Update on Joslyn 10/10

What to start with. Joslyn is doing REALLY good. She has been completely weaned off of 1 of her 2 blood pressure meds, and down to 3 on the other. Yesterday she was at 18 and 11 on the two meds, and today she’s on 3 and off! Yeah!

She was on 10 Nitric oxide, and tonight she is on 2.4 which is literally almost off. They are hoping to have her off maybe by tonight. If her blood gases come back good, she’ll be off by 12am tonight.

They are weaning her off of her Fentanyl (which is 100x stronger then morphine) as well, and hopefully by Thursday she will be off it completely! It’s an addictive drug, so they can not just turn it off, they have to wean her down.

She is off the BIG ventilator and on to a conventional one. The one she was on before was providing her with 600 breaths per minute; this one is providing her with 40. Because she is still on the Fentanyl and Morphine to keep her from moving around too much and on the lines, and tubes around her, she is allowing the machine to breathe for her. Once she is off the Fentanyl she should begin to breathe over the vent, which will strengthen her lungs.

The doctor today gave us the first slight time line given so far. He said after she’s weaned off of her meds and the nitric oxide, he thinks about a week for respiratory recovery, and then anywhere from a few days to another week to get feedings down etc. That being said, we could have out baby girl home in 2.5wks or less!

She is so beautiful, and such a fighter. She has, so the nurses and doctors say, turned the corner. The only issue, and concern now is her right upper lobe in her right lung. She has some haziness still, which means the air sacs in that area are collapsed. They think its just some mucus that’s still sitting there, so they have her on her left side with her right side up higher hoping that it will help inflate it, and loosen the mucus up. They also have a small machine that place on her right side that vibrates ever so lightly hoping again to loosen up the mucus so it can be suctioned out.

She is being given 5ml of breast milk every 6 hours, and so far so good. 

Now I can’t remember when they said, but very soon she should be in a open isolate, and we can touch her, and if all is still well, maybe even hold her. *crossing fingers* maybe.

I think that’s all I can think of to update you all on. She is doing really well, and we are so proud of her.

Tomorrow, (wed) Zack and I are making our way home without our precious baby Joslyn, but we know she is in really good hands at this time, and we know she is doing better, so that makes us feel better about leaving her. We will be going home Wednesday evening, and coming back here Friday with our 2yr old. Zack is going to put in a 12hr shift at work Thursday, I have a doctor’s appointment Friday morning, and we are on our way with one beautiful princess (Kylyn) to go see our other (Joslyn)!!

We are hoping that when we return on Friday that Joslyn will be in her open isolate, and her station will look much more inviting.

Kylyn will be staying with us till Sunday, which is when we have arranged for, if Joslyn is still doing well, our families to come see their new grand daughter for the first time. Kylyn will then get a ride home to sleep back in her own bed.

We are planning on coming home 2 to 3 more times until we can finally put a precious little something in her new car seat (complements of Wayne and Dena, her grand parents) and come home!! It will be so nice for Kylyn to meet her baby sister for the first time. She will not be able to meet her while she is with us in Fargo because of her age. They do not allow siblings under age 3 into the NICU.

Well that’s all I can think of as far as goals, updates, plans, etc. Thank you all so much for your thoughts and prayers! Keep us lifted up in prayer, as it is pushing us through it all. God has been so good to us today. We had an issue with Zack’s car but I decided to pray for the car as crazy as it might sound, and next time the key was turned the car was started and we were back on the road to go see Joslyn. God is here with us, and helping us, and I am over joyed at all the wonderful comments of encouragement left in the guestbook. We love hearing from you, and love seeing all the support we have back home. May God bless you all as you have blessed us.

Zack and Chelsie