All Pooped Out

I always think that I'll do a quick post but it always seems to get away from me!  Genetics I think! :)

We had an okay day, to be honest, I was a bit of a wreck till I got to get a hand on Braeden this morning.  When Mom and I arrived this morning his curtain was drawn around his bed and it isn't a good sign generally.  I cautiously peeked in and saw a nurse and Dr. working on him.  They weren't doing a sterile procedure so I could go in.  What they were doing was trying to salvage the arterial line (direct line from which they can draw blood to test without poking him again), into his hand since not five minutes earlier he'd blown out the intravenous line into his foot!  Lil' Stinker!  He was making Nurse Dana work hard in her first hour with him, no doubt.

He'd had a calm night after his three runs, but I think that had to do with the sheer exhaustion that must have overcome his poor, worn out body.  He looked less swollen this morning again, which is great, but he also looked worn out to me.  The HUGE news of the day (yes, it requires cap letters!) is that he pooped!  Yippee!  See Dana was busy!  The pooping is a great sign because they had to stop feeding him the night before due to asperitions (sp? not digesting) and if he doesn't have food he can't have his heart meds, if he can't have his heart meds...well you get it.  They also doubled his dose of Propranol (heart med equivalent to what I was taken for him when I was pregnant) but it takes a bit to build in his system (five days to build in mine initially).  He stayed pretty out of it during the whole visit due to the extra boluses (doses) of Fentanol while they were working on the lines.

I called again to check on him at 1 pm and he was doing well, no runs to note.  Michael and I went up at 5 pm tonight to find that he'd been making them work hard again, this time for Nurse Jackie who'd just come on her shift.  He had runs pretty much back to back for 1/2 hour straight, Jackie was counting it as one prolonged run.  They had to shoot him 5 times with Aldenazine (rapid to the heart drug) in that 1/2 hour...ugh.  Thankfully, we timed our arrival with the shift change of Dr's and they were doing rounds.  We got a chance to chat with Dr. Amin who is the Neonatologist that was the head Dr there for Braeden at delivery and who has been caring for him since.  He is a fantastic Dr that is certainly working in the right field as he just has a quiet and calm way about him (even under pressure) that all spastic parents need.  It turns out that Dr. Amin is not as nearly concerned with the latest runs that we are (he is the expert after all) as Braeden is more active and still losing fluid.  He didn't have the actual report from the Cardiologist for the echo they did this afternoon but from what he saw there was nothing new to report.  His blood pressure is remaining stable to the point that they will try to take him off his bp med again tomorrow and hopefully it will stick this time.  I was asking about the 5 shots of Aldenazine and the toll of his body but Dr. Amin again reassured me that the effects of the drug is only in his body for 10 seconds (which is why it needs to be forced immediately into the heart).  So, I'm still freaking out about the new series of runs but am certainly not going to lay awake again all night tonight thanks to Dr. Amin.

The other good news is that he has continued to drop weight (who would have thought you'd want your preemie to shrink??).  He's dropped a total amount just shy of two pounds now, so only another pound and a bit to go of this damn water and swelling.  How I wish it was the same for me!  If it was still close to Halloween I would post pics of my feet, stretch marks and all just to freak people out!  The nurses were excited today that they could put the arterial line into his head now that they can see the veins finally.  Not for the queasy to see that is for sure, but a whole lot less likely he'll pull those out.

Braeden is trying hard to crack open those eyes as well.  He has luck with only one eye at once due to which side of his head is raised and where the water pools.  It is getting closer though and that is pretty cool. 

My 'big' boys are feeling a bit spoiled and extra loved this week too due to three packages arriving in the mail for them.  A huge thank you to my Dad for the books sent out to 'two special boys' from their 'favourite Grandpa' and another huge thank you to Great Auntie Maureen for the 'awesome, awesome' (Rylan's quote) car race set.  Unfortunately I didn't get to see Grandma Hurray assemble it with the boys, it would have been fun to watch Ry boss her for a change! :)

So not a great day but not a horrible one either and yes, I did finally get some sleep after seeing Braeden this morning and am heading there (to bed that is) again after calling the nurses just one more time...