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PREVIOUS UPDATES - November 2002

December updates

November 7, 2002 - My blood pressure had been low but hydrocortisone is making me more stable.   Sweet nurse Cara removed my umbilical arterial catheter last night so now I get less saline and more nutrients -- but nurses now have to check my blood pressure with a tiny cuff and take blood from my foot for lab tests (ouch). My lungs are improving but they are still a little wet.  The nurses say they might dry up when I come off the ventilator.

November 10, 2002 - The nurses said Mom can hold me for the first time today.  I'm looking forward to laying my head on her chest. My blood pressure is still being helped by hydrocortisone but I am requiring less of it. I'm still on the ventilator but sometimes the nurses back down on the oxygen settings all the way to 21% (room air). I hope to get to try breast milk tomorrow... I'm hungry!!

November 12, 2002 - Mom got to hold me on her chest 2 days in a row -- I just loved that! My blood pressure is getting better.  I hope to have my last dose of hydrocortisone today. I had some breast milk through a feeding tube yesterday but I can't have anymore until they figure out why my blood platelets are so low.  They think I might have an infection so I am going to start some antibiotics. I'm still on the ventilator.

November 13, 2002 - The nurses told me I would have some ups and downs.  True to prediction, I caught some sort of darn infection.  I stopped urinating, my blood pressure is low again, my bicarbonates and blood platelets are low and I just don't feel as good.  I'm getting antibiotics, steroids, plasma and dopamine to make me feel better.  I hope I get better soon 'cause Mom and Dad worry a bunch.

November 15, 2002 - I'm starting to feel better as I get over this infection - vital signs normal and peeing again.  The docs removed an IV catheter, the probable source of infection.  Not to worry, they put another IV in me, this time in my head... funny place for an IV, but it works. I gained some weight, 640 grams versus 570 a few days ago.  And I pooped while Mom was changing my diaper which means my bowels are working.  Translation, I get to resume tube feeds soon, yeah!!

November 17, 2002 - I think I'm over my recent infection but the doctors will tell me for sure with some lab work.  The nurses have been feeding me breast milk through a tube that goes directly into my stomach for a whole day now (1/2 cc per hour).  So far so good.  But they say I need to poop soon or they'll have to stop. My ventilator tube doesn't fit so well lately which may be causing my heart to slow down and my blood oxygen saturation to drop.  But the doctors said I might be able to try coming off the ventilator this week!  I'm excited but Mom and Dad are nervous.  Wish me luck!

November 19, 2002 - I have gained some weight, tipping the scales at 694 grams (1 pound, 8 ounces).  I'm still ingesting breast milk through a tube that goes directly into my stomach.  Even bigger news, I have been pooping!  This is a good sign as I don't want to go through NEC (necrotizing enterocolitis). My ventilator tube still doesn't fit so well lately which may be causing my heart to slow down and my blood oxygen saturation to drop.  But the doctors said I might be able to try coming off the ventilator this week!  I'm excited but Mom and Dad are nervous.  Wish me luck!

November 22, 2002 - I had a great day followed by a frustrating setback.  It started with the removal of my ventilator tube.  Of course I still needed help breathing so the docs placed a mask over my nose to blow oxygen-enriched air into my lungs.  I finally showed those doctors I didn't need that stupid tube. Unfortunately my stomach started bleeding.  And since the mask blows air into to my stomach as well, they had to reinsert a ventilation tube. They are quite worried about the source of the bleeding and suspect necrotizing enterocolitis (NEC).  They are giving me antibiotics and conducting lab tests to figure it out.

November 24, 2002 - The bleeding in my stomach stopped just as quickly as it started.  Docs aren't certain of the cause but they're pretty confident it isn't the dreaded NEC, whew!  I'm back on tube feeds of breast milk (yea! I was hungry!)  And I got to lay on Mom's chest yesterday. Tomorrow, I hope to breathe on my own again with the oxygen mask, no ventilator tube.

November 27, 2002 - The doctors extubated me again and placed me on CPAP.  That means I am breathing more or less on my own -- the machine maintains a minimum pressure in my lungs while I provide the peak pressure by breathing in.  I also no longer have a tube through my trachea, only tiny prongs inserted into my nostrils.  This is working well thanks to Nurse Linda M! Dad provides a longer description of how this works in the Yahoo Groups postings, for which you can register at the link on the home page.