No More Ventilator!

TUESDAY, JUNE 21, 2011 8:49 AM, PDT

6 weeks

Yesterday Kai was switched to the CPAP machine to help him breath. He did great with the transition and has been tolerating it since yesterday morning.

He has had less dsats with it so far but has a new alarm for is heart rate. If his heart rate drops below 100 an alarm goes off and its called a Brady short for Bradycardia. When this happens they can either let him recover on his own (which he has been already), stimulate him with touch, or give him breaths through the CPAP. 

He's about 3lbs 7oz, weight goes up and down a little. He was started on Prolacta again which is powder breast milk mixed in with his regular milk feedings to help him with gaining weight. 

He also received a steroid for his lungs through IV before and during the CPAP transition, but he doesn't need anymore.

Kidneys, heart, lungs, brain all seem to be function well at the moment. His stomach has larger gurth size here and there, but they haven't noticed anything significantly wrong with that yet.

The developmental therapist will be assesing him this week and every week from here on out. She'll check his muscle tone and his ability to be stimulated for longer amounts of time this week. He may also be getting his first eye exam to check for ROP (Retinopathy of Prematurity) which is an abnormal growth of blood vessels.

All in all I think he is doing great! He has great doctors one of which is another favorite that is back on this week and he is very much cared for in the NICU. Once again his prayers are being heard and he is thriving! I hope I get to hear him cry today now that the ventilator tube is out of his vocal cords!