Ben's head ultrasound today showed NO signs of bleeding on the brain. It's doesn't mean that it couldn't still happen in the future if his blood pressure suddenly spiked, but it's great news to know there is no evidence of damage so far.
The doctor heard some sounds that his gastrointestinal tract may be functioning, so they tried two more feedings of tiny amounts of milk today. Hopefully these will be digested and he can begin a regular feeding routine. Other than that, Ben has been pretty stable the past few days which is excellent news. He seems to be adjusting to his new surroundings and has been more relaxed when we visit him. His doctor swears he knows his mom's voice already and responds when I start talking, so of course I hope that's true!
One funny note - the nurses change his position frequently to keep him comfortable and make sure he doesn't get a flat spot on his head. Yesterday his nurse turned him on his side for the first time. Apparently, he didn't like it very much because when she looked back at him he had turned himself back over and stretched out in his bed. Looks like we have a little boy who knows what he wants in life! :)
Tuesday, May 30, 2006
Day 8
Matt here: Short and brief based on yesterday.
Kidneys have shown some self-improvement processing protein.
Lung mechanics have declined which means Ben will remain on the ventilator for a while. Possible causes - prematurity of lungs or minor lung damage from ventilator (both very common).
Catheters removed from the umbilical stump.
PICC (peripherally inserted central catheter) line inserted to replace umbilical catheters.
Today is an important day for little Ben. Doctors will perform an ultrasound on his brain to check for hemorrhages. More to come tonight....
Kidneys have shown some self-improvement processing protein.
Lung mechanics have declined which means Ben will remain on the ventilator for a while. Possible causes - prematurity of lungs or minor lung damage from ventilator (both very common).
Catheters removed from the umbilical stump.
PICC (peripherally inserted central catheter) line inserted to replace umbilical catheters.
Today is an important day for little Ben. Doctors will perform an ultrasound on his brain to check for hemorrhages. More to come tonight....
Sunday, May 28, 2006
Day 6
Ben has almost made it through week #1! He has really exceeded our expectations although he still has a long uphill road ahead. Matt and I try to sit in on the doctors' rounds each morning to get an update on his condition and we usually hear a very thorough rundown (sometimes an hour!) of his health. His heart is doing well and the murmur they detected has been corrected through medication so far and we hope it does not return. His lungs have declined somewhat the past few days, either in response to forced ventilation or because of a possible infection. It's too early to tell. On Friday they tried giving Ben a very small amount of milk but he didn't digest it, meaning his intestines aren't functioning yet. That's really his biggest problem - his body systems just aren't ready to handle the outside world yet.
The good news is that Ben seems to have adjusted to his new environment a little more, resting more quietly and not getting as agitated when there is motion around him. He loves to sleep with arms and legs sprawled, his long fingers holding on to one of the tubes or wires in his bed. He's also maintaining his body temperature a little more on his own so he no longer needs a heating blanket and relies solely on an overhead heater. The doctors discontinued the phototherapy lights so we get to see our little boy in natural light now and enjoy his healthy pink skin. I also got to change my first tiny diaper last night :)
Ben's long fingers are always active and I was thrilled to see him finally throw out a little thumbs-up sign today...it was too quick to get a picture but I think he know he's an Aggie!
Thank you for all of your warm wishes and kind words. It's truly an encouragement for Matt and I to read them each day. The days have been absolutely flying by - I'm still recovering from surgery and Matt is doing an amazing job of taking care of me and all the things that need to be done, and we're both waking up every 3 hours at night (even though our baby isn't at home he still needs some future meals frozen back ) - so it's very nice for us to be able to keep in touch with everyone this way. Thank you for your prayers and please continue to remember little Ben.
