Roller - LUNG - Coaster

Today was just an OK day.  We were both excited to hear the news that he would finally get his first feedings of breast milk.  The anticipation of this event made the news great to hear.  However, it was overshadowed by the doctors telling us that they may need to stop feeding depending on how he reacts to it.  In other words, can his body digest it or will it reject it initially?  We are still waiting on this outcome.  We are both hopeful he loved it, but we are biased.

Hudson has continued to be difficult with his lungs.  More specifically, his carbon dioxide output.  They keep making changes and expect to see his numbers go down, however the reverse has happened.  The adjustments they are doing are either having no effect or making it worse.  We talked to Doctor Jonathan tonight and he showed us Hudson's chest X-rays from today - one at 9 am and another at 6:40 pm.  The 9 am X-ray showed over-expanded lungs - so they decreased his PEEP (or constant pressure on the lungs).  The 6:40 pm X-ray showed areas of both lungs that had collapsed, thus making it hard for him to release or get rid of CO2.  The adjustment was to increase his PEEP and decrease his rate to 300 breaths a minute.  He is already at 100% oxygen going into his body, so that could not be increased.  The goal is for the JET vent to re inflate his lungs, thus allowing him to get rid of the CO2 better and then they could ween him down from his need for oxygen.  It was described to us like this, "The lungs are like a balloon.  It takes a lot of initial pressure to blow the balloon up, but once it is full of air, the amount of pressure to keep it open is less than the initial amount to blow it up."  Hudson's lungs are getting the initial burst or increase in pressure as I write this, let's hope they decide to expand. 

I asked a question regarding how much pressure or PEEP can he tolerate and the Doctor informed me he is at the medium to high medium level of PEEP. 

Thus, Hudson's lungs have put us on a Roller - LUNG - Coaster.

 

"I'm love belly time, especially belly time while getting fed!" - Hudson

 

 

"I'm just like my daddy, I do not do well when I'm told to relax and do nothing. I kept moving so the nurse strapped me in and now I can't move. They said it's for my own good. I better ask Daddy!" - Hudson

 

 

"I could get used to this. Mommy loves to tan too. This is the life." - Hudson

 

 

"I love it when Mommy reads to me!" - Hudson