, cleaned him up, weighed him, turned him over, he peeked his eye open, and boy did he get mad! He may not be able to yell at us yet but his little facial expressions were not happy ones! :)
-Oxygen was at 40%
-Mean pressure was down to 11.5
-Amplitude was holding steady at 14
-His SATs stayed pretty strong while we were there...even when Stephanie was doing her routine check!
-He weighed 1010 grams---2 pounds 4 ounces (rounded up)
-He is being treated for yeast and staff with a couple of antibiotics---hope that works. Should have the results on what the infection is in the next day or two hopefully.
-Still no feeding which bums Mom out but it is better for him at this point. Hopefully we can start that again soon.
Going to try and go to bed early tonight! God Bless all of you and thank you so much for following along with how Colby is doing and praying for him! Our God is an awesome God and I know He has wonderful plans for our little man. I can't wait to witness them!
Love,
Brie
Saturday, August 18, 2012
Just a quick update before we head to bed.
We went and saw our sweet boy tonight and he was having a pretty good night. Ashley was his nurse this evening and she told us how he was doing:
-Oxygen at 32% BIG PRAISES!!!! So proud of my little man!
-Amplitude down to 19!! Wonderful progress!
-She had to prick his foot and get blood while we were there... :(
-They will be doing another platelet count in the morning.
-His x-ray looked better again today.
Thank you for all of your prayers!
Love,
Brie
We went and saw our sweet boy tonight and he was having a pretty good night. Ashley was his nurse this evening and she told us how he was doing:
-Oxygen at 32% BIG PRAISES!!!! So proud of my little man!
-Amplitude down to 19!! Wonderful progress!
-She had to prick his foot and get blood while we were there... :(
-They will be doing another platelet count in the morning.
-His x-ray looked better again today.
Thank you for all of your prayers!
Love,
Brie
Better news today!
We aren't completely out of the woods but we are hearing some things that are doing better so we are really excited about those!
Morning Update
-He has moved down to 40% oxygen!!! Whoo Hoo!!!
-Seemed to be having a good morning
-His platelet count was at 56,000. This is much better than 16,000 but not quite to 80,000 so they ordered some more platelets for him to have this morning. We will check it again this afternoon and see how it is doing.
-His blood culture came back positive for a fungal bacteria (which is what they thought it was) but it will take a little bit of time before they can determine the type. Please pray that it is something that can be easily treated with these antibiotics.
Afternoon Update
-His oxygen has been dropped to 35%!!!!! BIG PRAISES!!!!
-After checking his blood gases they were able to move his amplitude from 21 to 20!!!! Yeah!
-They have stopped his dopamine!
-Colby's tee-tee is much better today!
-They have stopped one antibiotic (doesn't help with fungal infections) and they have repeated a blood culture to test that as well.
We are so excited about these positive movements but still understand Colby has a long way to go! Please continue to Praise and Pray for our little family!
Love,
Brie
Morning Update
-He has moved down to 40% oxygen!!! Whoo Hoo!!!
-Seemed to be having a good morning
-His platelet count was at 56,000. This is much better than 16,000 but not quite to 80,000 so they ordered some more platelets for him to have this morning. We will check it again this afternoon and see how it is doing.
-His blood culture came back positive for a fungal bacteria (which is what they thought it was) but it will take a little bit of time before they can determine the type. Please pray that it is something that can be easily treated with these antibiotics.
Afternoon Update
-His oxygen has been dropped to 35%!!!!! BIG PRAISES!!!!
-After checking his blood gases they were able to move his amplitude from 21 to 20!!!! Yeah!
-They have stopped his dopamine!
-Colby's tee-tee is much better today!
-They have stopped one antibiotic (doesn't help with fungal infections) and they have repeated a blood culture to test that as well.
We are so excited about these positive movements but still understand Colby has a long way to go! Please continue to Praise and Pray for our little family!
Love,
Brie
Night-time Update for 8/17/12
After dinner we went up to see Colby. We took Jason's Nana and his Aunt up for their first visit! He seemed to be doing ok and here is what his nurse, Ashley, had to tell us:
-The had just done a count on his platelets and they were down to 16,000! Which is very, very low. They would like for his count to be at least 80,000. (His afternoon count had been 24,000) Ashley had ordered some platelets and they would be giving them to him soon.
-His SATs were looking good and holding steady.
-Colby had been tee-teeing better---had 17 CCs yesterday afternoon!
-He pulled out his catheter (apparently he was a little tired of that being in!)
We had a nice visit and Ainsley got to come in for a little bit and say hi!
Thank you for all your continued prayers!
Brie
-The had just done a count on his platelets and they were down to 16,000! Which is very, very low. They would like for his count to be at least 80,000. (His afternoon count had been 24,000) Ashley had ordered some platelets and they would be giving them to him soon.
-His SATs were looking good and holding steady.
-Colby had been tee-teeing better---had 17 CCs yesterday afternoon!
-He pulled out his catheter (apparently he was a little tired of that being in!)
We had a nice visit and Ainsley got to come in for a little bit and say hi!
Thank you for all your continued prayers!
Brie
Friday, August 17, 2012
Prayers Needed--Colby is having a bad day
Jason called and checked on our little pumpkin and we are not having a good day. Here is an update:
-Moved up to 85% oxygen
-He had a low platelet count so they are giving him some platelets now
-His blood culture came back with a high band count so it is possible he has an infection. They have started him back on antibiotics.
-Since an infection is possible---they have stopped his feedings so we don't run the risk of having an infection go to his tummy and intestines. The nurses have been telling me that feedings go on and off and to get ready but I am so bummed we had to stop the feedings! Colby seemed to be doing so well with them up until now. :(
-His tummy is a little swollen so they have put in a catheter---my poor baby!!!
-His SATs were holding steady though---BIG PRAISES for that!
-He is going to spend most of his time on his back today, which he doesn't like near as much as his tummy, so pray that he keeps his SATs strong today.
We need lots of prayers to help our little man today! Thank you so much for taking the time to say a prayer---they are making a difference!
God Bless,
Brie
-Moved up to 85% oxygen
-He had a low platelet count so they are giving him some platelets now
-His blood culture came back with a high band count so it is possible he has an infection. They have started him back on antibiotics.
-Since an infection is possible---they have stopped his feedings so we don't run the risk of having an infection go to his tummy and intestines. The nurses have been telling me that feedings go on and off and to get ready but I am so bummed we had to stop the feedings! Colby seemed to be doing so well with them up until now. :(
-His tummy is a little swollen so they have put in a catheter---my poor baby!!!
-His SATs were holding steady though---BIG PRAISES for that!
-He is going to spend most of his time on his back today, which he doesn't like near as much as his tummy, so pray that he keeps his SATs strong today.
We need lots of prayers to help our little man today! Thank you so much for taking the time to say a prayer---they are making a difference!
God Bless,
Brie
Thursday, August 16, 2012
Big Smile On My Face Today!
Hello everyone! I have a smile on my face for today! :)
Morning Check-In
Jason called in this morning to get an update and was told that Colby was doing good. He still wasn't tee-teeing as much as we would like to see so they went up on his dopamine to 5 mcgs. Mommy isn't very happy about that but it is still a low dosage so that is good.
Afternoon Visit
We had a wonderful visit with Colby today! Doctor Whittington came in while we were there so we waited around for a little bit while he checked over Colby's chart and came over to give us an update.
-X-Ray was looking better today than yesterday (still looks bad but we like to hear that something is better than the day before---little victories!) PRAISE and PRAYER---Praise that our x-ray looked better today and Prayer that his little lungs will continue to heal and grow stronger every day. That they will be healthy for him to grow up with!
-Colby hasn't been tee-teeing as much (like the morning check-in told us) but the doctor said he had a few things up his sleeve to try. ;) He said he was keeping him at 5 mcgs of dopamine for right now and he was going to give him a protein called albumin. Sometimes fluid gets caught in spaces and giving the albumin helps to bring that excess fluid back to the main blood flow which helps it get out faster. (All the nurses that are reading this are probably laughing at me...please let me know how to best explain how this works! Thanks!) PRAYER--That trying albumin will help Colby start putting out more tee-tee.
-They are going to keep his feedings going still as Colby is liking them a lot and he isn't showing signs of not tolerating his food. His feedings will also continue to be increased by 1 CC every 12 hours (at noon and midnight). PRAISE and PRAYER--Praise for Colby being able to continue his feeding! Getting that nourishment is such a need for him! Prayer that Colby continues to tolerate his food so we can keep giving it to him!
-Colby's blood gases were looking good so they were able to lower his amplitude from 29 to 27. PRAISE!!
-For the most part, Colby's SATs were steady and looking good for today! PRAISE!! and PRAYER--that his SATs continue to stay steady and stay in a good range.
Evening Check-In
Colby is still having a good night and here are a couple updates:
-Has tee-teed 5 CCs this evening---which is about the same amount he had tee-teed all day so that is a plus!
