12-13-2008 Zach Update

Due to getting everything ready for the baby shower tomorrow (well really today since I'm writing it late) this update is a bit behind.

He was doing pretty well when we went to see him. The nurse said he'd had a few apnea episodes and a couple DStats but mostly after he ate. He tends to hold his breath when he's got gas or making poo :). They said as long as that's the only time he's having those episodes he should be ok to stay on CPAP and not be re-intubated but if he starts having apnea and Dstating frequently during a shift they'll have to re-intubate. So far this hasn't been the case.

He also went down some on his oxygen today he'd been in the mid to low 30s so this is a good sign. The goal is to get him down to low 20s/high teens for oxygen before they'll consider putting him on the cannula (just oxygen up the nose).

I can tell the nurses have been working with him and the pacifier since he got it on Thursday when I was there. Today he took it happily and was sucking like he'd been doing it forever. Thursday when we gave it to him he not only didn't want anyone near his face but he didn't know what to do with the pacifier. Had to keep holidng it in his mouth and moving his tongue back into position. So needless to say it was nice to see him sucking on it like a pro and his stats went up high when he was sucking on it he seemed really happy and comforted by it. Didn't take him long at all to pick that up.

The nurse warned me on Thursday that some babies in the NICU who are on the ventilator for a while get "nipple aversion" and they don't like anything near their faces. He was acting really pissy when I tried to wipe his face and seemed scared like I was going to put that dreadful tube back down his mouth. So I kept working on touching his face in a gentle way and saying soothing things till he stayed calm while I touched his face instead of freaking out. After about the 4th attempt and some hours later I tried the pacifier and got him to suck a bit on it while he was feeding (tube). This way he associates eating with sucking becuase pretty soon he's going to have to work for his food no more food in the tube :P

So overall he's been doing pretty well and hopefully this stays this way. The CPAP does make his stats change dramatically because he's responsible for his breathing and that scares you when you see him go from 175 heartbeat down to 120 or less then back up to 150 +. He'll start dstating and you just pray he recovers quickly and he usually does but that's some scary 30 s or so while you wait for his brain to kick in and say hey... need to breathe here.

I'll keep you all posted on any new developments and how the baby shower goes tomorrow. We've got lots of great food, prizes and fun planned and I can't wait to see any of you that are coming!

S