I obeyed my doctor and stayed off my feet at RMH until 4:00 this afternoon (in between short walks to eat and pump). When I saw Josiah the nurses said he didn't look very good and he had a fever. He had new cultures taken and the fellow said they would wait for some results before starting antibiotics as his other numbers were fine. About an hour later I came back from pumping and the fellow told me that they had decided to start antibiotics as Josiah looked worse and his breathing was more laboured. His fever was 39.3 so he was given tylenol and ibuprofen and I wiped him down with ice cold water. I was hoping to hold him today but that would increase his temperature.
I learned tonight that the CCCU (Cardiac Critical Care Unit) fellows have switched to the PICU (Pediatric Intensive Care Unit) and vice versa so I'll be getting to know a new set of doctors and they'll need to get to know Josiah.
Josiah's enoxparin level is checked in his blood work once a week on Tuesday mornings. It is meant to be between 0.5 and 1.0 (I may be wrong about the upper level). His was 0.49 this morning so the pharmacist was okay with the number but a thrombosis specialist came by and said his enox needs to be increased so it will go up by 10% at his next dose at 6:00 AM tomorrow.
I just called his night nurse and she said his fever is down to 38 degrees and the staff physician had checked in on him and said he looked better. He's sleeping peacefully with ice on his head.
When I'm with Josiah I feel fine. I thought I lost my sweatshirt today and almost started crying. Obviously emotion isn't far from the surface. The day nurse thought Josiah was giving her puppy dog eyes today.
Thanks so much for your prayers and support! McDonalds hosted a great meal tonight and thankfully there were leftovers when I arrived back from the hospital. Isaac is no longer impressed with his crib in Kitchener as he is getting used to being in a bed on the weekends. We may need to say good-bye to the crib earlier than we wanted.
Blessings,
Elizabeth
Ah dear Elizabeth. I'm sorry that it was another challenging day for you all. Last night at prayer we prayed for both you and Josiah specifically. I'm praying that the doctors would be able to determine exactly what is happening with Josiah and would be able to treat it quickly and effectively. Elizabeth never forget even though it must, at times, seem overwhelming, you are not walking through this alone. The people of God and God Himself are with you!
ReplyDeleteDear Elizabeth: I weep for you and I haven't lost my sweatshirt, nor had cortisone shots, nor been away from home for over 2 whole mos, nor been away from my toddler, nor a sick baby and many other things. I will pray today that you feel so at home with God beside you and that He seems more real than ever....that you will feel His hugs and that you know His presence as you come and go and as you lie down to sleep or rest. May He be part of your total being. I pray that His healing power is "knitting" Josiah's heart and lungs including the valves and blood vessels, just as He would have done in the womb; that for His glory He is creating and structuring Josiah's body to be 'fearfully and wonderfully' made. There is nothing impossible. Plkease remember that when you cannot pray, someone else is....That is how good God is and he will keep many of us on our knees until His work is completed.
ReplyDeleteOops. That was me. Love, J. E.
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