Taking an it an hour at a time

Our Superman is on the road to recovery, taking it a little at a time. Over night, there were no problems (hooray!) and he was taken off the nitrate (double hooray!!). This morning we arrived to Alexander getting a chest x-ray done. Then we waited anxiously while watching over our boy for rounds  to occur so we could find out the goal for today. During rounds, his doctors were pleased at his pace of recovery and stated to have his catheter, rectal thermometer, chest tubes and the IV located in his neck, to be removed (another hooray!). In addition, Alexander would start receiving breast milk through an NG tube. He's still on dopamine (heart medication) and has been taken off the sedative fentanyl, and replaced with morphine. He is still on the dexmedetomidine (sedative) and dopamine (heart medication). Alexander is battling the ferocious "Glenn head" which are massive headaches that occur from the higher pressures of the blood now circulating up through his head. These headaches aren't helping his blood pressure or his oxygen saturation, but as long as the nurses are on top of his pain medication, the better off he is.  Alexander's edema (swelling) is getting better too, he's starting to look like our boy again! Alexander has been keeping us all on our toes with his blood pressure, oxygen saturation, and heart rate. When he is assessed by a doctor, nurse, or respiratory therapist, he gets upset, increasing his blood pressure and heart rate, and decreasing his oxygen saturation. This then makes it a little more difficult to get his oxygen saturation higher up. BUT, If all goes well the rest of the day and night, they anticipate extubation tomorrow morning!

The doctors have also mentioned that they are concerned that the blood pressure in his vein that now flows to his lungs isn't decreasing. They think there may be a restriction where the surgery was completed and as a result scar tissue inside his pulmonary arteries, which were already on the small side. If this is the case, he may need to go back to the cath lab to have a procedure done. :( PRAYING it works itself out and that he won't need this, I don't think I can handle another procedure right now!

The prayers and positive thoughts are needed again! Praying he has no problems over night, gets extubated tomorrow and that he won't be needing to go back to the cath lab for another procedure, and instead continues onto the road of recovery!

I am anxiously awaiting the day when I can hold him again, and look into his beautiful eyes.