Ethan's Day 4 Update

So today Ethan did very very well, and both Jayme and I are so happy. Last night, he was doing very well, so they made the decision to extubate him. So they took out the tube to his lungs, and placed him back on the nasal c-pap that he was on two days ago. His oxygen saturation remained strong even after this, and that is a wonderful sign. The they did his daily x-ray, and they also did his second echo.

The x-ray showed continued development of the lungs, and that is really wonderful. The attending physician said that this shows to him that he is becoming increasingly capable of producing his own surfactant, which is essential for him to get better. We were also told that the echo is showing that the PDA valve in his heart is starting to close up. This indicates increased pulmonary blood flow, and the beginning of the end of his PPHN. It is not over yet for him, but he is improving every day and that is all we can ask for.
Jayme spent a good amount of time with him today, and she had the opportunity to change diapers, and even had the chance to pick him up, albeit briefly, while they moved some things around under him. When I visited this evening, I changed his diaper for the first time, and I also got to take his temperature. They are letting us interact with him more physically now, because he is less irritable about it.

If his improvement continues throughout tonight, tomorrow will bring with it some more changes. As long as his saturation levels remain strong, tomorrow they will remove the c-pap, and replace in with a cannula, which is a thin tube that rests under his nose, and delivers oxygen. Unlike the c-pap, the air from the cannula will not be pressurized. Should he take to this well, and maintain his O2 saturation, they also plan to try and feed him a small amount from a bottle tomorrow. Before Ethan can come home, he has to be able to eat, so this will be a big step for him. The doctor warned that it could take a little time before he catches on to this because of some of his respiratory distress, but he expects that it will not take too long. The also have designs on moving him out of his incubator, and into a crib sometime in the next two days if his progress continues.

The doctor told me tonight, that based on his improvement thus far, and his expectations for the next few days, he thinks it is completely reasonable for us to expect to have Ethan home with us on Monday the 11th. He reminded me that this is completely dependent upon Ethan, and his continued improvement, but it is still a nice target for us to have.

Tomorrow is another day, and with it, hopefully more good news, and of course another update to email to you all. Thanks again for everyone's continued support.

Eric, Jayme, and Loryn Steinbach