So Thursday we discovered after a chest x-ray that Braden has another pneumonia. He had been running a fever, his skin was looking a little mottled, and Nurse Carrie agreed he just wasn't acting like his normal self, so she got the docs to order a chest x-ray, blood gas, blood culture, and sputum culture. The chest x-ray shows some pneumonia, so he was immediately put on some antibiotics. The sputum culture is growing bacteria, so he will stay on antibiotics.
Having the trach will not give him pneumonia, but we feel like he got it because he's been just laying in the bed for nearly a month, and moving him around in the bed just hasn't been enough. So we pushed the doctors to allow us to take him off the vent for short periods throughout the day for us to play with him, do therapy, and just snuggle in a more upright position. So we have been "stealing" time with him doing just that the past few days. We have him up on the therapy ball standing up against it, so he's getting to engage his legs in a standing position, he's also enjoying some tummy time, which he hasn't got much of since the surgery.
We've had to put him back on the vent machine more this week... mostly he was on CPAP (continuous positive air pressure) to help reduce the secretions, as when we tried keeping him on the trach collar, mommy was up every 6 - 12 minutes to suction. The doc felt putting him back on CPAP constantly would help reduce those secretions, and it did help. A few nights ago he had about 10 apnea episodes, so now he is back on minimal vent support, at least at night. Since he has been sleepy that past few days because of the pneumonia, he has been put on minimal support for the time being - except when we "steal time" with him off his machines:-)
The past 2 Saturdays we have watched LSU play football from the comforts of his hospital room. Last week we had him dressed in full jersey-garb, and even got a surprise visit from Winnie the Pooh. Braden was checking him out, and then started playing "possum", but peeking out of one eye, so Pooh started to play peek-a-boo with Braden... it was adorable. Today Daddy got some QT with Braden doing therapy and just snuggling - can you believe how big he is getting?? He is getting so long!!!
We have a light at the end of the tunnel, if all goes according to plan, we will be out of the hospital on or near October 6th. We've been here almost a month - yikes! Mommy misses her new bed, A LOT... as "sleeping" in the hospital is a lot of insomnia, falling asleep after hours of restlessness and finally getting to sleep sometime after midnight or 1 am,waking for Braden's "witching hour" from 3am - 4am, and then waking up for shift changes around 6:30 am, and the countless bells and chimes and traumas throughout the night on our floor. Oh, did I mention our "bed" is a pull-out chair? It's not awful, but it's certainly not helpful if you already have back problems.
We are hoping this will be our last week here. Pray they can find home nursing for us, as any kind of help like that would be wonderful for Braden to have care in his home environment, even if it's one day a week or a few hours a week to help out mommy and daddy! Thanks for the continued support,
Kodi, Brad, & Braden
2 comments:
I have been praying for you all constantly since we saw you in the hospital....I think of Braden all the time! I'd like to bring you guys some snacks or a meal to the hospital one day this week while Owen is at Mother's Day out - I will call you! HUGS!
Sorry Braden has more "yuck." Just another small bump in the road. I LOVE the picture of Brad and Braden. He's getting to be such a big boy! And you can definitely tell they're related. :-)
Brandy
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