-Apparently at some point today they had to go back up on his amplitude (after we left) but his evening nurse said she had just lowered it back down to 27--so that is good!
-Are you sitting down? His oxygen percentage was at 60%!!!!!! Whoo Hoo! BIG PRAISE, PRAISE, PRAISE!!!!
-Did an x-ray tonight and that was looking better than the one they took earlier! BIG PRAISE for this as well!!!
-Weighed 2 pounds tonight!
Please keep praying for our little man and our family. God is wonderful and he is working miracles through this baby everyday! So blessed to have all of you praying for us and keeping up with us! We welcome your comments and love to hear from our prayer warriors! God Bless All of You!
Brie
Morning Check-In
Jason called in this morning to get an update and was told that Colby was doing good. He still wasn't tee-teeing as much as we would like to see so they went up on his dopamine to 5 mcgs. Mommy isn't very happy about that but it is still a low dosage so that is good.
Afternoon Visit
We had a wonderful visit with Colby today! Doctor Whittington came in while we were there so we waited around for a little bit while he checked over Colby's chart and came over to give us an update.
-X-Ray was looking better today than yesterday (still looks bad but we like to hear that something is better than the day before---little victories!) PRAISE and PRAYER---Praise that our x-ray looked better today and Prayer that his little lungs will continue to heal and grow stronger every day. That they will be healthy for him to grow up with!
-Colby hasn't been tee-teeing as much (like the morning check-in told us) but the doctor said he had a few things up his sleeve to try. ;) He said he was keeping him at 5 mcgs of dopamine for right now and he was going to give him a protein called albumin. Sometimes fluid gets caught in spaces and giving the albumin helps to bring that excess fluid back to the main blood flow which helps it get out faster. (All the nurses that are reading this are probably laughing at me...please let me know how to best explain how this works! Thanks!) PRAYER--That trying albumin will help Colby start putting out more tee-tee.
-They are going to keep his feedings going still as Colby is liking them a lot and he isn't showing signs of not tolerating his food. His feedings will also continue to be increased by 1 CC every 12 hours (at noon and midnight). PRAISE and PRAYER--Praise for Colby being able to continue his feeding! Getting that nourishment is such a need for him! Prayer that Colby continues to tolerate his food so we can keep giving it to him!
-Colby's blood gases were looking good so they were able to lower his amplitude from 29 to 27. PRAISE!!
-For the most part, Colby's SATs were steady and looking good for today! PRAISE!! and PRAYER--that his SATs continue to stay steady and stay in a good range.
Evening Check-In
Colby is still having a good night and here are a couple updates:
-Has tee-teed 5 CCs this evening---which is about the same amount he had tee-teed all day so that is a plus!
-Apparently at some point today they had to go back up on his amplitude (after we left) but his evening nurse said she had just lowered it back down to 27--so that is good!
-Are you sitting down? His oxygen percentage was at 60%!!!!!! Whoo Hoo! BIG PRAISE, PRAISE, PRAISE!!!!
-Did an x-ray tonight and that was looking better than the one they took earlier! BIG PRAISE for this as well!!!
-Weighed 2 pounds tonight!
Please keep praying for our little man and our family. God is wonderful and he is working miracles through this baby everyday! So blessed to have all of you praying for us and keeping up with us! We welcome your comments and love to hear from our prayer warriors! God Bless All of You!
Brie
Wednesday, August 15, 2012
Better Day Today!
Got that call from the doctor again...I am waiting for the time when I can answer the phone, hear it is the doctor and not have my heart drop to my stomach. I was a little calmer this time when I got the call...just a little nervous. :) Dr. Whittington (I hope I spelled that right!) said he knew he kept calling and giving me bad news so he wanted to be able to call and give me some good news! Here is his update:
-Colby's urine output was much better today---he had tee-teed 4 times more today than yesterday!!! Whoo Hoo!
-Blood work showed no infections!
-The doctor upped his feedings to 5 CCs and are planning on going up 1 CC every 12 hours as long as Colby is tolerating his food ok. The goal is to get to 12 CCs!
-They may stop the dopamine tomorrow if Colby continues doing well.
Night-Time Check In
Talked in with Ms. Debbie tonight and got an evening update:
-Colby is doing good tonight.
-His oxygen is still at 100% and they had to raise his mean airway. His oxygen SATs wouldn't get much higher than 70-85. PRAYER---Please pray that Colby turns this around and keeps his SATs in the low 90s!
-They had to up his dopamine to 4 mcg but have been able to bring this back down to 3 mcg. PRAYER--Please pray that Colby doesn't need the dopamine.
-They have done a belly x-ray to check and see how he is tolerating his food. We will have to wait and see what the results are. He hasn't had any residual (extra formula in his tummy that isn't digested) which is good---it shows that his body is doing what he is supposed to with food! :) PRAYER--Please pray that he continues to handle his food and we don't have to see the feeding stopped!
Thank you for all of your love, support, and prayers!
Brie
-Colby's urine output was much better today---he had tee-teed 4 times more today than yesterday!!! Whoo Hoo!
-Blood work showed no infections!
-The doctor upped his feedings to 5 CCs and are planning on going up 1 CC every 12 hours as long as Colby is tolerating his food ok. The goal is to get to 12 CCs!
-They may stop the dopamine tomorrow if Colby continues doing well.
Night-Time Check In
Talked in with Ms. Debbie tonight and got an evening update:
-Colby is doing good tonight.
-His oxygen is still at 100% and they had to raise his mean airway. His oxygen SATs wouldn't get much higher than 70-85. PRAYER---Please pray that Colby turns this around and keeps his SATs in the low 90s!
-They had to up his dopamine to 4 mcg but have been able to bring this back down to 3 mcg. PRAYER--Please pray that Colby doesn't need the dopamine.
-They have done a belly x-ray to check and see how he is tolerating his food. We will have to wait and see what the results are. He hasn't had any residual (extra formula in his tummy that isn't digested) which is good---it shows that his body is doing what he is supposed to with food! :) PRAYER--Please pray that he continues to handle his food and we don't have to see the feeding stopped!
Thank you for all of your love, support, and prayers!
Brie
Tuesday, August 14, 2012
Power Flicker!
Today's Visit
We went for a visit today and Colby's oxygen SAT had been in the high 70s to low 80s---which is lower than what they would like to see. He was having some tummy time and I just started talking to him. I talked about all the people praying for him. One of our nurses mentioned getting a small tape recorder and so I talked about stories I was going to read him on tape and how we would get Ainsley to sing some songs for him. I talked to him about how I was going to teach him all about Disney and Mickey Mouse and one day he would love watching Micky Mouse Clubhouse with his sister. :) Hi oxygen SAT got up to 92 while Mommy talked to him! I was really excited to see this and even more excited to get started with a tape recorder so he could hear our voices more during the day.
Then the power flickered! The nurses were so fast---everything came back up but I guess they have to restart the ventilator that Colby is on (the oscillating---which is probably not spelled right) along with the other few babies that have on in his room. That was a scary few seconds for me. The nurses were so calm but jumped right in and did what they knew needed to be done. After everthing was back to normal---I believe it took a good few minutes for my heart to get to beating correctly again. WOW!
Got a Phone call from the doctor tonight to give us an update:
-Gone up to 4 CCs of formula now
-Stopped his antibiotic
-Ultrasound still looked the same and they shadow or cyst that the doctor wasn't sure about didn't show up in this ultrasound
-Platelet levels were doing better and were right where he wanted them
-The x-rays are showing the PIE and he is going to be making some adjustments these next few days on the ventilator to see if we can get that to go away
Evening Check-Up:
-Still at 100% oxygen--PRAYER-That they are able to get this back down again.
-Blood gases looked good...just not good enough to lower the oxygen %. PRAYER-That this will continue to look better everyday!
-Colby got his feeding of 4 CCs at 100% oxygen PRAISE!
-Had a very full diaper! PRAISE!!
We went for a visit today and Colby's oxygen SAT had been in the high 70s to low 80s---which is lower than what they would like to see. He was having some tummy time and I just started talking to him. I talked about all the people praying for him. One of our nurses mentioned getting a small tape recorder and so I talked about stories I was going to read him on tape and how we would get Ainsley to sing some songs for him. I talked to him about how I was going to teach him all about Disney and Mickey Mouse and one day he would love watching Micky Mouse Clubhouse with his sister. :) Hi oxygen SAT got up to 92 while Mommy talked to him! I was really excited to see this and even more excited to get started with a tape recorder so he could hear our voices more during the day.
Then the power flickered! The nurses were so fast---everything came back up but I guess they have to restart the ventilator that Colby is on (the oscillating---which is probably not spelled right) along with the other few babies that have on in his room. That was a scary few seconds for me. The nurses were so calm but jumped right in and did what they knew needed to be done. After everthing was back to normal---I believe it took a good few minutes for my heart to get to beating correctly again. WOW!
