Jack Kaden

It is well known that a picture is worth 1000 words, so I’ve got 3 pictures that pretty much sum up the day. 1585 grams, 20cc’s, 40% O2.

He streched.

He slept.

He drooled.

Jack has been exutbated. He is now back on the CPAP and leveled off about 40%. He has been swaddled, which he seems to like. He picked up a few more grams, I think he’s around 1570 ish. Sarah tells me he’s crying and wiggling. I’m on my way up to see him, then we’re having dinner with Gran E.

More tonight.

I spoke to Jack’s primary nurse this morning and he continues to remain stable.  I realize that all this information is technical, so I am trying to bring back the links…so here goes. His ventilator rate has been lowered from a high of 20/6 to 14/5. I am not sure what the rate means (breaths per second perhaps?), but lower is better. Before the most recent setback his rate was 9/6.

His Blood Gas is still comes back high on his C02 levels, which means he is still not efficently expelling C02. So they’re maintaining a pretty high level of 02 at 45%. As his lungs recover, this 02 level will be reduced. 

We’ll know the results of his culture today so we’ll get a better understanding of what kind of treatment he is going to require in the near term.

Also, the little man is huge. HUGE I say. He is weighing in at 1525 grams, even with his feedings reduced to 15ccs. 4 pounds (or about 300 grams more than where he is today) and breathing on a nasal cannual buys him a ticket to the step down room. Now I am not trying to get ahead of ourselves here, but that would be a very, very big deal.

Now, on another note. Many of you have commented on the hair. This a constant source of pain for my husband. He has taken to asking everyone in the NICU who treats Jack, the following:

“what are you doing about his red hair?”

Have I mentioned that these people have no sense of humor?

Anyway, my mother just reminded me that I was born with a full head of dark hair, so I guess those genes are prevailing. Now we’re just waiting to see if his eyes remain blue or if they will eventually change to brown.

Well the camera I’ve been lusting after arrived yesterday by personal “Grandpa Ray” messenger. Its pretty cool. I was over at the hospital after work today ’cause I found out that if I wear a mask and gloves then I can get in to the NICU. So I’ve got a few pics for you all.

Jack had a better day today. He is down to 50% oxygen and 16 on the ventilator, so thats good news. They are also feeding him 10cc’s of milk, but he’s back on the TPN, which means he has an IV again. When we saw him he wasn’t too comfortable so the nurse swaddled him up and that calmed him right down, so we’re keeping that tip for when he comes home. Other than that, he was very awake and wiggly, and frankly, a little pissed that his feeding was late.

Also, they did another x-ray and his chest looks a little less cloudy. So the current theory is that the feeding/breathing balance got a little out of whack and Jack wound up with fluid in his lungs from having his feedings increased too quickly. They’ve backed off of the feeding, pending the pneumonia culture and they’re going to concentrate on the lungs.

Jack has been stable this afternoon. He is on 45% oxygen and 20 on the ventilator. They have cut his feeding down to 10cc’s to try to get some of the cloudiness out of his lungs. He lost a little weight today but since he’s been gaining pretty steadily for the past several days it doesn’t seem to be a concern. He is at 1505 grams.

He is sleeping comfortably so far tonight, and he hasn’t had any desatts since this morning. They just took a blood gas test and are processing it. When it come back, they may try to lower his ventilator or O2 levels, but we just don’t know.

I caught a cold, and so I can’t go anywhere near him right now. It’s incredibly frustrating. It’s bad enough that Jack isn’t here with us, and that I only get to see him for an hour or so a day. But until I get better, I don’t even get to do that.

Like, WTF? This sucks.

I mean, my son is in the hospital, there is basically nothing I can do for him, other than tell him that I love him and sit around wondering if he’s going to make it. Am I ever going to get to say “You’re not getting the keys to the car until the lawn is mowed”?

And if he doesn’t make it, will we have the strength to start again, knowing that the exact same thing could happen?