Unexpected Change

Day: 45

Weight: 2 pounds 5 ounces

Things have changed the last two days, and not in the way I anticipated.
Samuel did not make the transition to the conventional ventilator like we had hoped. However, he did better than he did last time they tried to switch him. He stayed on the ventilator for an hour but was requiring more oxygen to do so. They had to turn him up to 50% to keep him going. The doctor felt that Samuel was capable of staying on that ventilator fine, but didn't like the idea of going up on the oxygen that much (too much oxygen causes eye problems.)
In the hours before they tried to switch, I prayed that if it wasn't the right time to make the transition, that it wouldn't work. Apparently it wasn't time. When we found out that he would not be changing ventilators, I was more disappointed that we wouldn't have a solution to Samuel's unstable vitals than I was with him not being able to change to the 'big boy ventilator.'
So back we went to the high frequency ventilator....back to the monitor beeping every few minutes....
And then came Saturday evening. We began to notice a little change with Samuel. Instead of his pulse oxygen level dropping from the 90s to the 40s, it would drop to the 50s. Then a few hours later it would drop from the 90s to the 50s. A few hours later, from the 90s to the 60s. By 9 o'clock that night his swings were a little less frequent and not nearly as dramatic. Around 6am Sunday morning, his nurse called to tell me that he had a wonderful night, that his x-ray looked better, and that they would be going down on his ventilator settings. Throughout the day Sunday, Samuel continued to make progress. His swings were less frequent and he was going down on the oxygen. This morning I walked into Samuel's room and he was sitting steady in the upper 90s and his oxygen level was down to 25%! His doctor was sitting across the room, assessing another patient when he called over to me and said "As you can see, somethings better. I'm not exactly sure what caused it..." They joked around all morning that they might have scared Samuel into fully appreciating the ventilator that he is on.... I happen to believe that it was answered prayers (maybe not in the way we anticipated, but just as good!)
The doctor's plan for Samuel has obviously changed. If Samuel continues to stay stable like he is, they will try to extubate (take him off the ventilator) on Thursday. If it looks like he will need some help, the doctor plans to give him another round of steroids beginning on Wednesday - and hopefully try to extubate on Thursday still. If they can't extubate, they will at least try to get him on the conventional (ie 'big boy') ventilator.
At the moment, I am fully appreciating the stability we are experiencing. I've learned to enjoy every minute of the good days. For Wednesday, I can only hope and pray for the best. I'd love to be able to see Samuel's face for the first time. I'd love for him to come off the ventilator so his lungs can grow and heal. I'd love to be able to hold him again. :) I'd love for this week to go so well that I felt comfortable enough to go to Michael's graduation on Saturday.

What a big week we have in store!