Hello family and friends,
Yes, we are home now. Caden was discharged from MUSC this morning and we arrived home this afternoon. Caden seems so much more relaxed and is back to his smiling self. He was not liking all those leads stuck to him and would in fact pull them off – one in each hand! Riley is of course happy to have everyone home. The first thing he wanted was to “see Caden” and touch his head.
Caden did well being off the oxygen last night and the doctors were ok with his oxygen saturation. Caden is back to being very junky (congested sounding) with a hacking cough. I guess it’s better to get all that junk up though. It just requires an incredible amount of suctioning. He has become quite a personality, grabbing and hanging on to the suction hose. The doctors say that he did not have RSV but one of the numerous “respiratory viruses” out there. I praise God for my biggest answered prayer; Caden never had to be intibated. The first couple of days the respirator machine was in the room “waiting” to be used but never was.
Caden did receive a little blood first thing up on 7C though his level was just a little low. The doctors felt that it would improve the labored breathing and his blood oxygen level since oxygen clings to the hemoglobin. Thus, it would make since that he had a lower oxygen saturation before the transfusion. It is not known if Caden needed the blood because of the blood being drawn for tests, the virus, or some other reason. As suspected, Caden did much better after the transfusion. He is also back on an iron supplement.
Caden’s feeding amount is back up to where it was before he went into the hospital and he is doing great. I can’t recall the last time he refluxed and we are suctioning him more right now (suctioning has in the past triggered reflux)! I think Caden’s lowest weight was 9 lb. 8 oz. which is only down 4 ounces from the doctor’s office weight that was taken the day he was admitted. I’m thrilled that through all this he didn’t lose much weight. We have worked very hard for every ounce Caden puts on! Every nurse and doctor that saw him commented that he has gotten so big. Four pounds makes a big difference!
Tomorrow is a big day. Caden goes to see his pediatrician tomorrow morning to get checked out. In the afternoon, Caden has a hearing test and an appt. with Ear Nose Throat at MUSC. ENT will recheck his vocal cords and will discuss with us some new research and a possible treatment to the swallowing dysphasia. Hank and I are being open minded enough to listen to all options though we are not for radical, invasive, or new treatments that don’t have much research and haven’t been done on many babies, So we’ll see.
Well that’s about it. My favorite night nurse will be here soon and that means peaceful sleep for all. Thank you for your prayers. I hope you are learning as much about God as we are through our little boy and these tough events. God is so faithful!
In Christ,
Sherry