Today was a good day!

Yes it was!  So, let me preface all of this with the comment that each day in the NICU is its own day.  Today may be great and tomorrow may be not so great, but today was a GREAT DAY!

 Today we spent quite a while with Shiloh in his little isolation room.  We started the day very down because the news wasn't so good to start.  First, the infection numbers had gone up and they added a 4th antibiotic.  Second, they moved the brain scan up by a day because the night nurse had reported that he was too lethargic and a little stiff.  They wanted to make sure there isn't any damage.  Then, I waited in his room for 3 1/2 hours to talk to the doctor.  I needed answers.  So, the Doctor finally arrived and I had my chance to visit with her for the first time.

She said the same thing she had said twice before.  He is a sick little boy, but he isn't a sick little boy who is going to die.  She then discussed the statistics of babies in the NICU, and said unfortunately Shiloh is a Caucasian male and he is following the pattern of Caucasian males in NICU (They are the slowest to react and grow in the lung department)  She said African-American girls do best to which I responded, "Well, I really couldn't help that!"  I asked her about the upcoming brain scan, and she said she was moving it up just to be sure everything was okay and to know whether or not he was a candidate for the medication to close the PDA in his heart.  She said she didn't expect anything to come back because they were watching his soft spot and head circumference and there had been no change in them and no reason to be alarmed.  This scan is to be a precautionary thing overall.  She said his blood gas numbers are about the same and he just has a long road ahead, but it was a road he could travel.  Then she gave me a story of someone who did have a brain bleed, but was successful nonetheless as an adult.  That did wonders for my nerves.  *rolls eyes*  She said overall exactly what she had been saying.

I then took a break to get something to eat and make some phone calls while Carrie took her mom in to see Shiloh.  They were in there for about 15 minutes before they shooed them out to get some things done.  Then Carrie's mom went home and we went back in to see Shiloh, and then the day got good!

First, his clotting factors are better today.  They were around 35 and now it is down to 17.  Not where they want them, but a lot better than before.  Second, the doctor revised her parameters for blood pressure and has taken him off of the blood pressure medicine.  Third, he is feeling a lot better.  The nurse said she could tell how much better he was feeling from how much he was acting up.  He would grab tubes and lines and try to "help" the nurse do things.  At one point I placed my finger in his hand and he grabbed it and his oxygen saturation automatically went up to 100% and stayed there.  Carrie experienced the same thing shortly after I did.  So, it appears we may be getting ahead of the infection.  Finally, the brain scan came back as all clear.  There is no damage or bleeding to be found in his brain.  All of these things add up to a great day!

Tomorrow, we may have some setbacks because, after all, we have to test the waters before we can swim, but WE WILL SWIM!  Yes, today was a great day.

Now we have our prayer requests:

1. Pray the advances we made today would become permanent advances toward Shiloh coming home
2. Pray that the PDA in his heart would close overnight.  Yes, I am asking for a miracle, but if it closes, even a good bit, we won't have to resort to the medicine which can have some steep side effects.
3. Pray the white cell count and other infection signals would begin to decline in the blood work
4. Pray the jaundice would go away
5. Pray that he moves out of isolation quickly and that soon after can be held
6. Pray that his lungs begin to develop quickly
7. Pray that Carrie and I can make the right decision as to how to react in this time.  We want to be here, but we can't stand to be in that room all day not doing anything at all.  Carrie is torn between wanting to stay near Shiloh at all times and not wanting to stay in Odessa alone.  She is praying over whether she wants to stay here full time by herself or if she wants to split time between home and here and both of us spend 2-3 nights a week in Odessa.  Pray we can make this decision in the way that is the most financially responsible and good for Shiloh

Keep praying, and keep checking in for updates.