Got a Phone call from the doctor tonight to give us an update:
-Gone up to 4 CCs of formula now
-Stopped his antibiotic
-Ultrasound still looked the same and they shadow or cyst that the doctor wasn't sure about didn't show up in this ultrasound
-Platelet levels were doing better and were right where he wanted them
-The x-rays are showing the PIE and he is going to be making some adjustments these next few days on the ventilator to see if we can get that to go away
Evening Check-Up:
-Still at 100% oxygen--PRAYER-That they are able to get this back down again.
-Blood gases looked good...just not good enough to lower the oxygen %. PRAYER-That this will continue to look better everyday!
-Colby got his feeding of 4 CCs at 100% oxygen PRAISE!
-Had a very full diaper! PRAISE!!
Rough Tuesday Morning
Good Morning All -
Our Colby is having a little bit of a rough morning. His first couple of blood gasses have not been very good so they have had to up his oxygen to 100%. His sats or still hovering in the high 70's and low 80's which is a little lower than they would like. They are trying to find the right settings that he will tolerate so his sats will stabilize. They warned us since his oxygen levels are so high and they had to put him back on the dopamine last night that there was a good chance that they would stop feeding him. The tummy doesn't always handle the high oxygen and dopamine combination.
Please pray for wisdom for the nurses and doctors that they will find the right settings for him today so he will be able to settle down and get his sats up. Please pray for healing of the lungs and that the rest of his organs are getting the oxygen they need. Please pray that his tummy will continue to tolerate the feeding so he can get as much nutrition as he can. Please pray that we will get a good report from the head ultrasound they took yesterday.
Thank you all for the prayers and support.
Our GOD is AWESOME!!!
Our Colby is having a little bit of a rough morning. His first couple of blood gasses have not been very good so they have had to up his oxygen to 100%. His sats or still hovering in the high 70's and low 80's which is a little lower than they would like. They are trying to find the right settings that he will tolerate so his sats will stabilize. They warned us since his oxygen levels are so high and they had to put him back on the dopamine last night that there was a good chance that they would stop feeding him. The tummy doesn't always handle the high oxygen and dopamine combination.
Please pray for wisdom for the nurses and doctors that they will find the right settings for him today so he will be able to settle down and get his sats up. Please pray for healing of the lungs and that the rest of his organs are getting the oxygen they need. Please pray that his tummy will continue to tolerate the feeding so he can get as much nutrition as he can. Please pray that we will get a good report from the head ultrasound they took yesterday.
Thank you all for the prayers and support.
Our GOD is AWESOME!!!
A Day Behind...this is for 8/13
Sorry that we didn't get a blog up last night about how yesterday went. Last night got away from us!
Monday Morning Update Call
-Had to give Colby some platelets again
-But they were able to lower his oxygen to 78% sometime that morning
Monday Visit
-Momy got to change your diaper again! This is not normally one of those baby chores that parents get excited about but I am so thankful that these nurses ask me. It is such a "mommy/daddy" thing to do and it makes me feel like I haven't lost that role altogether. It is so hard not being able to hold him, rock him, and make him better. :( So---when I get to change a diaper---I get excited! :) PRAISE!! PRAISE!!
-Colby's nurse yesterday was Emily and after I was done she stepped in and turned him over on his tummy, his favorite spot! Then I got to hold Colby's head and his SATS started to go up and up and up! I was so excited to know that Mommy caused that! (I know---it was probably the tummy time but a Mommy can believe what she wants to!) PRAISE!!!
-Colby's oxygen was around 80% and the oxygen pressure was back down to 11.5 PRAISE!!
-Daddy found out that you have grown 3/4" since last Monday! WOW! PRAISE!!
Monday Evening Update Call
-Oxygen was as 90% but Colby's oxygen pressure was still at 11.5 PRAISE! PRAYER--Please keep praying that these two numbers continue to work their way down over the next few weeks.
-Had to put him back on a low dose of dopamine to get him to tee-tee again (he wasn't doing a very good job of this) PRAYER--That Colby will turn this around and try to tee-tee some of this water weight off.
-They moved his feeding amount to 3 cc every 3 hours!!!! PRAISE!!
-He had a poopy diaper at 6pm---just a tiny but something to get excited about!! PRAISE!!
-Colby's evening nurse, Stephanie, weighed him and he gained 3 ounces and is now at 2 pounds! This may sound exciting but that is a lot of weight gain in a short amount of time and with Colby not tee-teeing the way that he needs to...this could be some water weight which is not something they want. PRAYER--That Colby will begin going to the potty better again and will shed some of this weight.
We are hoping for another good day today! Thank you for all your thoughts, prayers, and comments. They have blessed our home and warmed our hearts!
God Bless,
Brie
Monday Morning Update Call
-Had to give Colby some platelets again
-But they were able to lower his oxygen to 78% sometime that morning
Monday Visit
-Momy got to change your diaper again! This is not normally one of those baby chores that parents get excited about but I am so thankful that these nurses ask me. It is such a "mommy/daddy" thing to do and it makes me feel like I haven't lost that role altogether. It is so hard not being able to hold him, rock him, and make him better. :( So---when I get to change a diaper---I get excited! :) PRAISE!! PRAISE!!
-Colby's nurse yesterday was Emily and after I was done she stepped in and turned him over on his tummy, his favorite spot! Then I got to hold Colby's head and his SATS started to go up and up and up! I was so excited to know that Mommy caused that! (I know---it was probably the tummy time but a Mommy can believe what she wants to!) PRAISE!!!
-Colby's oxygen was around 80% and the oxygen pressure was back down to 11.5 PRAISE!!
-Daddy found out that you have grown 3/4" since last Monday! WOW! PRAISE!!
Monday Evening Update Call
-Oxygen was as 90% but Colby's oxygen pressure was still at 11.5 PRAISE! PRAYER--Please keep praying that these two numbers continue to work their way down over the next few weeks.
-Had to put him back on a low dose of dopamine to get him to tee-tee again (he wasn't doing a very good job of this) PRAYER--That Colby will turn this around and try to tee-tee some of this water weight off.
-They moved his feeding amount to 3 cc every 3 hours!!!! PRAISE!!
-He had a poopy diaper at 6pm---just a tiny but something to get excited about!! PRAISE!!
-Colby's evening nurse, Stephanie, weighed him and he gained 3 ounces and is now at 2 pounds! This may sound exciting but that is a lot of weight gain in a short amount of time and with Colby not tee-teeing the way that he needs to...this could be some water weight which is not something they want. PRAYER--That Colby will begin going to the potty better again and will shed some of this weight.
We are hoping for another good day today! Thank you for all your thoughts, prayers, and comments. They have blessed our home and warmed our hearts!
God Bless,
Brie
Sunday, August 12, 2012
A Special Day for Mommy...
I want to start this blog off a little differently. I know that I can't begin to name everyone that has been there for us and helped us but I would like to mention a few to begin with:
--To our family and friends---we would have gone crazy without you. You have been there for us to cheer with and to cry with. Thanks for always having a shoulder to lend.
--I want to say thank you to all of you who read this blog and pray for our family. You have touched our hearts in a way that we could never express.
--Thank you to all our church family. Your support and love is unending and gives us the strength to get through the next week. :)
--Thank you to all the people who are following along on Facebook---it is amazing to us the amount of support we are receiving!
--Thank you to all of the nurses, doctors, and staff that are taking care of our sweet baby. They have been AMAZING and so thoughtful. So very thankful for them!
News for Today:
We called this morning and got our morning update. Colby had a rough night but they were able to get his oxygen down to 80% and he had gotten some platelets last night as well. Because they are having to give him platelets so often the doctor decided to check for CMV (Cytomegalovirus) but his nurse said they like to rule things out and that a lot of premature babies needed more platelets. PRAYER--These results will come back in a few days. Please pray the results are negative.
We decided to take Ainsley up to the hospital for the first time today! She was very excited about going to see her little brother. We went up after her nap and Daddy took her in. Debbie was our nurse today and she was wonderful with her. Debbie got Ainsley a stool to stand on and answered all of her questions. Ainsley said he was so tiny! She also said a prayer for him while we were there---she can be so sweet! :) Then she was ready to go. She didn't want to stay long!
Then Mommy and Grams got to go in and spend a little time with Colby. Here are some info updates:
--He is on a photo therapy light (which he has been for a few days and we just keep forgetting to mention it) because of some jaundice. PRAYER--that he gets better soon. (Even though we will probably be on this a few times while we are in here)
--His oxygen was down to 78% while we were there and they had been able to lower his oxygen pressure a little bit as well. PRAISE!!!
--His sats were looking good. PRAISE!!!
--They have upped his feeding to 2 CCs every 3 hours! We have been warned that this is a roller coaster ride and that his feeding could be doing great one minute and turn around the next minute. Let's just hope he eats like his sister and has a lot more great days instead of any bad. ;) PRAISE!!
