2 Steps Forward and 1 Step Back

We should be used to this be now, but it does make it any easier. Holden spiked another fever around 6AM this morning and seemed to feel poopy for most of the day. Doctors sent bloodwork off to the lab as they think he may have another line infection. They may add another antibiotic if the results come back positive. His echo showed some improvement over the one done on Monday, however, his pulmonary pressures were still higher than they should be (doctors say it will likely take a couple of months before we see real improvement in his pressures as a result of closing the PDA). The little guy just wanted to be held and consoled today. Mommy would have stayed and held him all day if they would have let me. It was very hard having to leave, but by tonight he seemed to be feeling better and was sleeping comfortably.

Smiles and Giggles

It has been a true blessing to see Holden getting better daily. He has been full of smiles and giggles the past couple of days and we were told he is now flirting with the nurses! He absolutely loves his Baby Einstein DVDs and CDs and has even been watching some of the Olympics. Mommy and Holden continue our routine of reading a book and saying our prayers every night before bed. Reece and I are amazed at how he is growing up before our eyes (and unfortunately in the hospital).

Grandma Rosanne came to visit yesterday and she and Holden played with his toys and tambourine.

The little Monkey has been weaned down to a low flow cannula again and is breathing more comfortably. Doctors will do another echocardiogram tomorrow to measure his pulmonary pressures. If all looks good, we are hopefully a couple of days away from getting moved to a private room. If the pressures are high again, Holden may need another catherization. Doctors are debating whether we should go home for a couple of weeks before having the surgery for his reflux and hernia. A couple of the doctors have mentioned doing the surgery as soon as his recovers fully from this one (PDA). Either way, we do know that the surgery should be done before Flu and RSV season, so we can keep Holden away from all the germs in the hospital.

We continue to draw on the strength from everyone’s love and prayers and can not thank you enough for your support.

The Comeback Kid

If I were a betting woman, all my money would be on Holden as he continues to fight his way to good health. By Tuesday AM he had done a 180 and seemed to be feeling much better than he had on Monday. He no longer had a fever, his sats (oxygen, heart rate, respiratory rate, etc.) were good and best of all, he was comfortable and in a great mood. The little Monkey laughed at all of Daddy's funny faces and was giggling as Mommy kissed his belly. Doctors have been able to wean his oxygen down slowly and hope to restart his feeds tomorrow. We were happy to learn that Holden is being moved to a semi-private room in the CICU. This will reduce a lot of the excess stimulation that he is currently experiencing.

For me, Holden is a daily reminder of the power of "Faith"!!

Although Holden had a great day on Sunday, he woke up today with a fever and has had a difficult day. Doctors have taken blood to test for an infection. And while we won't have the results for 24 hours or so, they've gone ahead and started him on antibiotics. They also did an echocardiogram - that showed that his pulmonary pressures were high. The only thing I can say is "This Sucks!". It is not fair that Holden has to go all through this - especially more than once!

I know God is watching out for our little Monkey and I try not to get discouraged, but some days are definitely harder than others. Holden seemed to be feeling better this evening and his vitals had definitely improved. Mommy told him he needs to keep fighting and reminded him of all of the great things he's going to get to do when he's feeling better. I even promised him a trip to Disney World to meet Mickey Mouse (one of his favorite stuffed animals!!).

I know I sound like a broken record, but thank you for all of your thoughts and prayers. Holden will be okay. And he's going to be one tough kid after all he's been through. God Bless...

Love,
Christine

Roller Coaster

Holden kept the nurses busy today. One minute he would be doing well and then the next, he would have trouble breathing and require additional oxygen. After throwing a fit this morning, when they moved his bed from space #7 to #13, doctors decided to put him back on the high flow nasal cannula and oxygen. He continued to have his ups and downs throughout the day. Doctors think his lungs sounded wet and gave him an extra diuretic. Hopefully that helps explain things and we'll see an improvement again soon.

Because of today's setback, Holden will be hanging out in the CICU for a bit longer while they wean him back down to the low flow cannula. Although discouraging, we have to remember he was flying through his recovery much faster then doctors had initially thought. So he'll get better, just at his pace. And we are proud of him for continuing to fight his way through this.