Baby GL is still having a long nap, however, he has moments when he wakes up to make the nurses dance for him. As of Sunday we had success removing the paralytic meds. Baby GL is still sedated on a few different meds. He continues to get a fentanyl drip for pain and a couple others meds that keep him settled and calm. Yesterday we were able to come down on the dosage of sedatives, but when he has moments of discomfort and begins flailing his arms the nurse do have to bump a little extra to calm him. It breaks our hearts to see him open his eyes that little bit. You don't know if it's pain or drowsiness. I just want him to sleep so I don't have to wonder if he's in discomfort. When that flailing begins the nurses have to try tying his arms down. He has an arterial line still in one wrist and an iv in the other. We gave him a pacifier to try to comfort him but I think it made it worse. Baby GL likes to hold his pacifier now and to put a thumb or finger in with the pacifier. He couldn't do that so he became more upset. He even had that thumb stuck out and ready to go.
Something the doctors have been mulling over the last few days was if they should try a new breathing system call NAVA. It works with the patient more. It takes an NG tube (through the nose), and a sensor, of sorts, is placed by his diaphragm. The machine predicts the next breath so that it knows how much assistance to give, if any. The machine allows Baby GL to do more of the breathing on his own. The doctors decided yesterday was a good day to get him on it. Turns out, he loves it. He has been calmer and on less oxygen since being on the NAVA ventilator. He is still intubated, but hopefully this will move him faster towards extubation.
Due to the paralytics and sedatives the nurses have been working on getting Baby GL's gut working. Those meds cause ours systems to slow down so it's harder to have a bowel movement. He has had glycerin, some other drug, as well as a couple enemas. With his system on slow motion his feedings have been held. He was up to normal feedings with his formula a couple days ago. I think its been a day or so he's just been on iv fluids to keep him nourished until they can start that formula again. The problem with the formula was he wasn't digesting it well.
At this point we are just waiting on him. His lungs are looking better each day. Now on the NAVA ventilator he won't be getting the IPV breathing treatments that seemed to really clear up his lungs. The only thing we can do is wait until he's ready. My guess is he'll still be in the hospital another week if not longer. It just means I'll be spending New Year's on the very uncomfortable hospital pull out. However, I get to spend it with my baby.
Something the doctors have been mulling over the last few days was if they should try a new breathing system call NAVA. It works with the patient more. It takes an NG tube (through the nose), and a sensor, of sorts, is placed by his diaphragm. The machine predicts the next breath so that it knows how much assistance to give, if any. The machine allows Baby GL to do more of the breathing on his own. The doctors decided yesterday was a good day to get him on it. Turns out, he loves it. He has been calmer and on less oxygen since being on the NAVA ventilator. He is still intubated, but hopefully this will move him faster towards extubation.
Due to the paralytics and sedatives the nurses have been working on getting Baby GL's gut working. Those meds cause ours systems to slow down so it's harder to have a bowel movement. He has had glycerin, some other drug, as well as a couple enemas. With his system on slow motion his feedings have been held. He was up to normal feedings with his formula a couple days ago. I think its been a day or so he's just been on iv fluids to keep him nourished until they can start that formula again. The problem with the formula was he wasn't digesting it well.
At this point we are just waiting on him. His lungs are looking better each day. Now on the NAVA ventilator he won't be getting the IPV breathing treatments that seemed to really clear up his lungs. The only thing we can do is wait until he's ready. My guess is he'll still be in the hospital another week if not longer. It just means I'll be spending New Year's on the very uncomfortable hospital pull out. However, I get to spend it with my baby.
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