We have a rough week ahead. God knew Scott and I needed some good news to keep us uplifted.
Mom passed away early Saturday morning and Scott and I were in Louisville from that time until yesterday evening. The couple days were filled with wonderful family time. Jackson was with us... which was dear (for the Louisville gang to get to meet him) but it was difficult to give him the love and attention he needed while allowing us the sleep we needed during such an intense emotional time. But, primarily, we wanted to come back to Columbus to give our little warrior, Duncan, some love.
So, we drove home last night. Scott and I will return alone to Louisville tomorrow (Tues) early morning while Lynette and Henry babysit Jackson and a slew of folks visit and love on Duncan at Children's.
On to the good news... Scott just returned from his time with Duncan and had the opportunity to speak directly with the cardiologist caring for him. Turns out, his feeding tube will be removed sometime today (when he first began his feeds, he was a bit inconsistent in how much milk her would take from the bottle, so they have been supplementing with the tube)!!! He had three VERY successful feedings orally overnight. His tummy is tolerating it VERY well, and he seems to have the suck-swallow-breathe routine down. As I mentioned before, this was a HUGE factor in his recovery and departure from the hopsital. Speaking of which, the doctor also said he could see Duncan packing his bags and heading out of there this Saturday or so. There is a lot of time between now and then, so we will need to be prepared for any hurdles that might crop up, but for now that's EXCELLENT news! He will have beat the 2-week mark that is the average length of stay after that surgery for most babies. And he's a preemie! What a good boy! Scott said that when he heard the potential discharge date he got instantly excited, followed by instant fear! TWO BABIES at home... one with a heart condition to keep us on high alert. True, it will be scary.
Meanwhile, I was here at home meeting with a home care nurse, a service offered by Ohio Department of Health. She answered a couple of my questions, then got Jackson's vitals. Everything looks good... but the big news is his stellar weight! Our pediatrician mentioned that an increase of an ounce a day would be his preference. Jackson was 5 lbs exactly on Monday. Today, five days later, he is 5 lbs 9 ozs! YEY! And 19 inches long. So he is ahead of the eight ball. He is a bit bigger now than Duncan, who decreased in weight since the feedings began. There is no worry there, just takes awhile to beef back up after using so much energy to work to feed (before he was "lazily" getting calories through an IV).
As always, thank you for praying for my family. Dad is hanging in there. He has done a wonderful job with the details of the arrangements. Grandmom and Grandad are amazing... they just keep trucking on. Justin, my brother, is holding his own as well. And I cry when I need to... Now we just need to face the formal visitation and services, which will be trying - but healing. Again, thanks for sending your loving vibes. We feel them!
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