ex machina
the eric update - day 23: more good news. and more 'admits'.
eric had another great day today. he's up to 6 cc's per hour on his feeds and tolerating them extremely well. he weighed in a 1 pound 10.8 ounces which means after losing a little over the past day or so, he gained a full ounce in the past 24 hours. i think we'll be getting close to being able to reliable count down to when he'll hit the 2 pound mark, which will be a big milestone. they also been alternating between his CPAP ( the face mask ) and the nasal cannula ( the nose tubes ). his "orders" dicated that he was to be alternated on the CPAP for 6 hours and N.C. for 2 hours, but due to a unexpected change in the plan he was was on the nasal cannula for 5 hours today and didn't start throwing an excessive amount of alarms. since the cannula takes more effort on his part, this means that he's even stronger than his care plan might otherwise indicate.
the nurses are becoming a little more unguarded in their assessments of how well eric is doing. all the praise is followed with the necessary caveats, but you can tell that they are very, very, very(!) happy with how well he is doing.
of course, we're tremendously grateful for the comments on his progress, if a bit apprehensive about the possibility of potential downturns.
we were "kicked out" tonight several times because of the number of new admits ( visitors aren't allowed when newcomers are brought in ). i wasn't there at the time, but kris met one of the new dads who was getting a tour of the nicu as his wife was being prepped for the delivery of a 27 weeker.
the nurses showed him eric in an attempt to let him see how well a baby born so soon can do, and he could only muster a gasp as he tried to take it all in.
7/28/2004 11:30:00 PM
9 comments
9 Comments:
I check every night to see Eric's progress, it's wonderful that he had a great day. I pray that he will gain strength as each day passes. Eric is going to get some post cards from Ohio.:)
Rebecca
By 
, at
12:44 AM
thank you rebecca. i'm sure eric will enjoy any and all postcards he gets from ohio.
If you are doing well as a family, please support the ones around you (this is a general comment, not just to eric). I'm working on getting a NICU family support group in the Twin Cities, and it helps to have other preemie families as friends.
All babies lose weight after birth. Great to hear the weight is slapping on. Don't forget to keep a wee pee (preemie diapers). Have you taken pictures with wedding rings and such? He will never believe he was this small. Carter’s has some great preemie clothing that buttons up on all limbs, which is great if you still have IVs and monitor lines.
That is just great!
You should ask the Dr or respitory therapist about Vapotherm. Here is a link: http://www.vtherm.com/vapo2000.asp
My Kyle was placed on this - it's not as invassive as CPAP, but still delivers a pressurized air (up to 8 litres for neonates), and can be adjusted as low as 1 litre. When Kyle reached 2 litres they put him on oxygen right off the wall with the humidified bubbler.
Vapotherm is also great because it limits breakdown in the nares.
We're pulling for your little guy... Keep up the great work!
Katra & Little Kyle
www.knoernschild.org/kyle
By , at
5:31 PM
Ooops, forgot to add... Vapotherm works with a regular cannula.
By , at
5:33 PM
A friend at church had her twins at 26 weeks. They were both 1 pound. That was almost 9 years ago and both are doing great. They have travelled a long road and have speech and occupational therapy still but are beautiful, energetic children. My family will keep your family in our thoughts!
May Eric have the energy and bounciness of TiGGer!
thanks for the information katra. i'll ask about it. and what fantastic pictures on your site - kyle looks great!
and i appreciate everyone telling their stories, PooH. best wished to your friend.
Thanks!
Btw - DH and I love your pictures too! They are so mystical in a way. Great perspective! So many of those pictures remind me of Kyle, it's hard to believe he was ever that small (or smaller even). Once they hit 2.5lbs, things really take off. Everyday will bring new surprises... And the days get so much better too. Just wait until he looks right at you and smiles!
Also, I read that you are doing K-Care already, that is so wonderful. Kyle was so frail, and recovering from a preforated bowel, that we didn't get to hold him until he was 7 weeks old. It's just great reading about his wonderful progress.
By , at
11:33 PM
i forgot to comment that it must have been very difficult to wait 7 weeks to hold kyle. i can only imagine how you must have felt.
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