--He had to have his diaper changed today and the nurse let Mommy change it!!!!! Talk about terrified and so excited at the same time! He was on his tummy so I was changing him upside down. I took the diaper off and then got a little sidetracked by the weight of the diaper and the nurse reminded to hurry and get the diaper on before he tee-tee'd and they had to change the bedding! :) Then I had to tuck his little feet under him but he kept trying to stretch out his right leg and make it difficult for me! PRAISE!! PRAISE!!
--Then I got to put lotion on him!!!! I rubbed his little back with it and then I rubbed some on his head (messed up his hair a little!)! His sats went up while I was doing this so he obviously like his Mommy to love on him! PRAISE!!! PRAISE!!!! PRAISE!!!
I know that we are going to have bad days and they are rough to get through. But days like this---they melt your heart. I could just sit there and watch him for hours. Amazing how the love you feel for someone is just so overwhelming. I am so thankful to have my little family and I feel so blessed!
I am so thankful for all the prayer warriors that jumped in when we needed them yesterday. We will be calling in a little while to get our nightly update from the hospital---pray his night is like his day was and he is holding steady!
God Bless,
Brie
--To our family and friends---we would have gone crazy without you. You have been there for us to cheer with and to cry with. Thanks for always having a shoulder to lend.
--I want to say thank you to all of you who read this blog and pray for our family. You have touched our hearts in a way that we could never express.
--Thank you to all our church family. Your support and love is unending and gives us the strength to get through the next week. :)
--Thank you to all the people who are following along on Facebook---it is amazing to us the amount of support we are receiving!
--Thank you to all of the nurses, doctors, and staff that are taking care of our sweet baby. They have been AMAZING and so thoughtful. So very thankful for them!
News for Today:
We called this morning and got our morning update. Colby had a rough night but they were able to get his oxygen down to 80% and he had gotten some platelets last night as well. Because they are having to give him platelets so often the doctor decided to check for CMV (Cytomegalovirus) but his nurse said they like to rule things out and that a lot of premature babies needed more platelets. PRAYER--These results will come back in a few days. Please pray the results are negative.
We decided to take Ainsley up to the hospital for the first time today! She was very excited about going to see her little brother. We went up after her nap and Daddy took her in. Debbie was our nurse today and she was wonderful with her. Debbie got Ainsley a stool to stand on and answered all of her questions. Ainsley said he was so tiny! She also said a prayer for him while we were there---she can be so sweet! :) Then she was ready to go. She didn't want to stay long!
Then Mommy and Grams got to go in and spend a little time with Colby. Here are some info updates:
--He is on a photo therapy light (which he has been for a few days and we just keep forgetting to mention it) because of some jaundice. PRAYER--that he gets better soon. (Even though we will probably be on this a few times while we are in here)
--His oxygen was down to 78% while we were there and they had been able to lower his oxygen pressure a little bit as well. PRAISE!!!
--His sats were looking good. PRAISE!!!
--They have upped his feeding to 2 CCs every 3 hours! We have been warned that this is a roller coaster ride and that his feeding could be doing great one minute and turn around the next minute. Let's just hope he eats like his sister and has a lot more great days instead of any bad. ;) PRAISE!!
--He had to have his diaper changed today and the nurse let Mommy change it!!!!! Talk about terrified and so excited at the same time! He was on his tummy so I was changing him upside down. I took the diaper off and then got a little sidetracked by the weight of the diaper and the nurse reminded to hurry and get the diaper on before he tee-tee'd and they had to change the bedding! :) Then I had to tuck his little feet under him but he kept trying to stretch out his right leg and make it difficult for me! PRAISE!! PRAISE!!
--Then I got to put lotion on him!!!! I rubbed his little back with it and then I rubbed some on his head (messed up his hair a little!)! His sats went up while I was doing this so he obviously like his Mommy to love on him! PRAISE!!! PRAISE!!!! PRAISE!!!
I know that we are going to have bad days and they are rough to get through. But days like this---they melt your heart. I could just sit there and watch him for hours. Amazing how the love you feel for someone is just so overwhelming. I am so thankful to have my little family and I feel so blessed!
I am so thankful for all the prayer warriors that jumped in when we needed them yesterday. We will be calling in a little while to get our nightly update from the hospital---pray his night is like his day was and he is holding steady!
God Bless,
Brie
Saturday, August 11, 2012
First Bad Day was Exhausting...
Good Evening!
DAY TIME: Our first rough day was very tiring. We went to see Colby this morning and that was really hard. Knowing you can only sit and watch your baby boy struggle through everything by himself. I wish I could take some of this work off of him and put it back on me. I know that God is protecting him and holding him in His hands until I can wrap Colby up in mine and that gives me so much peace.
They were giving him some blood this morning when we went up there so that is good for him---they have to take so much from him to run his blood gases and other tests. They had him propped up a little on his side because one of his lungs was collapsing---by raising it a bit, the oxygen rises to the higher lung and works on filling it up to help correct that.
NIGHT TIME: Jason and I went back up to the hospital after dinner tonight and all I can say is our God is an amazing healer!!! Thank you to all our prayer warriors that sent out prayers today---they are working and we are so thankful for all your thoughts and prayers! Please keep them coming our way! Here are a few pieces of info from tonight:
-They were just taking an x-ray when we got there and while it still looked bad---it did look better than the one we saw earlier. PRAYER--Please pray that his lungs continue to get stronger every day and that there is minimal long term damage done.
-At one point in the afternoon his nurse, Brandon (who was fantastic!!!!) said they got his oxygen down to 95% but he had to bring it back up to 100%. PRAYER--Please pray that they are able to lower his oxygen percentage over the next few days.
-His sats were holding steadier which is good. PRAISE!!
-Brandon left the top off his bed while we were there so we were able to get some good pictures and we were able to touch him. I put my pinky in and touched his hand and he wrapped his fingers around it. Just about made me cry---I was so happy! What a wonderful moment! (I know it was probably a lot due to reflexes but I am choosing to forget about that as a possible explanation!) Jason also got to put his finger in there and have Colby hold onto him! So sweet! PRAISE!! PRAISE!! PRAISE!!
-They are feeding him 1 CC every 3 hours now instead of every 6 hours so that is good news! PRAISE!
-His platelets are a little low so they are giving him so more of those tonight. Brandon was going to take his current IV out and put another one in before starting the platelets which should take about two hours. PRAYER--Pray that these platelets help him feel better!
-We also met Logan and his Mommy tonight---Logan was born at 23 weeks old and that was 2 months ago! His Mommy was holding him and loving on him tonight. Can't wait until that is us!! Stories like this give us hope and encouragement! PRAISE!!!---This was just what we needed to see on a day like today!
Please keep praying that Colby has a good night and that we have more good days ahead.
P.S.
Our pumpkin is two weeks old now! :) Wow! These two weeks have gone by so fast (but at the same time they have gone by so slow at times!)
DAY TIME: Our first rough day was very tiring. We went to see Colby this morning and that was really hard. Knowing you can only sit and watch your baby boy struggle through everything by himself. I wish I could take some of this work off of him and put it back on me. I know that God is protecting him and holding him in His hands until I can wrap Colby up in mine and that gives me so much peace.
They were giving him some blood this morning when we went up there so that is good for him---they have to take so much from him to run his blood gases and other tests. They had him propped up a little on his side because one of his lungs was collapsing---by raising it a bit, the oxygen rises to the higher lung and works on filling it up to help correct that.
NIGHT TIME: Jason and I went back up to the hospital after dinner tonight and all I can say is our God is an amazing healer!!! Thank you to all our prayer warriors that sent out prayers today---they are working and we are so thankful for all your thoughts and prayers! Please keep them coming our way! Here are a few pieces of info from tonight:
-They were just taking an x-ray when we got there and while it still looked bad---it did look better than the one we saw earlier. PRAYER--Please pray that his lungs continue to get stronger every day and that there is minimal long term damage done.
-At one point in the afternoon his nurse, Brandon (who was fantastic!!!!) said they got his oxygen down to 95% but he had to bring it back up to 100%. PRAYER--Please pray that they are able to lower his oxygen percentage over the next few days.
-His sats were holding steadier which is good. PRAISE!!
-Brandon left the top off his bed while we were there so we were able to get some good pictures and we were able to touch him. I put my pinky in and touched his hand and he wrapped his fingers around it. Just about made me cry---I was so happy! What a wonderful moment! (I know it was probably a lot due to reflexes but I am choosing to forget about that as a possible explanation!) Jason also got to put his finger in there and have Colby hold onto him! So sweet! PRAISE!! PRAISE!! PRAISE!!
-They are feeding him 1 CC every 3 hours now instead of every 6 hours so that is good news! PRAISE!
-His platelets are a little low so they are giving him so more of those tonight. Brandon was going to take his current IV out and put another one in before starting the platelets which should take about two hours. PRAYER--Pray that these platelets help him feel better!
