Gearing up for Surgery: Days 177-182

My cute little dino!

Since my last post we have gotten some great news....Benton is not going to need a G-tube!  On Monday our doctors came by Benton's bedside and said that the pediatric surgeon has been monitoring Benton's feeding progress and has said definitively that he "will not put a g-tube in that baby" and the attending doctors agreed.  This is huge news because it means one less surgery for our little guy and it means he can continue feeding by bottle.  The doctors also told us that if after the hernia surgery, Benton is on low-flow oxygen and the only thing holding him back from going home is taking every bottle by mouth the nurses will teach us how to put in a feeding tube in his nose. We had been hoping that this was a possibility because after months in the NICU and helping with Benton's cares we truly believe we could be trained to put in a feeding tube if necessary.  We are just so relieved that Benton is getting to move forward with his hernia surgery!

Hanging out

Now that the hernia surgery is set for Monday, my nervousness has set in.  While I know that the hernia surgery is a necessary step on the road home, it is nerve-wracking to know that your baby is going to undergo surgery, general anesthesia and reintubation.  It has been especially nerve-wracking for me because every doctor and nurse has given a different estimate for how long we can expect him to be reintubated from a day to a week.  We are just hoping and praying that he can be extubated after the surgery as soon as possible and get back down on his settings from the ventilator to CPAP to high flow and finally to low flow oxygen.

Celebrating Nurses Week with matching sunglasses!

Since Benton's surgery has been set for Monday, the doctors have made virtually no changes to his care since we are just trying to let him relax before surgery and work on his feeds.  He is now taking up to 60ml by bottle and he is still on High Flow of 2 liters with his oxygen requirement between 35-50%.  Benton also had an eye exam and his Retinopathy of Prematurity (ROP) is now down to Stage 0 Zone 3 which is the lowest stage of ROP before his is declared ROP-free.  We can't wait until this surgery is behind us and we can focus on discharge!

Please continue to pray for Benton's continued progress and successful discharge!  We are praying for Benton's surgery to go well and for him to be extubated quickly post-surgery.  Please send your love and prayers :)

Cinco de Mayo and Mother's Day Themed Birthday Signs!