A much better day

After yesterday, it seemed like things were looking pretty grim if the doctor was right...but praise the Lord the doctor (so far) was not right...Mommy was.  With Joshua's lungs holding on to fluid they have been restricting his fluids and giving him a diuretic.  I expressed my concerns on Monday night that Joshua was getting dehydrated.  The NNP did not listen, she said the diuretic only took the extra fluid from the lungs and he would not get overall dehydrated.  I felt strongly about my gut feeling and pushed the point again and again...the NNP still denied it and even beaded up in sweat because I was pushing the point.  I felt proud of myself for not backing down as I often do.  Unfortunately, she still did not listen.  Sometime in the middle of the night they got concerned because Joshua was not putting out urine. 

When I came in Tuesday morning, the doctors were in the middle of ordering ultrasounds, tests, antibiotics, steroids, and other cultures for Joshua.  They had inserted a catheter in him.  They thought his kidneys had something majorly wrong with them because of his PDA.  I felt like a deer in headlights when I walked in to find all of these things happening to my son.  The doctor on call started talking about a PDA ligation (which other doctors speak of as last resort WAY down the road)  This doctor told me he could possibly have the surgery tomorrow!??!?!?!  WHAT?!?!?!  Things just spiraled fast, but I was thinking why all these interventions if he just could be dehydrated?  In addition to all of the tests they stopped the Lasix (diuretic) and put him on increased fluid...guess what?!  He started peeing!  Thankfully as the day went on things quieted down.  Joshua continued peeing.  X-rays and ultrasounds came back normal.  Still nothing on the cultures.  I know this is all a reiteration of yesterday, but the frustration of it all is still so fresh on my mind!

With Joshua doing better, I was able to kangaroo my son again.  It had been since last Friday since I had held him because of the bug in our house and Joshua's need for rest.  Joshua did very well with his oxygen levels when he was on me.  It felt so good to hold him and snuggle...although it was a very uncomfortable snuggle for Mommy in the chair :)  We tried to do a lot of hand-containment during care time too.  Joshua needs extra love from his Mommy and Daddy after all that happened yesterday. 

 

 

 

 

 

He had to go up on his pressure with the ventilator again because of his air leak and all of the desats he's been having.  They anticipate his settings to keep going up with his lungs getting sicker and holding more fluid.

We had a LONG talk with Dr. Richter...voicing our concerns from the previous day and about the NNP not listening to my concerns on Monday night.  We felt like she finally heard us and we feel much better after being listened too.  The surgery is still in sight, in the near future with all Joshua's lung issues, but obviously she jumped way too far ahead saying it was going to be today and she apologized. 

Joshua had his follow-up brain ultrasound today.  His ventricles are slightly down in swelling, but...there is ALWAYS a but - UGH! they found a small hemorrhage in his cerebellum.  Not sure what that means down the road.  The doctor said babies can reroute their wiring so it may or may not effect him.  They will keep an eye on it though.

They started trophic milk feeds again!  So far so good in his abdomen.

Joshua is getting much bigger and stronger.  He has been trying to lift and turn his head...not good when you are on a ventilator, but we are thankful he is still strong and feisty.  He was much more like his normal self today...fighting and kicking at care times, beginning to breath over the ventilator, less swollen, less lethargic....Thank you Lord for a better day!