-We also met Logan and his Mommy tonight---Logan was born at 23 weeks old and that was 2 months ago! His Mommy was holding him and loving on him tonight. Can't wait until that is us!! Stories like this give us hope and encouragement! PRAISE!!!---This was just what we needed to see on a day like today!
Please keep praying that Colby has a good night and that we have more good days ahead.
P.S.
Our pumpkin is two weeks old now! :) Wow! These two weeks have gone by so fast (but at the same time they have gone by so slow at times!)
Low Oxygen Saturation
We are here with Colby and he isn't having a very good day. His underdeveloped lungs are not using the oxygen that they are giving him. They have raised the pressure on his ventilator, which will expand the lungs more in hopes he will get more oxygen in the blood. They are maxed at 100% on the amount they can give him. They are going to do another x-ray to see if he can handle going up more on the pressure. They problem with that is the risk of over inflating and popping the lung. The are giving him meds to completely sedate him but he won't have it. They gave it to him 20 minutes ago and he is still wiggling. He has had some episodes that they think were probably seizures, so they gave him some meds for that. He is getting some more blood that may help with his oxygen saturation.
Thank you all for continuing to pray for Colby. He needs all he can get right now.
Immediate Prayer
I talked to one of the doctors this morning and Colby's lungs are not doing very well this morning. His oxygen levels are really low and his x-ray showed P.I.E which is Pulmonary Interstitial Emphysema. I don't know exactly what that is but it didn't sound good at all. PLEASE PRAY!!!
Thursday, August 9, 2012
Peek-A-Boo Two!
Good Evening Prayer Warriors!
I just called and checked up on our trooper and he is having a good night. Here are some of the highlights for you:
-Ms. Debbie (his nurse for this evening) had not gotten a chance to check his weight yet tonight so we will see how that is in the morning.
-He is at 100% oxygen right now. They have made some other adjustments to the machine but we need PRAYERS that his oxygen is able to come down. It isn't good for him to have it that high for too long.
-He received some blood and platelets today which has helped his blood pressure and they were able to take him off the dopamine! PRAISE!!!
-He started feeding today!!! PRAISE!!! He is getting 1 CC of Pedilyte every six hours. He is due to have some at midnight and at 6am. If he does ok with those, they will feed him the formula for lunch! :)
-Colby is still on his antibiotics and they should be repeating a culture in a few days to see if it comes back positive or negative to see if the infection is still there or not. PRAYERS that the next culture will come back negative and Colby will be free from any infections!
-He is currently on 75% humidity in his bed and his skin seems to be reacting well to that and the lotion-like stuff they put on him is working very well on his cracked skin. PRAISE!!!
-When I went to the hospital today, Colby opened his eyes just a little bit and played Peek-A-Boo with me! It was a very special moment and of course I cried! PRAISE, PRAISE, PRAISE!!!
I know that it seems like we are repeating a lot of the same things day after day, blog after blog---we pray that our Prayer Warriors do not tire of reading it. I try to make it fun while still giving out the information we learned that day! Thank you for all the love and support---please keep it coming. We grow stronger because of your prayers!
God Bless,
Brie
I just called and checked up on our trooper and he is having a good night. Here are some of the highlights for you:
-Ms. Debbie (his nurse for this evening) had not gotten a chance to check his weight yet tonight so we will see how that is in the morning.
-He is at 100% oxygen right now. They have made some other adjustments to the machine but we need PRAYERS that his oxygen is able to come down. It isn't good for him to have it that high for too long.
-He received some blood and platelets today which has helped his blood pressure and they were able to take him off the dopamine! PRAISE!!!
-He started feeding today!!! PRAISE!!! He is getting 1 CC of Pedilyte every six hours. He is due to have some at midnight and at 6am. If he does ok with those, they will feed him the formula for lunch! :)
-Colby is still on his antibiotics and they should be repeating a culture in a few days to see if it comes back positive or negative to see if the infection is still there or not. PRAYERS that the next culture will come back negative and Colby will be free from any infections!
-He is currently on 75% humidity in his bed and his skin seems to be reacting well to that and the lotion-like stuff they put on him is working very well on his cracked skin. PRAISE!!!
-When I went to the hospital today, Colby opened his eyes just a little bit and played Peek-A-Boo with me! It was a very special moment and of course I cried! PRAISE, PRAISE, PRAISE!!!
I know that it seems like we are repeating a lot of the same things day after day, blog after blog---we pray that our Prayer Warriors do not tire of reading it. I try to make it fun while still giving out the information we learned that day! Thank you for all the love and support---please keep it coming. We grow stronger because of your prayers!
God Bless,
Brie
Peek-A-Boo!! :) 8/9/12
Just wanted to give everyone a morning update! I am on my way out the door to see my pumpkin so this will be brief!
-Colby's dopamine is still holding steady at 2 mcgs which is great news! PRAISE!!!
-He is getting some blood and platlets right now to bump up his levels a little. This might help his oxygen level.
-He is at 95% oxygen (he had gotten up to 100% sometime during the night but Elizabeth has him back down to 95 this morning)
-Debbie weighed him last night and he is still at 1 pound 13 ounces but he gained 20 grams :( so we need prayers that this will go down!
-AND LAST BUT NOT LEAST---MY PUMPKIN PEEKED OPEN ONE EYE THIS MORNING!!!! I AM SO EXCITED---EVEN IF I MISSED SEEING IT!!!!
Colby is having a good morning and we are on our way up there now! Please keep praying---it is helping in so many ways!!!
Love,
Brie
-Colby's dopamine is still holding steady at 2 mcgs which is great news! PRAISE!!!
-He is getting some blood and platlets right now to bump up his levels a little. This might help his oxygen level.
-He is at 95% oxygen (he had gotten up to 100% sometime during the night but Elizabeth has him back down to 95 this morning)
-Debbie weighed him last night and he is still at 1 pound 13 ounces but he gained 20 grams :( so we need prayers that this will go down!
-AND LAST BUT NOT LEAST---MY PUMPKIN PEEKED OPEN ONE EYE THIS MORNING!!!! I AM SO EXCITED---EVEN IF I MISSED SEEING IT!!!!
Colby is having a good morning and we are on our way up there now! Please keep praying---it is helping in so many ways!!!
Love,
Brie
Wednesday, August 8, 2012
Lots of Praises! 8/8/12
Good Evening to our Prayer Warriors!
I checked in with Colby's nurse (Debbie) tonight to see how his afternoon and evening had gone. He is doing about the same. Here are the highlights we talked about:
-He was currently at 95% oxygen. His daytime nurse, Elizabeth, had gotten him down to 80% this afternoon while he was having some tummy time. Colby had been turned over onto his back sometime this afternoon and that was probably part of why his oxygen was up---he isn't as happy on his back as he is on his tummy. Debbie figured when she did her checks in a little while and turned him back on his tummy, he would be happier and she would be able to take his oxygen % down a little. PRAYER---We would really like to see his oxygen around the 80% mark so please pray the nurses are able to get it down a little bit.
-Debbie was going to be checking his blood gases and his weight soon but we won't know how those are doing until the morning check in. PRAYER--we hope his blood gases continue to be good and that Colby loses a little bit more weight.
-He is still on his antibiotics and doing well with that. The last blood check came back negative so it looks like the infection is being taken care of by the antibiotics they had Colby on. PRAISE!
-Debbie says his dopamine is down to 2 mcg right now!!! PRAISE! If they can keep it steady at 2 or 3 mcgs then they can begin to feed him!
-They have given Colby some plasmanate which expands the blood. Still learning about this item and what it means.
-Colby had a poopy diaper today!!! PRAISE! I know that sounds like such a silly little thing to get excited about (and a dirty one too!) but it is another sign that things are working well inside. He has lots of wet diapers so that is wonderful as well!!! PRAISE!
-Debbie explained what they are giving him in his IV---two things. One is TPN (total parenteral nutrition) which provides all his nutritional needs of the body by bypassing the digestive system by dripping the solution directly into his vein. The second item is lipids. Lipids are a white colored IV fluid and they check to make sure he is getting the correct amount and tolerating them ok and Colby seems to be doing well with these! PRAISE!
All in all---Colby seems to be having a good night to follow his good day. I am continuously amazed by all the touching stories I am hearing and at all the support we are getting from so many people. Please keep praying for our precious baby, our family, and for the medical team that takes care of Colby. Our little Ainsley is still so young and doesn't quite understand everything that is going on but she is being such a little trooper. She told me this morning to tell her little brother that she said "hello!" and that she can't wait to hold him and carry him! (For those of you that have seen her with one of her babies---Uh Oh is all I can think!!! :)
May God Bless You All,
Brie
I checked in with Colby's nurse (Debbie) tonight to see how his afternoon and evening had gone. He is doing about the same. Here are the highlights we talked about:
-He was currently at 95% oxygen. His daytime nurse, Elizabeth, had gotten him down to 80% this afternoon while he was having some tummy time. Colby had been turned over onto his back sometime this afternoon and that was probably part of why his oxygen was up---he isn't as happy on his back as he is on his tummy. Debbie figured when she did her checks in a little while and turned him back on his tummy, he would be happier and she would be able to take his oxygen % down a little. PRAYER---We would really like to see his oxygen around the 80% mark so please pray the nurses are able to get it down a little bit.
