4 weeks

It was a decent enough day.
Robbie was up and down on his sats like crazy, but for the most part, just outside the normal range. Basically just making a lot of noise on the monitors.

My dad and his girlfriend went by to visit before David and I got there. I guess the monitors were making them very nervous. Both Robbie's day nurse and the respiratory therapist who was there when I had Robbie (she comes to check on us pretty much every day that she works. She's super sweet.) commented about how nervous my dad looked.

I guess they both explained the monitors and why everyone doesn't just jump up right away. I'm sure my dad will never believe them, though. I've explained as well. He's very mistrustful, though. It sort of makes me laugh, except that it's exhausting to reassure him all the time.

Anyway, I digress.

It was a pretty uneventful day for Robbie except that we have a plan for the week.

Tuesday is a big deal. He gets his 1 month head ultrasound. GULP. There's no reason to believe it will be bad, but still. Nervousness!

He also gets another trach aspirate that day. Hopefully the stupid bacteria growing there will be gone by then (Did I mention it happens to be one of the resistant bugs you keep hearing about in the news? Yeah. It is. That's why he got a 2nd antibiotic added a couple of days ago.) and if so, then he'll get another quick round of steroids in hopes to try extubating again at the end of the week.

We really want this extubation to work. Having been on the vent for 4 weeks already is a LONG time. He's entering that realm where he's very, very likely to have long term lung issues because of damage caused by the vent. I have felt very patient about the vent, but today I had a small breakdown in the NICU because it seems like almost all the other babies were on the vent a few days or maybe a week and here Robbie is, 4 weeks later, and still REALLY dependent on it. I worry what it means for him long term.

There was a discussion about his weight gain (and lack thereof) over the last week, but we're all mostly thinking that he didn't gain anything because he was on straight breast milk for several days. The last 3 days (when they added the extra calories back) he's gained like a champ. He's 2lb 2oz as of last night. So hopefully that continues. Cross your fingers.

I believe he'll also get another CBC that day.

So I'm thinking Tuesday is a day I'll want to be at the hospital early.

It's going to be a heck of a week.

My CT scan in Monday. The aforementioned things on Tuesday. David sees the urologist on Wednesday.

Oh, and a friend of a friend is a neurologist and she really thinks I need to see a neurologist ASAP about my head wonkiness, so I have a feeling that somewhere in there, I'll be trying to see some other doctor somewhere.

My little family is single handedly supporting the medical community economy. Fun times.

I'm off to sleep. Please pray for us!

--Trish

P.S. Took a couple of 4 week pictures tonight. He was on his belly, so they're not the greatest, but I hope to get some better ones tomorrow and will try to get them up ASAP.