Some Good News!

Good news, Gus was taken off the ventilator today! We received a call around 1pm today from Nurse Susie telling us that Gus had made the transition to the cannula. So far so good. When we were in today around 3:30pm he was doing fine again - back on 1 liter per minute of flow and at an oxygen percentage of 45%. Morphine was stopped this morning and he remained on the steroid which should continue to reduce swelling in his trachea.

Gus was pretty awake while we were with him today. Although he isn't able to eat via the bottle yet, he is getting about 1/3 of the milk he previously had through the tube in his nose. The IV port in his head looks bad but it was the best way to deliver some fresh blood yesterday and his IV fluids today. Thanks you Nurse Penny for recognizing Gus' need for blood yesterday - his recovery has probably gone much quicker because he had some extra red blood cells.

After about 45 minutes in my arms Gus got tired and fell asleep. Here he is after Jill took over the holding duties. It was at this time that dear friend Rev. Nancy Dietsch arrived bringing a hand knit blanket for Gus. It has a beautiful pineapple pattern and will be a great addition to our growing arsenal of blankets for Gus when he arrives home. The pineapple, a symbol of welcome and hospitality, is a wonderful gift. Thank you so much Nancy.

Gus' weight remained the same from yesterday - 5 lb 9.5 oz. Partially due to fluid loss and/or retention due to his IV feeds and a reduced milk caloric intake. After being off morphine for 8 hours Gus was very alert and back to his spunky self. He doesn't like the IV port in his head and he is showing signs of wanting to start bottle feeds again - enjoying his pacifier a lot and making sucking sounds with his tongue. We are so thankful that he was able to come off the ventilator today - amazing! It is hard to imagine how amazing this feels as a parent. I hate to say that "you have to have been there" to know how this feels, but there is at least a little truth in that statement. We are very relieved and have new hope for Gus' return to normalcy and eventual trip home.

Please keep MH in your prayers for Tuesday. We spoke with her parents today and she is schedule to undergo her second round of laser surgery for treatment of retinopathy. She is still under 4 lb and at 35 weeks of gestation - oh, my heart goes out to her and her parents. They have been pod-mates of ours ever since Gus had his PDA surgery 9 weeks ago. She is a beautiful baby with such caring parents. Just like Gus encountered, this surgery means she will have to go back onto the ventilator for a period of time - and she has just recently returned to the cannula after a few weeks on the ventilator/CPAP when she was recovering from her last retinopathy treatment.

Gratefully,
Gregg, Jill and Gus