2 Subjects

There were 2 subjects in school I was never fond of, Science and English. I was an all around good student, so it wasn't like I disliked the subjects because I didn't understand them. I just didn't like them. So much so, that when I got to college I tested out of all my required English classes and waited until senior year to take my one required sophomore level Science class.

Now at 33 years old I find myself getting an informal medical education and then writing about it on this blog. (Some of the sloppy writing habits I've developed over the years are enough to make my English teacher from Freshman year of high school want to "bleed" red all over my blog I'm sure, but fortunately, I doubt she's reading this.) I have my degree in Music of all things. That so doesn't really qualify me to be passing on info about my son's condition to my friends and family!

That said. He's doing ok. I just spoke with his nurse. He's still on the oscillator, but his O2 settings are the lowest they've been, 33%, since he was put back on the oscillator.

The arterial line in his umbilical is giving the nurses fits whenever they try to draw blood from it, so it will be coming out today. They may or may not run a peripheral line in his wrist or ankle. Part of me hopes they do run it so they don't have to prick his heel every time they need a blood gas. Part of me hopes they don't though, since he's already got a PIC line in his left arm and an IV in his right...although the IV will probably be taken out today if it hasn't been already. My point though is that if they put the arterial line in his foot and leave the IV the poor squirt will have catherers in 3 of his limbs and. a pulse ox monitor on the 4th. Really, how much can you do to one kid?

None of the cultures they took ever really turned up anything. None of the "big bugs" as one the NPs would say. That's not to say for sure that he doesn't have an infection though. Right now they are treating him as if he has pneumonia. From what I've read, this sounds pretty standard. The NP also told me to expect him to get some sort of infection at some point during his NICU stay. It's just the way it goes.

They started his feeds again yesterday and as of last night he was already back up to 2 mL every 3 hours. Which is good. He needs to eat. We had to get a chest freezer last weekend (got to love Craigslist and compassionate souls who give you a really good deal!) cuz we were already out of room in the fridge/freezer. At this rate the new freezer will be full in no time. He needs to eat!

I snapped one new pic last night. He's been so easily overstimulated lately I haven't taken many pix cuz I didn't want to bug him with the flash. I'll post it later today.

That's about it for now. Hopefully we can get him back on the regular vent soon. His chest x-ray this morning was clearer than the last. Praying it continues to clear.

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