Ya Gotta Luv a Good Day

July 12 9:30 pm

Today saw some changes that made for a good day:) Very moderate ones for Parker, somewhat more significant ones for Tyler. Parker made his switch to the new vent yesterday, but wasn't really having positive results. His CO2 levels should be down in the 40's which is what you and I would have if they drew our blood. His have consistantly been in the 70's and upper 60's which could cause them to go back onto the occilator which is what they have done twice before. This mornings gas saw a dramatic dip of his CO2 into the 50's. The day nurse said that she has been suctioning his air tube a lot more than usual. The thought is that it keeps getting restricted and even blocked by mucous from his lungs. The doctor today confirmed that theory as well as used the word pneumonia for the first time. We knew he had an infection, but nobody had really identified it specifically as pneumonia. The doc said that the anti-biotics were really working well on the pneumonia which was loosening up all that infected mucous in his lungs. Think about that feeling when we get a chest cold and how congested your chest is. When you finally start getting better and all that congestion loosens up you can finally cough it out. Well poor little Parker can't cough, so it is gradually coming up into his breathing tube. By suctioning a lot more (as well as the larger tube they put in yesterday) the tube stays more clear and allows for better transfer of air. The result is a CO2 level in the 50's.......at least we hope that is what is happening. We just called and found out they don't have another blood gas result since this mornings. They'll be taking one in a couple of hours......fingers are crossed. Tyler on the other hand has had a great day. He got switched onto his new vent today and is just showing off. His first gas saw his CO2 levels in the 50's and his most recent saw it in the 40's!!!! It is still really premature, but our hope is that within a week they can get him off that vent.......now that will be huge since the next step for him will be a breathing device that does not require a breathing tube......yup you guessed it......that means they can extabate him (take our the breathing tube)!!!!! The new device still assists him in taking breaths but it does it through a device around his nose blowing in pressure and sucking it out (okay not really the technical description, but you get the idea.) The other great news for Tyler is that they are up to 15 ml / 3hours on his feedings. This is significant in that if he can get to 19 ml they can stop giving him his TPN ( basically a suped up gatorade of nutrition that they have been on until they can get enough breast milk). Now the elimination of TPN is significant, because if they don't have to give TPN, they don't have to have the PIC line remain in!!!!!! One more life line that will be able to be removed from his little body:):) So I'm jumping the gun and all this stuff since it is still pretty far away, but at least they are talking about it!!! Parker will get there too.....he's just gotta keep battlin'