Another Good Day

Today was the second day in a row of "good" for Judah. He had a good night last night and continued to slowly and steadily improve today. I think we're really finally beating this Persistent Pulmonary Hypertension! He's been on an oscillating ventilator since Friday. He started on a different and newer vent right after birth on Thursday but he wasn't well enough to stay on it. The vent didn't work effectively enough for him. It just didn't open his constricted lungs and lung vessels enough to allow all of the CO2 to be expelled from his body. So, they moved him to this other vent that breathed 400+ breaths of air/min. into his tiny body, forcing his lungs to remain open all the time so he could have the blood flow he needed. This also helped bring relief to his heart which was working overtime, and, with the help of blood pressure medication, his blood pressure was finally able to stabilize. Anyway, the goal was always to get him off the oscillator (which jarred him constantly like a strong vibrator) so that he could go back to the other vent and then begin testing for some of his other health problems that have developed. Today we got the call. He was finally well enough to try moving him back to the other vent! "Well enough" means that he's finally been weaned off his blood pressure meds (Epinephrine & Dopamine), they've been able to lower his dosage of Hydro Cortisone, all of his O2 levels are good, his BP is stable, and they've been able to wean him almost completely from the Nitric Oxide that was also going through his O2 tube to relax his vessels. Big changes. Good changes. So, this afternoon, just before 1:00, they moved him back to the original vent...and now he can just be still. So far he's responding very well to the vent. The first 12 hours are the "honeymoon period" that will tell us whether or not he'll be able to stay on this one. By tomorrow morning we'll know. He looks good. He's finally moving his arms and legs. He's so amazingly sweet and precious. If he remains stable throughout the night tomorrow will be another big day for him. The doctor believes he will be ready for some significant tests tomorrow. But I'm not going to think about that right now. It makes me anxious and scared. And it's not tomorrow. I've got enough grace for the rest of this day. And that is enough.

I can't wait to smell that precious newborn smell on Judah without any hospital on him.