The doctor said the ultrasound of Toby's head was normal. This means he made it through the first week without a major bleed. He could still have one, but the chance is now much less. Previously, we had been told it was 40%.
The three main areas of concern now are:
1. Infection- always a danger.
2. Respiratory- He has been receiving daily chest x-rays. He was put on the oscillating ventilator because the tests showed that his lungs are leaky. The most recent ones have shown that he is not getting worse in this area. The doctor would like to see signs that the problems have resolved before he attempts to put him back on the other ventilator. Several times this ventilator has been described to me as "tricky" and "as high tech as it gets." We will not be able to hold him or consider a transfer as long as he remains on it. But he is tolerating it and his #'s are ok on it.
3. Feeding- maybe this weekend or early next week, they will begin to introduce milk to his system, beginning with 1cc at a time (1/5 of a teaspoon) through a tube into his stomach. He is currently totally nourished through his IV. If there are no problems, it should take 3 - 4 weeks to get him up to "full feeds", or receiving his nourishment through his stomach. But his system is so undeveloped that it is not likely to go that smoothly and he will be closely monitored for the many complications which can occur.
He came off the light yesterday as his bilirubin #s were good and we can now see and enjoy his little face. He has his long term IV in place and the catheters into his umbilical site have been removed. He has to be sedated while on the oscillator but is still somewhat active. He does not like to be disturbed and needs a low stim environment.
Praise God that he has survived the critical 1st week. Happy 1 week birthday, Toby. He was born at 24 weeks gestational age, 16 weeks early. I have been reading the book and literature I have. The charts and info do not deal with any younger gestational age because he was truly at the outside edge for survival. Since the doctor who did the surgery observed evidence that the bleeding had been occurring for some length of time (weeks), we are praising God that his timing is always perfect and he held everything together and allowed Toby that necessary time in utero. Looking at him is like looking at perfection as he is so fearfully and wonderfully made. So tiny, yet so perfect. Two things we know about God- his power and his lovingkindness. (The end of Psalm 62)
Tobias means "The Lord is good" and Nathaniel means "gift of God". Please pray with us that his life would be God-glorifying. Thank you so much for your kind thoughts and prayers. Please also pray for the older siblings who have had their world turned upside down. Thanks to the kind ladies who brought them down for a visit today. We will need a lot of wisdom as we make decisions in the next days, weeks, months. We have been told to plan on a hospitalization which lasts until his due date of June 21st
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