GOTCHA!!!

We are such suckers. We totally fell for Par’s little act. This morning we got an update at 6am saying that Par was doing well and his blood gas levels were the best they’ve been since they started Nitric oxide. We allowed ourselves to take our time getting up because of this great news. We got up at about 9am—I of course had to pump and Rusty called to check on our little baby. They said that he had started going down hill again and that it wasn’t looking very good and Dr. Kays was on his way in. So of course, Rusty and I get ready and head to the hospital very nervous about what we may walk in to find. When we arrived Dr. Kays was at his bedside and the ECMO machine was turned on warming up and the cooler of blood for the machine was sitting there ready to go. At this point, if Par could speak he would have yelled out “GOTCHA AGAIN!!!” This isn’t to say he had a full recovery—but his numbers had gone back up and Dr. Kays was okay with avoiding ECMO again. We went over and looked at our little “angel” and asked him why he would play such mean tricks on his mama and daddy—he gave us the cutest little grimace that you could barely see because of all the tubes. His little chin-chopper kept shaking and you could tell he was crying (but he can’t make any noise because of the tubes and his small little lungs)—this was special because it is the first time we’ve seen him awake—and the first time to see him cry. And then—he opened his eyes a little bit!!! He looked at me and Rusty—it was the best feeling in the world. It definitely made my day and how can I be mad at my little boy for making us worry so much when he gives us little surprises like that!!! One great aspect of the journey that Rusty and I are on is that we get to cherish every little thing with Par and take everything in one at a time. Thank you God for such gifts during this difficult time. Dr. Kays has now put him on an oscillating ventilator which gently shakes him—this is different from a conventional ventilator—it gives him gentle puffs (720/minute instead of 100 breaths/minute) and provides a continuous column of gently vibrating air which is easier on his tiny little lungs than larger breaths. This is the gentle ventilation technique that Dr. Kays is noted for using (versus hyperventilation). Par was not put on it before because Dr. Kays thought he might be alright on the conventional but has now decided to give his lungs a rest. He seems to really enjoy it and his numbers are back up and look really good. We thank God for again allowing us to avoid ECMO—we ask that He will continue to sharpen Dr. Kays’ skills and give him a clear head to make the best decision for Par and all the other babies he is treating.


UPDATE: As we were getting ready to post they turned OFF the ECMO machine and took the cooler of blood back to the blood bank!

UPDATE: (11:10pm) Rusty and I just returned from saying goodnight to Par-he seems to really be doing well on the oscillating vent--his numbers have been really great--definitely setting records for himself! We ask that you will pray with us for an uneventful night and that Par will sleep soundly. We also pray that shift change at 7am will be smooth (it seems this is when he likes to "cry wolf"). We thank the Lord for Dr. Kays and pray that he will have a restful nights sleep. Thank you so much for all of your prayers and concerns for our baby boy.
Liz & Rusty