Public Displays of Affection

June 30 6 pm

It really struck me as completely hilarious today. We all rely on the sum of our life experiences to make up the whole of who we are. They help to define our personality as well as act as frames of reference that we refer to when communicating with others with similar or possibly the same frames of reference. So as most of you know I chose a career that allows me to spend a good majority of my day around the teenage population. It is a fundamental necessity (and an occupational hazard) that a lot of my frames of reference are directly influenced by this same population. Thus a lot of the teenage pop culture is bred into my every day life and thus becomes part of my frame of reference.........I know.....I know......where the hell are you going with this!!!! Well here it is: until a week ago the phrase PDA has always been a frame of reference for me that indicated two people ( almost exclusively teenagers) were not only engaging in public displays of affection, but the term almost exclusively refernced such displays in a negative way. If somebody said "Ooooh PDA!!!!" I would instantly know that there were two teenagers groping each other and making out in some way that was really offensive. This has been a frame of reference of mine for many many years.......until this past week. Now I have experienced a personal cultural shift that will forever influence that term in a completely different way. PDA is all I can think about now. No not the repulsive gropings of young teenagers in puppy love........but the problem in my sons hearts that keep them in danger. PDA is the small vessel that connects the major vein and the major artery that transport blood to and from the lungs from the heart. The heart uses the artery to send blood (that has collected carbon dioxide from the body and is thus now lacking in oxygen) to the lungs to be cleansed of CO2 and enriched with Oxygen. The heart then uses the vein to return the blood (newly enriched with Oxygen and cleansed of CO2) back to the heart so it can send it on to the body. (Didn't know you were going to get a Biology lesson did you!!!! Well people have been asking about the whole heart thing so.....) While in the uterus the baby doesn't need to clean the blood and get new oxygen this way because mom's placenta is doing all of that already. So mother nature created this cute little vessel called the PDA to basically divert the blood from the heart to the lungs cuz it's not necessary. When the baby is born the pressure of the first cry and thus the strong first breath automatically closes this little PDA. Well with preemies (enter the heroes of our story.....Tyler and Parker!!!) this little pesky PDA stays open which hinders the baby from oxygenating it's own blood as well as cleansing it of CO2. Needless to say this is a very bad thing:( So medicince is given to close this sucker off. It's a three day course of meds that does it.......now the problem.......in doing so the medicine also hinders the kidneys from doing their job which presents itself symptomatically in a decrease in urine output. This is what happened a few days ago which pre-empted them from giving the third dose. Our heroes ( and by the way damn good looking chick magnets) laughed at the third dose and closed their PDA's with onlly two doses which led to much rejoicing as well as the beginning of the breast milk feedings, hence the "boys and boobs.....of course" entry. But alas, yesterday found our heroes in trouble as the PDA (a much more formidable opponent than originally given credit for) reared it's ugly head and re-opened to taunt our heroes once again!!! (thus the "one step back" entry yesterday). That leaves us with today's update........finally!!!!!! Can you tell that Heather is sleeping right now and I've found myself with a bit of time and caffeine surging through my veins......plus there are the inquiries for clearing up this whole heart thing.

But alas I digress......back to the "public displays of affection" analogy that I so painfully outlined for you earlier...... Everything is basically at a stand still with both boys until this problem gets resolved: they can't start eating again, their blood oxygen levels and CO2 levels continue to need to be constantly monitored and adjusted etc. Once the pesky PDA finally closes (on both boys.....cuz you know them......what one gets the other HAS TO HAVE TOO) then we can get the blood gasses stabalized, possibly get them off the respiration assistance machine (currently an ossilator.....NO i'm not explaing the difference in the different machines!!) and finally start getting back on the boob, which, we know, is where every healthy red blooded american male wants to be in the first place!!! Thus from here on out whenever I hear the phrase PDA, not only will i automatically envision inapporpriate groping, but now I will also always picture this little vessel right above the heart that has been causing my sons so much trouble, and has been inhibiting their growth and right to life!!! Me perspective on something so simple has forever changed to include something so potentially life threatening.

So back to the update of the day ( hey, I'm a math geek by trade......therefore I'm allowed to go off on tangents.....little math geek humor for ya all:)) Today found both boys with significantly increased urine output ( which we all now know is good because it allows them to continue with the medication to close the PDA). They both received their second of three doses of the meds today. What we hope to see overnight and tomorrow is a continued output of urine which will allow them to administer the third dose of medicine tomorrow (which we've been told is what usually needs to happen to keep the PDA closed). So once again I find my happiness being determined by what is found in the dirty diaper of both of my sons........how my life has changed amuses me to no end!!!! Should our villain the PDA not respond to the medicine we will be forced to bring in our ally and secret weapon, the cardio vascular neo natal surgeon who will go in surgically and clamp that sucker off once and for all not only solving the problem, but also leaving each boy with a permanent keep sake in their chest. We are obviously hoping to solve the problem with the valient efforts of only our damn good looking chick magnet heroes.