Tuesday, June 17, 2014

Ups and Downs

Roscoe had some ups and downs yesterday. The good things that happened were that his oxygen pressures were lowered from 33 to 26, his sedative was cut in half, and his pain killer was reduced by 1/6th and he is still stable. He also had two very full diapers in 24 hours that got rid of excess water: one was 7oz and one was 6.5oz. To think about that in comparison, that would be like a 180lb man getting rid of roughly 1.5 gallons of water (if that 180lb man was also wearing very large diapers).


The not-so-good items from yesterday were that after getting down to being stable at 38% on his oxygen requirement, he started desaturating again and needed more support as the day wore on. Currently he is back up at 65% oxygen to keep him stable. They also made two separate attempts to put in a PICC line (a central IV) but those attempts were unsuccessful, so he got an additional IV put into his hand. For those keeping score, that will be his 4th IV in the past week. He also got an x-ray to check the state of his lungs, which looked about the same as they had previously. All of these interventions with him cause him stress, which increases his oxygen requirements.

Roscoe's belly is still very large and strange to see. As he moves around, the fluid in his face and belly will get worked out of his system. In addition to retaining fluid, he hasn't had a diaper which "reaps the fall harvest of summer feedings" (ie: poop) in 24 hours, and the one he did have before wasn't very big. Today his nurse will be moving his legs around actively to try and get things working through his system, hopefully with an explosive result.

Tonight was the first night that Alisha and I have slept at home since last Thursday. We were able to get some rest, but today will be another stressful day because of his continued instability. Below is a video from Sunday that we were finally able to upload to show him moving around after coming off of the paralytic drug:

Your prayers of support have been uplifting. We've been encouraged by knowing that people around the world are striving with us (and Roscoe) in prayer:

"The prayer of a righteous person is powerful and effective"
- James 5:16

13 comments:

  1. First thought of the morning and last thought of the night is of you 3. Sometimes my dreams are even based on Roscoe thoughts and prayers.
    Love you all,
    Rachelle

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  2. He is so precious!
    Love you three! We are praying!!!

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  3. Praying and begging others to pray for you all! I love you!

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  4. He is so precious,his little kissable lips so perfect.I love to wake seeing him & knowing God is giving us so much to be thankful for.
    Rock on Roscoe x x

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  5. Roscoe is constantly on my mind. We thank God for all of Roscoe's progress, and pray fervently for the Lord to heal him completely. Our 3.5 yr old daughter loves Roscoe very much, too, and always mentions him in her prayers.

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  6. Replies
    1. ( ? ?) =Heart emoticon with twinkling stars.

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  7. Shaun,
    You are a giant among men! For multiple reasons, of course. I can tell by how you have kept your humor thru all of this. That says a lot to people like me. Thank you for being an exceptional example!

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  8. Our experience with our son was definitely different from yours but in many ways very similar. Our son was full term and weighed 8 lbs. However, within a few hrs after he was born they discovered his body was not getting the oxygen it needed as his lungs were not functioning properly. He went to the nicu and his problems continued to increase every day. He had a blood transfusion... chest tubes.. tried different ventilators..so many meds they almost ran out of places to put them. He was the sickest baby in the entire nicu and we were afraid we would lose him as they considered life support for him. We had kept the situation private til that day they said that. It was then that we shared with friends and family about his situation and asked everyone to pray. The doctors decided against life support and kept him on the vent. Prayer saved my son..the next day as more and more people begin to pray for him he slowly but surely got better a little each day. There were days I couldn't touch him or talk to him and he didn't move or open his eyes because he was on a paralytic for awhile to keep him from fighting the vent. He spent Christmas and New Year's in the nicu but finally came home Jan Friday the 13th.. 3 days before my birthday. He was 28 days old. I know it doesn't compare to the months you have waited but tears well up when I consider your story and mine because I know it's a tough place to be. My son is now 2.5 and doing great. Some breathing issues every so often and allergies but he's a strong boy and we are so thankful that God allowed us to keep him with us. I pray for a happy ending for your family also.God bless!!

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  9. The adult diapers work fine for a 180 man...unfortunately, I am slightly larger. Love you and praying every hour!

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  10. Last night i dreamed i was scrolling through his pictures and your blog over and over. Im searching for answers and good news.
    He jealously fills my mind and heart, and im more than ok with that.

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  11. Praying for you little tough guy :) xoxox

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  12. With a grateful heart for each moment Roscoe lives I keep praying that he will grow stronger and healthier and win this battle for a beautiful life.

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