3 Pounds

October 26, 3 lbs, 5 1/2 Weeks Old

Jacob reached 3 lbs yesterday, and held this weight for tonight's weigh-in as well.

Today is Jacob's third day off the ventilator.  He has not had any spells where he drops his heart rate, and we are so pleased.  Witnessing these spells a few weeks ago was pretty stressful, and was a constant reminder of how fragile his health is.  We are also happy to see him without IVs and the ventilator tube in his airway to his lungs.  It is a lot easier to touch him and change him and move him around without the ventilator.  Another thing I love to hear now is his sweet little voice and even his sweet tiny cries (he couldn't cry or make noises earlier with the ventilator occupying his airway).  

Although he is looking and acting more healthy, his oxygen usage through his high flow nasal tube has been at just about 60% since he has been off the vent.  That is still high versus room air at 21% oxygen.  Doctors, nurses and his respiratory therapists want him to be coming down on oxygen.  The doctor last night told me he is "on the radar" for going back on the vent.  This broke my heart and I was really sad about it last night.  I really don't want to see him back on the ventilator.  When you look at him, he looks so good, is mostly resting peacefully, except for more alert spurts now and then, like in the above picture when he really looks around with wide eyes.  So it is hard to imagine him being sick enough to go back on the ventilator.  The thing is he is not sick, does not have an infection that can be treated.  He just has immature lungs.  An X-ray this morning showed moisture in the lungs which they are trying to treat.  We hope this will be effective at lowering the amount of high flow oxygen he requires from machines (vapotherm).

Hoping for good news of decreasing oxygen levels to report in a few days.....  and for more patience.... this is such a long road.