Paul Update Thread

I'm getting a few PM's and so I started this so I can share news with the AW family which has been awesome helping me through this ordeal.

Currently, we are in a hospice counting down the days to surgery. I wasn't happy about moving from the hospital but insurance wasn't happy we'd been in the hospital since October 30th. He's only a mile away from the actual hospital and if all he needs is to be monitored and fed, it's okay.

But I will say, he's had a lot of "episodes" since we got here. His heart rate is up. His respiration is up. His blood oxygen levels dropped to 80 once and he turned grey. (That has never happened and I hope it never happens again). I've had a melt down at the staff. They wisely took Paul and rocked him and suggested I sleep. I was and I'll admit it, a crazy person.

The surgeon we have is awesome so I'm not so worried about the outcome, I just sort of wish it were over and really wish I didn't know as much as I know about how they are going to fix his heart. Surgery set for November 20th.

Normal life will return some time around December 5th or so. Look for Christmas cards around Ground Hog day.

sounds perfect. thanks.

Paul Update:

They gave him more lasix, they took an x-ray to compare his lungs from Tuesday to today, and I spoke personally with the Cardiologist. He ordered blood work and has directed the Cardiologist on call to call him after this afternoon's examination. In the meantime, he has started to run a slight fever (100 rectal), and they have started antibiotics as a precaution. They have ruled out Pnuemonia. The lab results so far have been good.

The Pediatrician here is excellent and she's told me if she feels in any way uncomfortable with Paul's numbers, she'll preemptively send him back to Children's.

As a side note, his blood numbers comparitively from the last time (tuesday) are better with respect to sodium, so he is tolerating the high calorie concentrate formula well.

He weighed in at HSC as 8lbs. 3.6 oz but I've learned, each scale is slightly different, but they do surmise he's gained a bit from the other day. They do worry he's working so hard, he'll burn that off. So they're giving him tylenol and hoping the ease in the fever eases his heart rate. So far, I'd say I've seen a modest improvement, from the 160-up to having a low range of the 150's. Respiratory is still high.

Thanks everyone!

Paul update Evening: Being transfered Back to Hospital --which we are glad of, due to fever (which we are not happy about), but it is a good thing. Thanks everyone!