-Debbie was going to be checking his blood gases and his weight soon but we won't know how those are doing until the morning check in. PRAYER--we hope his blood gases continue to be good and that Colby loses a little bit more weight.
-He is still on his antibiotics and doing well with that. The last blood check came back negative so it looks like the infection is being taken care of by the antibiotics they had Colby on. PRAISE!
-Debbie says his dopamine is down to 2 mcg right now!!! PRAISE! If they can keep it steady at 2 or 3 mcgs then they can begin to feed him!
-They have given Colby some plasmanate which expands the blood. Still learning about this item and what it means.
-Colby had a poopy diaper today!!! PRAISE! I know that sounds like such a silly little thing to get excited about (and a dirty one too!) but it is another sign that things are working well inside. He has lots of wet diapers so that is wonderful as well!!! PRAISE!
-Debbie explained what they are giving him in his IV---two things. One is TPN (total parenteral nutrition) which provides all his nutritional needs of the body by bypassing the digestive system by dripping the solution directly into his vein. The second item is lipids. Lipids are a white colored IV fluid and they check to make sure he is getting the correct amount and tolerating them ok and Colby seems to be doing well with these! PRAISE!
All in all---Colby seems to be having a good night to follow his good day. I am continuously amazed by all the touching stories I am hearing and at all the support we are getting from so many people. Please keep praying for our precious baby, our family, and for the medical team that takes care of Colby. Our little Ainsley is still so young and doesn't quite understand everything that is going on but she is being such a little trooper. She told me this morning to tell her little brother that she said "hello!" and that she can't wait to hold him and carry him! (For those of you that have seen her with one of her babies---Uh Oh is all I can think!!! :)
May God Bless You All,
Brie
Ultrasound Update
The results from Colby's ultrasound came back and he is still rating a low 3 out of 4 on the scale they use. The doctor said that one of the ventricles where they saw the blood had a tiny bit of swelling, but he wasn't very concerned. He also said that the neurologist saw a spot on the ultrasound that could be a cyst on the back of his brain. He thinks that it is an artifact (what they call a shadow) but he wants to see the ultrasound next week to be sure. We praise the Lord that the bleeding wasn't worse. Please continue to pray that the swelling will go down and what the neurologist saw on the ultrasound was just a shadow.
Other than that he is about the same as he was yesterday. His BP and his oxygen levels still continue to fluctuate, but he is stable. They are still hoping to get the dopamine weened down so they can start feeding him. It seems like every time they get it down to a low dosage he acts up and they have to give him more. It looks like he his going to be stubborn like his daddy. He is back down to 1lb 13oz and if they can get the rest of the weight he gained in fluid off of him that will probably help the oxygen levels.
Please pray with us for these specific concerns. Thank you all for your continued support.
Tuesday, August 7, 2012
My First Blog on my Pumpkin...
Good Evening Everyone! This is my first shot at writing a post so please bear with me until I get the hang of it! (For those of you that are English teachers---ignore all the errors!)
Colby had a good day today. We went to see him before lunch and I took my Grandmother in with me. His day nurse, Sheila, said he was doing well. He wasn't moving around too much but he picked up his hand as if to say "Hi Mommy!" and he moved his feet around entertaining his Great Grandma. :) Then Daddy got there and brought in Aunt Ali to visit while my Grandmother and I went back out to the waiting room.
Information Pieces for Today
-Colby had his head ultrasound and we should find out the results tomorrow. Please continue to pray for positive results--for the blood they saw the last time to have started to be absorbed and for there to not be an active bleed.
-His weight gain (yesterday we were told he had gone up to 1 lb 14 oz---4 oz gain) which is too much too fast. This is mostly due to water retention and they are giving him diuretics to hopefully help with that. Please pray that the medicine works and helps with the following couple of issues.
-His oxygen levels are up and down and they adjust his percentage as needed, based on results from each blood gas. Hopefully when we get some of this excess fluid out of him, this will start to get more under control and his percentage will be able to come down a little.
-They are trying to lower his dopamine levels to 2 or 3 (which is what they consider a renal dosage---a minimum amount that helps the kidneys out but still low enough that they can start to feed him) but this is another thing that goes up and down and isn't holding as steady as they would like. Similar to the oxygen levels---when they can get rid of some of this water retention---it will help get this to be a bit more steady.
-Sheila tried to give Colby some tummy time today but apparently he didn't like it very much and she had to turn him back over. :) Stinker!
Jason talked with his evening nurse, Stephanie, and things are very similar this evening. He seems to be having a relaxing night.
Please keep praying for our precious baby!! I am so humbled by this miracle God has given to us. We are so amazed by the number of people that are following along with Colby's progress. Your support lifts us up each day and gives us so much strength. We appreciate all of your thoughts and prayers!
Colby had a good day today. We went to see him before lunch and I took my Grandmother in with me. His day nurse, Sheila, said he was doing well. He wasn't moving around too much but he picked up his hand as if to say "Hi Mommy!" and he moved his feet around entertaining his Great Grandma. :) Then Daddy got there and brought in Aunt Ali to visit while my Grandmother and I went back out to the waiting room.
Information Pieces for Today
-Colby had his head ultrasound and we should find out the results tomorrow. Please continue to pray for positive results--for the blood they saw the last time to have started to be absorbed and for there to not be an active bleed.
-His weight gain (yesterday we were told he had gone up to 1 lb 14 oz---4 oz gain) which is too much too fast. This is mostly due to water retention and they are giving him diuretics to hopefully help with that. Please pray that the medicine works and helps with the following couple of issues.
-His oxygen levels are up and down and they adjust his percentage as needed, based on results from each blood gas. Hopefully when we get some of this excess fluid out of him, this will start to get more under control and his percentage will be able to come down a little.
-They are trying to lower his dopamine levels to 2 or 3 (which is what they consider a renal dosage---a minimum amount that helps the kidneys out but still low enough that they can start to feed him) but this is another thing that goes up and down and isn't holding as steady as they would like. Similar to the oxygen levels---when they can get rid of some of this water retention---it will help get this to be a bit more steady.
-Sheila tried to give Colby some tummy time today but apparently he didn't like it very much and she had to turn him back over. :) Stinker!
Jason talked with his evening nurse, Stephanie, and things are very similar this evening. He seems to be having a relaxing night.
Please keep praying for our precious baby!! I am so humbled by this miracle God has given to us. We are so amazed by the number of people that are following along with Colby's progress. Your support lifts us up each day and gives us so much strength. We appreciate all of your thoughts and prayers!
Monday, August 6, 2012
Monday Night Update
There is not a whole lot new to report this evening, but I wanted to give everyone a quick update to keep all of our wonderful prayer warriors in the loop. I really wish I could express just how much you all mean to us.
They weighed Colby today and he weighs 1 lb 14 oz, up 4 oz from birth. Praise the LORD.
Colby's oxygen levels have been all over the place today. They were around 55% this afternoon but at 80% when I talked to the nurse a few minutes ago. Of all the equipment he is on I am having the hardest time rapping my brain around the ventilator. What I do know is that we want the setting to be lower than the 80% it is right now, so please pray that his blood gasses will get better and they will be able to lower the settings.
They have started covering his incubator when he is not on the photo-therapy light to make sure he gets very minimal stimulation. Any kind of stimulation can agitate him and it is important that he stay calm so the machines can do what they need to do to help him get better. I mentioned before that you could see him breathing over the machine, but in fact that isn't very good for him. It is good that he is trying to do it on his own but it he really needs to let the ventilator do the work. Please pray for Colby to have peace and calmness so that the machines and medicine can do the work.
He is still on the dopamine at a dose of 4mcg. They tried to ween him down earlier today but his blood pressure wouldn't quit stay where they want it to be. They mentioned earlier that they would probably keep him on a low dose, anyway, because it would help with kidney function. Please pray that his BP will stay stable and that his kidneys will continue to work properly.
They did confirm that he has a little staph infection. He will remain on the antibiotics for a week or so, but his labs have already started to improve.
We got to touch our precious Colby today. He has squirming around more than the nurse wanted and she told us to touch him a little on the leg to try to get him to settle down. It is so terrifying and exhilarating at the same time. We want so badly to pick him up and hug him and comfort him, but at the same time touching him means the possibility of transferring germs.
We give all the credit to God for all the miracles he has already performed in our little man. Without our faith Christ we would never be able to persevere through this trying time. We thank God everyday for all of you. We have received so much support and for that we are grateful.
They weighed Colby today and he weighs 1 lb 14 oz, up 4 oz from birth. Praise the LORD.
