Discharge. It's so close I can almost imagine it. It will come with lists and lists of to-dos. It will come with multiple prescriptions and instructions. But it will come. Sooner than later, in fact. Today, Lincoln was moved off his 1L cannula and onto a cc flow. The cc flow delivers pure oxygen (not mixed with room air) but in a much smaller amount (125mL instead of 1000mL). His daily caffeine (to keep A's and B's at bay - which haven't been a problem AT ALL) was DC'ed today. His daily potassium and sodium are being halved.
Dr. D sat in the rocking chair in our room (there because Kelly likes it for bottlefeeding) and chatted with me for 10 minutes or so today. He said feeds are going better, but expects the once the reflux medication really kicks in they'll improve even more. A few days ago someone finally listened when the nurses said reflux. (JoAnne has been telling me for about 5 weeks that he has reflux!) GI came down and put a tube down Lincoln's throat for 24 hours that read the acidity and reflux levels. Dr. D told me that any episode of acid lasting longer than 5 minutes is a concern and considered reflux. Lincoln had one episode that last 13 minutes! Imagine that pain? Poor baby! The medication should be very effective in treating the reflux.
Dr. D explained the other stuff above, too. He talked about what an old man Lincoln is; he asked how many days old he is - 104 - and how many weeks he is gestationally - 38. Thirty-eight weeks is not actually that old, Dr. D said, we'll cut him a little slack. When Lincoln comes home, he'll come home on his CC flow and will follow Pulmonology for his crappy lungs. Eventually pulmonology will wean his oxygen at home, starting with days.
The end is near. I'm ready. But Link can take the time he needs, because we want him to come home as healthy as possible. And because he's coming home, and I could not be more grateful.
2 comments:
He's beautiful!! 💙
Go Link!! He looks like his twin sisters! 😁
Soon! He has made amazing strides!
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