Thirty-Three Hours and Counting

At last check-in, Andrew was still off the ventilator and responding somewhat more reassuringly to being awake and alert. He still gets fussy very easily, but has also had a few periods of waking calm, which is better than I could say yesterday at this time. He's currently on his back, though they've flipped him several times to vary his position and keep him comfortable. I didn't get any exciting pictures, as he was on his tummy and covered up by a blanket most of the time we were visiting. I'll post some blanket-covered shots tomorrow, if I get around to downloading them.

We're hoping for continued boredom, as far as his condition goes. The more relaxed he is and the more he sleeps, the better he'll be able to heal without getting so upset that he causes himself problems. His oxygen saturation goes up and down with his moods, the bile from his stomach seems to be slowing a bit, and his gases have generally been good. If he can continue to breathe without having to work too hard, then he might be able to stay off the ventilator for a while. This could be made more difficult as they start to wean his steroids and as he gets more tired from breathing on his own...cross your fingers that he's enough of a bruiser to handle it gracefully.

We also had a "family conference" with the doctor and social worker today. It's a routine meeting that takes place every few weeks (this is our second) and allows us to ask the doctor questions in a somewhat more relaxed environment. Sitting by Andrew's bedside isn't really conducive to remembering detailed questions (or their answers). I might include some of the information we gathered in various posts over the next few days, but here's the gist: They are cautiously optimistic, as his lungs are progressing well, but there are a lot more hurdles to overcome before we can even think about bringing him home. At the moment, there are still two or three reasons why we can't even hold him. Immediate next steps involve stabilizing him completely off the ventilator, working on withdrawal symptoms from the morphine, and waiting for his intestines to calm down before we can resume feedings.