New to the Parkers: Day 34

Day 34

Day 34: 1130 grams or 2 lbs 8 oz. Tube is out! For the fourth and, fingers crossed, final time. This morning he had a very large air leak around his tube indicating the swelling in his throat had gone down and it was time to pull the tube. Dr. Nold wants to give him the best chance possible at this. So she has started him on the CPAP (continuous positive air pressure) RAM cannula. She is also giving him 4 more doses of the steroid dexamethasone over the next 24 hours to keep the swelling down. They have also given him 2 racemic epinephrine breathing treatments to help open his airway. They want to see him off the ventilator as much as we do and have done everything they can to make this time a success.

Both blood gas tests were excellent today! A good sign he is doing well off the ventilator. The last two times he was off the ventilator his CO2 was bmvery high. This time he is having apnea bradycardia again but only while eating. It is a very scary thing to watch, and makes for a very tense day staring at his monitors, jumping up to wake him up before it becomes an issue. They think this is because the feeding tube keeps his stomach sphincter open allowing milk to flow back up into the esophagus. There is a large vagus nerve that runs along there and as milk flows back up it stimulates the nerve which causes a reduced heart rate and leads to apnea. They have propped him up during his feedings and that seems to be helping. Hunter held him upright for an hour during his feeding tonight and Jackson loved it. Everytime his heart rate started to dip, Hunter was able to pat his bum to wake him up before it became an issue. We wish we could hold him for every feeding, but it is just too much stimulation for the little guy right now. We will see. Jackson is doing good, he's a tough little guy. The roid rage is much less today, and he is starting to be comforted by his pacifier and being swaddled. It is so wonderful to see him enjoying 'normal' baby comforts, even if the binky takes up half his face and when swaddled he is smaller than a Cafe Rio burrito! Lots of prayers things continue to go well and the reflux improves. FOJSP!