Colby's oxygen levels have been all over the place today. They were around 55% this afternoon but at 80% when I talked to the nurse a few minutes ago. Of all the equipment he is on I am having the hardest time rapping my brain around the ventilator. What I do know is that we want the setting to be lower than the 80% it is right now, so please pray that his blood gasses will get better and they will be able to lower the settings.
They have started covering his incubator when he is not on the photo-therapy light to make sure he gets very minimal stimulation. Any kind of stimulation can agitate him and it is important that he stay calm so the machines can do what they need to do to help him get better. I mentioned before that you could see him breathing over the machine, but in fact that isn't very good for him. It is good that he is trying to do it on his own but it he really needs to let the ventilator do the work. Please pray for Colby to have peace and calmness so that the machines and medicine can do the work.
He is still on the dopamine at a dose of 4mcg. They tried to ween him down earlier today but his blood pressure wouldn't quit stay where they want it to be. They mentioned earlier that they would probably keep him on a low dose, anyway, because it would help with kidney function. Please pray that his BP will stay stable and that his kidneys will continue to work properly.
They did confirm that he has a little staph infection. He will remain on the antibiotics for a week or so, but his labs have already started to improve.
We got to touch our precious Colby today. He has squirming around more than the nurse wanted and she told us to touch him a little on the leg to try to get him to settle down. It is so terrifying and exhilarating at the same time. We want so badly to pick him up and hug him and comfort him, but at the same time touching him means the possibility of transferring germs.
We give all the credit to God for all the miracles he has already performed in our little man. Without our faith Christ we would never be able to persevere through this trying time. We thank God everyday for all of you. We have received so much support and for that we are grateful.
A NEW WEEK
Colby's second week is off to a pretty good start. He had a good day yesterday and so far this morning.
His oxygen percentage on the ventilator is up to 70% and that is a little higher than they would like. They are giving him a diuretic to help him urinate more which could help bring that percentage down. They did confirm, yesterday, that he does have some infection, but his labs were looking better and they think the antibiotics are helping. They should find out today what kind of infection it is and if they need to change the treatment. Either way he will be on antibiotics for the next 7 to 10 days. He is still on the dopamine for blood pressure but the dosage is less and they hope to continue to ween him from it.
I think our biggest concern for the week, and that which we need the most prayer, is the re-scan of his head that they will do tomorrow. Please pray that the result will show less blood pooling than in the last test and that there is no sign of an active bleed.
Thank you all for the continued prayer and support. May God bless you all.
Rejoice in hope, be patient in tribulation, be constant in prayer. Romans 12:12
His oxygen percentage on the ventilator is up to 70% and that is a little higher than they would like. They are giving him a diuretic to help him urinate more which could help bring that percentage down. They did confirm, yesterday, that he does have some infection, but his labs were looking better and they think the antibiotics are helping. They should find out today what kind of infection it is and if they need to change the treatment. Either way he will be on antibiotics for the next 7 to 10 days. He is still on the dopamine for blood pressure but the dosage is less and they hope to continue to ween him from it.
I think our biggest concern for the week, and that which we need the most prayer, is the re-scan of his head that they will do tomorrow. Please pray that the result will show less blood pooling than in the last test and that there is no sign of an active bleed.
Thank you all for the continued prayer and support. May God bless you all.
Rejoice in hope, be patient in tribulation, be constant in prayer. Romans 12:12
Updated Pictures Page
I wanted to let everyone know that I have "flipped" the Pictures page. They are now shown with the newest on top so you don't have to scroll through all the ones you've already seen in order to get to the new additions. I pray this post find each of you well and enjoying God's rich blessings in your lives. THANK YOU for your continued support and prayer for this sweet, sweet boy and his family!!!
Saturday, August 4, 2012
Over Paniced Father
Once Brie and I got back to see Colby it turns out his day hasn't been quite as bad as his daddy made out. He is still stable and his nurse said his day was actually pretty good other than them messing with him.
They did change him over to the oscillating ventillator which is better for him in the long run anyway. The oscillator constantly blows tiny puffs of air into his lungs which will cause less long-term damage to his lungs. The original vent blows a number of breaths per minute depending on the rate. While he was on that rate of 60 there much more risk of long term damage.
His blood pressure was a little low and his urine output wasn't quite as good as they like. They did put him back on the dopamine to help raise his BP a little and to help his urine output. They will probably start weening him off very soon.
The little guy's skin is starting to dryout and crack. They did put some vaseline gause under his arms to help keep the friction of hm moving around from tearing the skin. They are also going to put a little lotion on him to help stop the cracking.
There is the possibility that some of this agitation is being caused by some type of infection. They have started the antibiotics as a precautionary until they get his cultures back. It will take couple of days to get the tests back and if they come back negative they will take him off the antibiotics. If the tests come back positive he will probably be on the antibiotics for 7 to 10 days.
When we got to the hospital they were working on Colby and one of the nurses came out to talk to and gave us this long list of things that were going on. It is so hard not to think the worst.
Thank you all for answering the call for prayer. It means everything to Brie and I. Please continue praying and my God bless you all.
They did change him over to the oscillating ventillator which is better for him in the long run anyway. The oscillator constantly blows tiny puffs of air into his lungs which will cause less long-term damage to his lungs. The original vent blows a number of breaths per minute depending on the rate. While he was on that rate of 60 there much more risk of long term damage.
His blood pressure was a little low and his urine output wasn't quite as good as they like. They did put him back on the dopamine to help raise his BP a little and to help his urine output. They will probably start weening him off very soon.
The little guy's skin is starting to dryout and crack. They did put some vaseline gause under his arms to help keep the friction of hm moving around from tearing the skin. They are also going to put a little lotion on him to help stop the cracking.
There is the possibility that some of this agitation is being caused by some type of infection. They have started the antibiotics as a precautionary until they get his cultures back. It will take couple of days to get the tests back and if they come back negative they will take him off the antibiotics. If the tests come back positive he will probably be on the antibiotics for 7 to 10 days.
When we got to the hospital they were working on Colby and one of the nurses came out to talk to and gave us this long list of things that were going on. It is so hard not to think the worst.
Thank you all for answering the call for prayer. It means everything to Brie and I. Please continue praying and my God bless you all.
Down Day
Jason just texted a little while ago with some news. Colby has taken a downward turn on several fronts today. The adjustments they made with the "regular" vent and they have switched him over to the oscillating ventilator. They have also reintroduced the dopamine, which they were using to help keep his blood pressure up. Also, Colby's skin has started drying out and they are trying to treat that.
There are some concerns that Colby may have an infection. I know they had taken him off the antibiotics the other day because he had been doing so well. I'm hoping that much of these developments can be reversed with something as simple as getting those antibiotics back into his blood stream and giving his immune system a boost of help. But, the more sure and powerful solution will come from God's own hand. His healing is perfect and miraculous. We're asking for prayer:
There are some concerns that Colby may have an infection. I know they had taken him off the antibiotics the other day because he had been doing so well. I'm hoping that much of these developments can be reversed with something as simple as getting those antibiotics back into his blood stream and giving his immune system a boost of help. But, the more sure and powerful solution will come from God's own hand. His healing is perfect and miraculous. We're asking for prayer:
- As always, please pray for God's will for Colby to prevail.
- Please pray for wisdom and guidance for the medical team who is treating him. They are well-educated and well-trained, but His knowledge is so deep that He knows the number off hairs on Colby's head and He knows exactly what Colby needs right now.
- Please pray for comfort and peace for Colby's parents. They love and trust in God, but please pray that His presence is constantly felt by them.
May God bless and keep you and give you the strength to keep supporting these guys.
Friday, August 3, 2012
Oscillating Ventilator
PLEASE PRAY
We just talked to Colby's nightime nurse and she said that his blood gases have not been very good this evening and they have raised the rate on the ventilator to 60. If they do not get any better with the next couple of tests he will have to be switched over to the Oscillating Ventilator. We new there was a good chance that this day would come but he has been doing so well we thought it might be later rather than sooner. That is the hardest part about all of this is that he could be doing great one minute and have a set back the next.
Other than this he has had a pretty good day. When we saw him earlier he had the hiccups and it was so cute.
He got in trouble with the nurse a little bit... His sats and his heart rate when down a little today so the nurse suctioned his lungs to get a little fluid out and to help calm him down. After a few minutes he was still agitated so she went to get some meds to sedate him. As soon as she got back with the meds and scanned his little bar code his sats and his heart rate started to level out. It was almost as if her heard her come back with the meds and he say "ok, ok, I'll behave"
We praise God for all He has done, for all He is doing, and for all He will do in the time to come. We just ask, Lord, that you be with Colby right now. Hold him tight in your arms and keep him safe. Continue to heal his body and make him strong. Give the doctors and nurses wisdom to do what needs to be done. In the strong name of Jesus, Amen
We just talked to Colby's nightime nurse and she said that his blood gases have not been very good this evening and they have raised the rate on the ventilator to 60. If they do not get any better with the next couple of tests he will have to be switched over to the Oscillating Ventilator. We new there was a good chance that this day would come but he has been doing so well we thought it might be later rather than sooner. That is the hardest part about all of this is that he could be doing great one minute and have a set back the next.
