When we first embarked on this journey in the NICU, we were told that a baby can have a "honeymoon period" at the beginning and then have some setbacks. While we had heard this loud and clear we of course thought our little fighter would be one of the babies whose stats would just keep going up. Well the last few days have definitely shown us that Benton's honeymoon period is over and the NICU roller coaster has begun.
Last night was another tough one. We were told that Benton's oxygen saturation was decreasing and they had taken a chest x-ray and saw that his PIE had gotten worse. Earlier in the morning, they were hoping to wait longer to see if he could heal his PIE himself, but since his oxygen requirement was getting higher and higher, they couldn't wait any longer. They started him on steroids which should help his lungs heal. Right now his lungs are inflamed due to the stress from the ventilator and the steroids should decrease the inflammation, however, they do come with side effects like increased blood pressure and higher sugar levels. So they will be taking many readings and do a very complex balancing act over the next few days. His first dose was at 8pm last night and from there, they are doing it every 12 hours starting at 6:30AM.
We saw him today on his 11-day-a-versary. He is still in a tenuous state due to his PIE. When we showed up, he was requiring around 65% oxygen, but then they had to increase it to 79% before we left. Because of his sensitive state, we were advised not to touch or stimulate him until he was able to get back to a more stable condition. We skipped his normal story readings and we spent about two hours just trying to whisper healing mantras and encouragement to him. Even though it's a very tough situation, we believe that he can overcome it and we keep praying for him.
Joe's mother, Mary, bought Benton a topaz colored rosary because topaz is November's birth stone. She also bought him a Ty Beanie Baby Reindeer because we had been seeing deer on the way home and in Native American culture dear have a lot to do with regeneration among other things.
Even though we are worried about the delicate state of his lungs, there are many other encouraging signs. We got an update that one of his recent weights had him at 560 grams which is way over his birth wight of 470 grams. This number is slightly skewed because he had just received a blood transfusion and liquids via his IV. The nurse thought a more realistic number would be probably around 500 grams which is awesome because it seems that he's bounced back above his birth weight.
His skin tone is really turning a very healthy pink which is also exciting. This color is worlds away from how he entered this world. He's also shown signs of trying to open his eyes. Typically a babies' eyes open around 27 to 28 weeks of gestation, however, due to the added stimulation, they believe that Benton's eyes will open in a week or so. We are so excited about him finally being able to see us as we are talking to him and reading to him.
We want to thank you all for your support via posts, texts, calls, thoughts and prayers. We believe that your support is playing a huge factor in Benton's recovery, so please keep the positive energy and prayers coming.
Last night was another tough one. We were told that Benton's oxygen saturation was decreasing and they had taken a chest x-ray and saw that his PIE had gotten worse. Earlier in the morning, they were hoping to wait longer to see if he could heal his PIE himself, but since his oxygen requirement was getting higher and higher, they couldn't wait any longer. They started him on steroids which should help his lungs heal. Right now his lungs are inflamed due to the stress from the ventilator and the steroids should decrease the inflammation, however, they do come with side effects like increased blood pressure and higher sugar levels. So they will be taking many readings and do a very complex balancing act over the next few days. His first dose was at 8pm last night and from there, they are doing it every 12 hours starting at 6:30AM.
We saw him today on his 11-day-a-versary. He is still in a tenuous state due to his PIE. When we showed up, he was requiring around 65% oxygen, but then they had to increase it to 79% before we left. Because of his sensitive state, we were advised not to touch or stimulate him until he was able to get back to a more stable condition. We skipped his normal story readings and we spent about two hours just trying to whisper healing mantras and encouragement to him. Even though it's a very tough situation, we believe that he can overcome it and we keep praying for him.
Joe's mother, Mary, bought Benton a topaz colored rosary because topaz is November's birth stone. She also bought him a Ty Beanie Baby Reindeer because we had been seeing deer on the way home and in Native American culture dear have a lot to do with regeneration among other things.
Even though we are worried about the delicate state of his lungs, there are many other encouraging signs. We got an update that one of his recent weights had him at 560 grams which is way over his birth wight of 470 grams. This number is slightly skewed because he had just received a blood transfusion and liquids via his IV. The nurse thought a more realistic number would be probably around 500 grams which is awesome because it seems that he's bounced back above his birth weight.
His skin tone is really turning a very healthy pink which is also exciting. This color is worlds away from how he entered this world. He's also shown signs of trying to open his eyes. Typically a babies' eyes open around 27 to 28 weeks of gestation, however, due to the added stimulation, they believe that Benton's eyes will open in a week or so. We are so excited about him finally being able to see us as we are talking to him and reading to him.
We want to thank you all for your support via posts, texts, calls, thoughts and prayers. We believe that your support is playing a huge factor in Benton's recovery, so please keep the positive energy and prayers coming.
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