The good news is that Ben seems to have adjusted to his new environment a little more, resting more quietly and not getting as agitated when there is motion around him. He loves to sleep with arms and legs sprawled, his long fingers holding on to one of the tubes or wires in his bed. He's also maintaining his body temperature a little more on his own so he no longer needs a heating blanket and relies solely on an overhead heater. The doctors discontinued the phototherapy lights so we get to see our little boy in natural light now and enjoy his healthy pink skin. I also got to change my first tiny diaper last night :)
Ben's long fingers are always active and I was thrilled to see him finally throw out a little thumbs-up sign today...it was too quick to get a picture but I think he know he's an Aggie!
Thank you for all of your warm wishes and kind words. It's truly an encouragement for Matt and I to read them each day. The days have been absolutely flying by - I'm still recovering from surgery and Matt is doing an amazing job of taking care of me and all the things that need to be done, and we're both waking up every 3 hours at night (even though our baby isn't at home he still needs some future meals frozen back ) - so it's very nice for us to be able to keep in touch with everyone this way. Thank you for your prayers and please continue to remember little Ben.
Thursday, May 25, 2006
Day 4
It's Day 4 and Ben is still doing as well as we could possibly hope. His heartbeat is strong and consistent and his lungs are doing fairly well, although they are doing tests on both today so we're still waiting to hear the results. Right now the noises of the NICU and physical touch seem to agitate him but we hope he'll soon adjust to his new environment. His skin should be getting thicker over the next week or two and he will hopefully be able to maintain his own body temperature, then we will be able to hold him. We're all looking forward to that day.
Thank you all for your kind thoughts and generous offers to help, and most of all for your prayers. We realize Ben is getting the best medical care in the world and we are so thankful, but we know our little baby is truly in God's hands.
Daily lung x-rays
Tanning under the bili light
My first visit with Ben
Ben's tiny hand in Daddy's
Thank you all for your kind thoughts and generous offers to help, and most of all for your prayers. We realize Ben is getting the best medical care in the world and we are so thankful, but we know our little baby is truly in God's hands.
Daily lung x-rays
Tanning under the bili light
My first visit with Ben
Ben's tiny hand in Daddy's
Wednesday, May 24, 2006
Day 3
Matt here: Laura is recovering quite well and will be discharged from St. Luke's in the Woodlands later today. She can't wait to see little Ben. I am very proud of how she has handled such an unexpected emergency and trying surgery.
Ben is a little fighter! The first 72 hours are most critical for survival and he is over 2/3 of the way through this stage doing quite well for being so young. He is on medications to treat common issues typically witnessed with premature infants. His oxygen levels, heartbeat, blood pressure and other vitals are good. We expect a roller coaster ride of events over the next three months. The care Ben is receiving at Texas Children's Hospital (TCH) is amazing and impressive. The doctors, nurses, and staff perform miracles on a daily basis.
Laura and I greatly appreciate the love and support that we are receiving from all of you.
Our amazing nurse Linda
Ben is a little fighter! The first 72 hours are most critical for survival and he is over 2/3 of the way through this stage doing quite well for being so young. He is on medications to treat common issues typically witnessed with premature infants. His oxygen levels, heartbeat, blood pressure and other vitals are good. We expect a roller coaster ride of events over the next three months. The care Ben is receiving at Texas Children's Hospital (TCH) is amazing and impressive. The doctors, nurses, and staff perform miracles on a daily basis.
Laura and I greatly appreciate the love and support that we are receiving from all of you.
Our amazing nurse Linda
Monday, May 22, 2006
Day 0
At 12:44am, little Benjamin entered the world in a very tense operating room during an emergency c-section. The two doctors had over 18,000 deliveries between them, but this little 1 lb 9oz baby was only at 24 weeks gestation and they were doing all they could to deliver him safely. We heard a few tiny cries, more like mews from a kitten, and then the neonatologist took over and intubated him and worked to stabilize him for a 40-mile journey to Texas Children's Hospital in the middle of the night. It all seemed like a terrible dream. All Matt and I could do was hold on to one another and pray that God would take care of our little one. And He did.
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