Possibly Some Improvement!

Yesterday Joslyn was considered in serious critical condition, but today is in serious but stable condition. She has had some more chest x-rays and her lungs were still hazy which means there was fluid of some sort in her lungs still. We are still unsure if she has an infection; we are waiting on results of tests for it, but won’t have results for a little while yet. There is no proof of infection, but there are signs she could have one, such as as an elevated heart beat. Because of this and a few other signs they are treating her as if she has one, until they get the results back.
At 6pm we were with her while she had her 3rd out of 4 x-rays for the day. Her chest x-ray came back MUCH clearer then the other 2 earlier today. (So good to see and hear) We are hoping and praying she stays stable, and makes a turn around tonight!


Right now Joslyn is doing well. She is still on a level of 63 Oxygen support, and needs to get to a level of 21 to be considered on room air. She is off her paralysis medication today, which is good, but to control pain, and her lack of willingness to let the machines work for her she is still sedated. It is hard to see her in this state but we know it’s for the best. She is a fighter and is fighting the machines that are trying to help her, which is only wearing her out, making it hard for her lungs to heal, and develop how they need to.


Joslyn is on Antibiotics to fight off any infections that might be present in her tiny body, Morphine and Fentanyl for pain control, Steroids for her lungs, Dopamine for her blood pressure, Lorazepam and Vecuronium are being used as a sedative to help her relax her muscles and rest up letting the machines work more effectively, Nitric Oxide to help open the sacks in her lungs so she can better absorb oxygen into the blood, which in turn decreases high blood pressure in the lungs, Sufactant to coat the air sacs in her lungs with a fatty substance to keep them from collapsing, She still has a Umbilical Catheter which is being used to draw blood for labs, this method is painless and easy compared to sticking her several times a day for tests, a PICC (Peripherally Inserted Central Catheter) which runs into her hand, up her arm and sits next to her heart, and maybe a few other medications to help her out. Her heart beat is good, her blood pressure is right where they want it to be right now. She is of course at this point unable to retain these results on her own and still needs the support. They dropped her dose of Blood pressure meds today a tiny bit and she kept stable. We are very excited, and praying that this is her turn around point.


The nurse today who was with us, and walking us through things was very helpful in explaining things, and was very reassuring. Gave us some hope that we might get to take this precious baby girl home with us! They need to wean her off of some meds, and take the Umbilical line out before we can hold her, and work on feedings. That could take (depending on her cooperation) anywhere from a few days to a week or more. The Nitric Oxide they need to wean off very slowly since it is addictive, and is not ok to cut cold turkey.


She is doing better today yes, but we still are asking for all the prayers you can bring yourself to give! God has a plan in the situation and we have peace in knowing the Lord has our little Joslyn in his hands, and has had a plan for her life since before we knew she was made. We hold our heads up high, and we know God is in control. Yes Zack and I are human and we hurt for our baby girl, but we have Peace in the Lord which is something felt like no one can describe with words.


Please pray for our family financially as well, this defiantly wasn’t planned! We are looking at our daughter being here for much longer then originally thought, but are willing to work things out between ourselves for Zack and I to stay here with her in Fargo as much and as long as she needs to be till she is well enough to come home with us!


Zack has work to go back to; we have our other beautiful baby girl at home being cared for by her two aunties and occasionally her grandparents. We have a life we want to bring our new baby girl back to! She has a big sister that wants to meet her, a mommy and daddy and family that want to hold her! We are thankful to have an op to meet with a social worker tomorrow in regards to the Ronald McDonald house across the street, and to have gotten an offer from a relative of Zack’s, and a high school friend of mine for her and her husband to open up their home to us if we need. God is so good to us, and is showing us that all we need to do is rely on him to bring us through.


Thank you for all your support and your prayers,
Zack and Chelsie Hanson