Two Steps Forward, One Step Back

THURSDAY, APRIL 8, 2010 2:26 PM, CDT

Two steps forward, one step back. I'm now convinced I'm not allowed to get any extra sleep. Every time I sleep in then come to the hospital, something happens.

Liam has had two really good days since coming off the ventilator. And I got to hold him again yesterday for another 2.5 hours. But, this morning, he dropped his o2 sats and heartrate too low - low enough they had to bag him. So, they turned up the settings on the CPAP machine from 4 to 6. He did really good until 11:00 (right after I got here) when he had his CPT - he again dropped his o2 sats and his heartrate, this time lower than this morning. I was in here for the whole episode. His o2 was in the teens and twenties and he was a purple-y blue grey color and struggling. This time they bagged him for several minutes before his sats came back up. The head neo came in and spoke with us and they took him off the CPAP and put him on Nasal-Prong Ventilation. This is where he is on a ventilator but it goes through prongs in his nose, rather than a breathing tube down his throat. If he has any more "episodes," they'll re-intubate him and put him back on the regular ventilator. So, Shane and I are sitting here with him, hoping to avoid the ventilator. He is also now getting aerosol breathing treatments - one to reduce the inflammation and wheezing in his lungs and the other to reduce the swelling in his throat.

Now, how on Earth am I supposed to go back to work on Monday?