The hospital trip was successful though not very fun for Josiah. He had his NG tube changed first. Next he had his RSV shot. Thankfully he just made the cutoff weight for having the full dose in one leg instead of both legs. Then I gave him his enoxaparin injection. He had blood work next. The nurse couldn't find veins so she pricked his heel and it took a long time of squeezing Josiah's heel to obtain enough blood, all the while he was crying in my arms. We then went to have an x-ray to ensure that the NG tube was in the correct spot.
By this time Josiah had nearly tuckered himself out. We went back to the outpatient clinic to await the results. The tube was in the right location, his haemoglobin level was good, and his calcium level was good. I'm glad his haemoglobin level was fine but I think I was a little disappointed as I was hoping it was low so that a blood transfusion would help increase his oxygen saturation levels which seem to be a little lower of late. At least he was saved from more needles.
His face was very red after removing the Tegaderm. The nurse put Tegaderm on the left side of his face to hold the NG tube and nose prongs in place. We haven't put any tape on the right side of his face. One small spot bled a little after removing the tape so we're letting the skin breath as long as possible while trying to keep a closer eye on him if he cries to ensure that he hasn't moved the nose prongs. I think I'll use Duoderm under the Tegaderm next time I change the tapes.
While my dad drove Josiah, our nurse, and me to the hospital, my mom took Isaac to the library for his program. In case you were wondering, 'H' was the letter of the day. Before lunch, our new assistant pastor and his wife came by. It was so nice to have a visit with them.
Josiah tolerated his physiotherapy better today. He has it every other week. He also enjoyed tasting pears for the first time tonight. I've noticed before that he reacts well to the puppets on the Baby Einstein videos. We were blessed with some new Baby Einstein videos last week. This afternoon he actually laughed when a dog puppet came on the screen. That was nice to see.
My solo time this afternoon went well. Josiah was a little fussy at first so Isaac and I hung out in Josiah's room and read books on the rocking chair. When Josiah fell asleep we moved to the kitchen for more fun with playdough until Graham arrived home. They played together until our tasty supper was ready.
Josiah was sweaty after having his pears tonight. I get a little nervous when I see changes like this. He was coughing a little today so I asked the visiting nurse to listen to his lungs but they sound clear. I think I've been assuming that if his lungs sound clear then his pulmonary vein stenosis hasn't become worse and therefore he isn't any worse. Those could be two faulty assumptions. I have been focusing mainly on his pulmonary vein stenosis, forgetting that he still only has one main valve in his heart and it's leaky. We don't know its status but I think his oxygen saturation levels would decrease if the leak were getting worse. There's no point dwelling on this. We're having good days and we're thankful for them. I can still sing happy songs to God in the shower every morning.
It's time to say good-night. Thanks so much for your prayers and support.
Blessings,
Elizabeth
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