Friday, June 22, 2012

Quickest of Updates

Apologies, yet again, for the lack of updates.  This week has been busy, and I have hit the proverbial wall of exhaustion.  Jeremiah is heading off to the lakehouse with my dad for the weekend, so I will be able to get lots of good rest.

In the meantime-- a briefing on the P-nut:

--PICC line is out, meaning there are no more IVs/needles anywhere.  All his meds are oral, and the tower of medicine pumps is down to one (for his feeds).  All he has are his oxygen cannulae, feeding tube, and air vent tube.
--He is rocking it out on the feeds.  They stopped his TPN (intravenous nutrition) and lipid drips when they pulled the PICC, so he is exclusively "breastfed" now.  He, just yesterday, started getting condensed feeds of 39 ml/hr for 2 hours, then one hour off.  They hope to continue to condense them down until he gets all his milk in about 30 minutes, just like a normal baby.  Thus far, no real puke and not too much sign of reflux.
--He likes to desat when he poops.
--We have been downgraded from terror threat level orange (I think we moved from red to orange when he came off the ventilator). I know this because we have been moved across the critical NICU (WE HAVE A WINDOW!  Woowoo!) and our nurses are split between two babies.  They do not care if Mike and I change diapers or get him out of bed on our own.  My heart is happy.
--His oxygen wean, which was at a total standstill for much of the last 2 weeks, has picked up. He hung out at 55% oxygen on a 6L/min flow for a long time, and today he decided it would be a nice time to get almost down to room air (21% oxygen) and a 5L/hr flow.  Keep trucking, P-nut!!
--In the greatest news from this week, Parker's echo from Wednesday came back with a note that said "Resolved elevated pulmonary issues."  I made Mike ask the neonatologist if that actually meant what I imagined it to, and it does.

PARKER IS PULMONARY HYPERTENSION FREE! 

Big, giant praises for this. That was honestly the last of the potentially fatal hurdles that he had to clear, and we are so relieved.  Everything else from here on should be fairly straightforward-- SLOW, agonizingly slow, but onward we go.  Hopefully to the step-down unit sooner than later. 

Thank you all so much for your constant prayers and for checking on us and Parker.  I will do better about updating, I promise, and I will post some pictures this weekend.

We love you all!

11 comments:

  1. Praise, praise, praise!!!!!

    Liz

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  2. Oh my!! Thanks for the update. I am so happy Parker is doing so well. Prayers do pay off and I am so thankful that they do. Rest well on your weekend "off" (ha/ha!) and post again soon (well, at least as soon as you are a little more rested! And,gorge on a donut or two or three! I will.) WTG Parker.

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  3. Yay! It all sounds so good! Keep up the good work for your parents, Parker! And this complete-stranger-blog-stalker thanks you for the update. I pray & check in daily!

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  4. So so so happy that Parker continues to be a CDH rockstar! No more pulmonary hypertension is great news! God is good. Keep it up, Parker! :)

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  5. Thank HEAVEN for strong little boys and tired moms who keep us updated. I think we are ALL relieved to hear that things are going as we are praying so hard for. We'll keep it up :)!

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  6. Oh my stars!!! I was just last night thinking "leave Abby alone, she will update when she can!" but wondering. Lines out and off TPN and on bolus feeds!!!! This is all amazing stuff! Wow, Abby. I know it *feels* slow, but Parker is sailing through this CDH monster.

    I know you are exhausted. I get it. It just is. Hang in there, mama.
    Corinne and Samuel

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  7. Such wonderful news! I am thrilled for your family!

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  8. Maybe we all de-sat when we poop, we just don't know it!! great to read such great news

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  9. Have been praying for Parker since your post on Kelly's Korner. Glad that he is doing so well!

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  10. Have been praying for Parker since your link on Kelly's Korner. Happy to hear that he is doing so well!

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