Saturday, August 28, 2010

Saturday, August 28, 2010

Caleb is doing well today. They weaned him off the epinephrine (blood pressure medication) this morning. He was still having drops in blood pressure, but it was good for the majority of the time and usually a result of lower blood volume. His oxygen levels are still good. They removed his catheter (it went back in for the second surgery) and after a slow start, he is peeing on his own again.

This afternoon, he had some more SVT (supraventricular tachycardia) episodes. His heart rate jumps by about 100 beats per minute. This is the same thing that happened before he had surgery. When they did his first surgery, they connected leads to his heart so they can control his heart's electrical impulses with an external pace maker. They were able to stop the SVT episodes quite quickly with the pace maker. At least one time, the SVT stopped on its own before they had to intervene. Because his blood pressure also dropped, they put him back on the epinephrine at a low dose. They are thinking that he just needs a little longer to adjust to the change.

The doctor said that the SVT could just be because his heart is "irritable" after the two surgeries. A good portion of the time, these issues resolve themselves as the heart muscle calms back down. The worst case scenario would involve putting in a new line and giving him medication. They know what the problem is and they can fix it, so we can live with that!

They also "sprinted" him today. This is a test to see if he can maintain adequate oxygen levels breathing on his own. He did very well on his first sprint. He will have a few more and if he does well, he should be able to come off the ventilator soon.

Caleb got an NG tube today and a little bit of breast milk. This is the first real food he has had since his surgery.

The doctors think that his chest tube will be removed tomorrow, so we may be down two tubes shortly! We are still making significant progress and no one seems too concerned about our little setbacks. He is awake more often and I got to see his eyes. It was definitely a good day!

4 comments:

  1. Very nice to hear. Sounds like he is doing well. We will continue to pray that he heals quickly. and that your family can all be togather at home very soon. Hugs from us to all of you.

    Katie, Steve, Noah and Emma

    ReplyDelete
  2. Wow Jen. I just read from Aug. 2 through today's post. We will continue praying for the doctors; their knowledge and the decisions they will need to make, as well as strength and peace for all of you. Caleb is beautiful. Thank you for sharing all of the pictures.

    ~Tammi Dent and family

    ReplyDelete
  3. We are praying for all of you. Brenda and Brooke Armbruster Lake Odessa

    ReplyDelete
  4. Thank-you for taking the time to post these updates. I didn't know about Caleb til after he was born. Didn't think of this until just now: Maybe when Caleb is healthy enough to be in Church we might meet at his dedication service if you post info on your blog. I know Gary & D from years ago. Linda Reed Burge.

    ReplyDelete