Here we are day 5 on the antibiotics and this poor kid is still getting his butt kicked by the Klebselia!
Braeden isn't able to keep his platelet levels up, he was at 12 (should be 100) yesterday morning, got transfused and by 8pm last night was sitting at a less-than-stellar 15. That's it. He was about to be transfused again last night with platelets and plasma to pump him up a bit. The plasma will also hopefully get him to start peeing again (poor tired kidneys don't want to work again). The Neonatologist explained that it is not uncommon for this type of infection to eat away at the platelets but she, herself was hoping they would have gone up to 50, NOT 15. She has ordered a blood smear and is hoping to see how big his platelets are that his own blood marrow is producing (whether he is even able to make his own right now). The Dr. also explained that this but is a particularly nasty bug that he is dealing with, not so surprised here. The plan was to catheter him tonight with the hope that bladder stimulation would hopefully kick up the kidneys again. We also found out that it may very well be two to three weeks of platelet transfusions before his body is going to be able to bring his own levels up to where they need to be. Buh-bye Christmas baby...SIGH, not that I really believed it but I did dare to let myself hope.
We found out last night that we are dealing with plural effusions again as well (pockets of fluid around the lungs) and a pocket in his abdomen. This is somewhat similar to when he was born but caused by much different reasons. The Dr's are keeping a close eye on the effusions and will 'pin them' (drain with a needle insertion) if they continue to grow.
His blood pressure was starting to dip down again tonight and being as he is SO swollen, they are hoping the plasma will 'fill his tank' a bit and bring it up. His heart rate was strong tonight, if not on the high end for him at 140's but he was a bit agitated when we got there as they'd just weighed him. His weight did come down a not-so-large 20 grams but at least it went in the downward direction.
Braeden is more alert today, they did come down on his morphine and he was trying to peek at Mike and I through slitted eyes. His eyes (as swollen as they are) were focused on us, not rolling back in his head as they have been this past week.
Nurse Trish did take off his bandages yesterday as well and is very pleased at the sight of his incisions, she said it looks clean and neat, no swelling or redness at all (score one for Braeden). I think she mentioned that the stitches come out on the 14th, which reminds me to check that because it seems like a long time since the surgery on the 30th...
We are fighting illness in our house right now, T with the flu and Ry with a nasty cough. I've got a scratchy throat that I am somewhat in denial about. I am taking my zinc lozenges and the homoeopathics given to me by another one of my guardian angels, Sumyu. I love that she anticipated that I would need the zinc lozenges and pre-bought them for me (as she has done with other things before). Not only does she anticipate my needs but checked with the pharmacist if I could take them while nursing/pumping! What a gal! I am fighting back with all I have and we are hand washing crazies here but it really doesn't help when you are so run down (who is writing a blog at 4:58am?? Uh...that would be me). I have to laugh because every nurse that we have dealt with through this journey always says to me 'try to get some sleep'. It is a good mantra I suppose, if only there were some good sleeping pills to go with it!
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