Other than this he has had a pretty good day. When we saw him earlier he had the hiccups and it was so cute.
He got in trouble with the nurse a little bit... His sats and his heart rate when down a little today so the nurse suctioned his lungs to get a little fluid out and to help calm him down. After a few minutes he was still agitated so she went to get some meds to sedate him. As soon as she got back with the meds and scanned his little bar code his sats and his heart rate started to level out. It was almost as if her heard her come back with the meds and he say "ok, ok, I'll behave"
We praise God for all He has done, for all He is doing, and for all He will do in the time to come. We just ask, Lord, that you be with Colby right now. Hold him tight in your arms and keep him safe. Continue to heal his body and make him strong. Give the doctors and nurses wisdom to do what needs to be done. In the strong name of Jesus, Amen
Thursday, August 2, 2012
A LOT OF PRAISE TODAY
Colby has had a good day.
They did the second Echocardiogram today and the Patent Ductus Arteriosis they were treating with the Indocine is now very small. It isn't completely closed but we will take what we can get for now.
They have completely weened him off the Dopamine for his blood pressure and it is holding steady.
They have lowered the ventilator setting to 24 breathes per minute with an oxygen rate of 35%. Unfortunately I don't think I could articulate exactly what that means so I won't even try. What I will say is that they say it is very good. To give it a little perspective the current machine he is on has a low setting of 10 and a high setting of 60, with as much as 100% oxygen. It is so cute because you can watch his little chest rise when he gets the blast of air from the machine but you can also see him trying to breath "over the machine", as they call it, and attempt to breathe some on his own.
All of is other vitals are holding steady just like they are supposed to.
They will probably start trying to feed him some starting on his seventh day. They may start with something like Pedialyte or a 20 calorie preemie formula. Can you imagine a 20 calorie diet?
They will also start turning him over on his belly around day seven. I hadn't really thought about it before but he is fighting gravity pulling on his little lungs while he is lying on his back.
We serve an AWESOME GOD!!
The specific prayer requests right now are that the blood in his head is not from an active bleed and that it will reabsorb into the body and not cause any damage.
That Colby's vitals will remain stable.
They have taken him off his antibiotics, so pray that his body will stay free of infection and be able to fight off any infection on its own.
Thank you all so much for the support.
Rejoice in hope, be patient in tribulation, be constant in prayer. Romans 12:12
They did the second Echocardiogram today and the Patent Ductus Arteriosis they were treating with the Indocine is now very small. It isn't completely closed but we will take what we can get for now.
They have completely weened him off the Dopamine for his blood pressure and it is holding steady.
They have lowered the ventilator setting to 24 breathes per minute with an oxygen rate of 35%. Unfortunately I don't think I could articulate exactly what that means so I won't even try. What I will say is that they say it is very good. To give it a little perspective the current machine he is on has a low setting of 10 and a high setting of 60, with as much as 100% oxygen. It is so cute because you can watch his little chest rise when he gets the blast of air from the machine but you can also see him trying to breath "over the machine", as they call it, and attempt to breathe some on his own.
All of is other vitals are holding steady just like they are supposed to.
They will probably start trying to feed him some starting on his seventh day. They may start with something like Pedialyte or a 20 calorie preemie formula. Can you imagine a 20 calorie diet?
They will also start turning him over on his belly around day seven. I hadn't really thought about it before but he is fighting gravity pulling on his little lungs while he is lying on his back.
We serve an AWESOME GOD!!
The specific prayer requests right now are that the blood in his head is not from an active bleed and that it will reabsorb into the body and not cause any damage.
That Colby's vitals will remain stable.
They have taken him off his antibiotics, so pray that his body will stay free of infection and be able to fight off any infection on its own.
Thank you all so much for the support.
Rejoice in hope, be patient in tribulation, be constant in prayer. Romans 12:12
Wednesday, August 1, 2012
Newest specific Prayer need...
I just talked to Jason a few minutes ago. The ultrasound of Colby's brain did not yield good news. They found that he is bleeding into his brain. There really isn't anything that the medical team can do for that - it's basically a "wait and see what happens" situation. Let's all remember to pray for God's will to be done in this (and every) situation - but, let's also pray that He would intervene and bring miraculous healing that can come only from His hand. Pray that His wisdom would be imparted upon the medical team. And continue to pray for His comfort for Jason & Brie and all of those who love little Colby and his parents.
Day 3 Update
Sorry I haven't updated sooner. This is the first time I've been able to get to a computer and updating from a cell phone takes forever.
Colby is still doing well since his first ambulance ride to Baptist South. We received the report from the ultrasound of his heart and he is dealing with Patent Ductus Arteriosis. The ductus arteriosis is a blood vessel that allows blood to go around the baby's lungs before birth and usually closes when the baby takes his first deep breath after being born. Colby's ductus arteriosis is still open and they are giving him Indocine that, in 85% of the cases, will close the hole. They will give him three doses of the medicine and on Thursday they will do another ultrasound to see if it worked. One good thing that will come out of the Indocine working is it will help his breathing and probably help adjust the setting on his ventilator, so please pray for the success of the medicine.
We still have not received the report on the ultrasound of the head. Brie got to come home today so she will get to go see him for the first time since he was moved. I'm sure we will get the report when we get there and I will update again this evening.
His platelets and hematocrit were a little low last night so they gave him some blood and he seems to be handling it well.
PRAISES -
His heart rate is stable
He is on a pretty low setting on the ventilator as well as the amount of oxygen they are having to give.
He is urinating well so it seems as if his kidney's are functioning properly.
They have weened him down to 2.5mcg of Dopamine for his blood pressure. That is down from 6mcg
while he was at East.
We continually thank God for all the miracles that has already and continues to perform.
CONTINUED PRAYER -
His glucose was a little low again this morning so they seem to still be having trouble finding the right balance for his IV fluid.
The report that we receive about the he had ultrasound will show that he handle the move perfectly and that there is no bleeding from any trauma.
The Indocine he is getting for the blood vessel in his heart will do the job and it will close and allow the blood to flow like it is supposed to.
We are going to see him in a little while so I will update again later.
Several people have reminded me of a verse that not only is true in this situation, but in every situation in all of our lives...
"For I know the plans I have for you," declares the LORD, "plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future." Jeremiah 29:11
Lord give us all the strength to know that You are in complete control of everything and without You we accomplish nothing. I pray for everyone who reads this blog and that through this experience we will all come closer to You. Father, I lift my son, Colby, to You and ask that You keep him safe and help him to grow and help him to keep fighting. I pray You give the doctors and nurses wisdom and strength. In YOUR NAME, Amen.
Colby is still doing well since his first ambulance ride to Baptist South. We received the report from the ultrasound of his heart and he is dealing with Patent Ductus Arteriosis. The ductus arteriosis is a blood vessel that allows blood to go around the baby's lungs before birth and usually closes when the baby takes his first deep breath after being born. Colby's ductus arteriosis is still open and they are giving him Indocine that, in 85% of the cases, will close the hole. They will give him three doses of the medicine and on Thursday they will do another ultrasound to see if it worked. One good thing that will come out of the Indocine working is it will help his breathing and probably help adjust the setting on his ventilator, so please pray for the success of the medicine.
We still have not received the report on the ultrasound of the head. Brie got to come home today so she will get to go see him for the first time since he was moved. I'm sure we will get the report when we get there and I will update again this evening.
His platelets and hematocrit were a little low last night so they gave him some blood and he seems to be handling it well.
PRAISES -
His heart rate is stable
He is on a pretty low setting on the ventilator as well as the amount of oxygen they are having to give.
He is urinating well so it seems as if his kidney's are functioning properly.
They have weened him down to 2.5mcg of Dopamine for his blood pressure. That is down from 6mcg
while he was at East.
We continually thank God for all the miracles that has already and continues to perform.
CONTINUED PRAYER -
His glucose was a little low again this morning so they seem to still be having trouble finding the right balance for his IV fluid.
The report that we receive about the he had ultrasound will show that he handle the move perfectly and that there is no bleeding from any trauma.
The Indocine he is getting for the blood vessel in his heart will do the job and it will close and allow the blood to flow like it is supposed to.
We are going to see him in a little while so I will update again later.
Several people have reminded me of a verse that not only is true in this situation, but in every situation in all of our lives...
"For I know the plans I have for you," declares the LORD, "plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future." Jeremiah 29:11
Lord give us all the strength to know that You are in complete control of everything and without You we accomplish nothing. I pray for everyone who reads this blog and that through this experience we will all come closer to You. Father, I lift my son, Colby, to You and ask that You keep him safe and help him to grow and help him to keep fighting. I pray You give the doctors and nurses wisdom and strength. In YOUR NAME, Amen.
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