Baby Eagan - NICU Day 11

Eagan's PDA sounds significantly better to his neonatologist today. We will find out for sure Sunday or Monday. He still has some bleeding from the pulmonary hemorrhage but they think that when the PDA closes completely this should stop. Overall, today was a lot better.

 I just wanted to say thank you again for the prayers that have been sent up for Eagan. All the words of encouragement and comments I have received since our journey began have really helped keep me going. Some days it is really hard to recover from surgery, take care of Eli and Evelyn, pump breastmilk every 3 hours for Eagan, and make the trip to the NICU. The outpouring of love and prayers our family has witnessed is just amazing. Our family and friends have been so great, whether watching my kids or just calling or texting to check on us. All of my mommy group ladies that have checked in on us so often have been some of Eagan's biggest prayer warriors! Again, thank you so much! Eagan is proof of the power of prayer.

Here is a run-down of his current status:

Weight
1 lb 15 oz - He hasn't been weighed yet today, so this is yesterday's weight.

Length
12.5" - We aren't measuring his length yet, so this is birth length.

Breathing
Eagan is on an oscillator and doing well. He is still breathing room air (21% oxygen).

His most recent blood gas test was good in all areas!

Vitals
Eagan's vitals have been stable overall.

Vein Access
Eagan also has a PICC line in his right arm.

He also has an IV in his leg. He really gets irritated by this one because his leg has to be on a foam board to keep the line stabilized.


Medications
Indomethacin has been started to close the PDA. Three doses will be given. His last dose was today. He reacted well overall to the medication.

Eagan's CRP, C-reactive protein, was down from yesterday. Vancomycin and Gentamicin have been started. A blood culture came back positive so we know we are treating the issue properly now.

His white blood cell count was down even more today. His doctor no longer thinks he has an infection, but that his body was preparing to get the infection that I had due to the premature rupture of membranes (PROM). Zithromax has been added just in case.

Eags is getting Diflucan because he has a yeast infection in his throat, most likely from the intubation tube.

His thyroid blood test came back low. He is on Sythroid for low thyroid.

Caffeine has been added to his medications. Caffeine has multiple benefits for Eagan such as reducing his risk for cerebral palsy. The main purpose of the caffeine is to help Eagan to remember to breathe, preventing spells of apnea. He gets caffeine once a day.

He will be getting a glycerin suppository every 12 hours depending on how often he is having bowel movements. It seems odd to be so excited about dirty diapers, but he is peeing and pooping great which means his body is functioning well!

Nutrition
Because of the Indomethacin, Eagan's feedings are cancelled until he has received all three doses of this medication. This medicine can slow down his intestines so giving him breastmilk during this time would be dangerous and could lead to a serious problem called NEC.

Eagan is still getting vitamins through his PICC and lipids (a healthy fat). His lipids were increased today.

Transfusions
April 20 - Transfusion #5

April 19 - Transfusion #3 and Transfusion #4 of plasma

April 18 - Transfusion #2

April 15 - Eagan got his first blood transfusion tonight. This will be the first of many transfusions Eagan will need. His hematocrit (the amount of red blood cells in the blood) has been low, which is just one of the many reasons he needs a transfusion. His blood is also drawn for tests quite often. Even a tiny amount of blood is a lot of blood coming from such a tiny baby. The transfusion will also help Eagan maintain proper oxygenation.

Jaundice
Eagan's jaundice levels were down today. He didn't need the bili lights at all today.

Upcoming Tests
The cardiologist will do another echocardiogram to find out if the PDA closed.

Next week, the head ultrasound will be repeated.

Thank you for all your love, support and prayers.