Many of you know that Brock is still in the hospital nursery/ICU here in Corvallis due to complications since birth. Here's an explanation of what has happened since he was born... and I will attempt to add some updates as things change today and tomorrow.
When Brock was born (8:06am) his initial blood test showed his blood sugar levels at a 9. Normal range is above 50, and best in the 60's and 70's. So his was dangerously low. If a baby's blood sugar stays at a single digit for too long (days, not hours), it can cause brain damage to the baby. Immediately Brock was put on an IV of fluids to help maintain his blood sugar. In the minutes and hours after his birth his numbers slowly rose, to 20, then 25, then up into the 30's. It took several hours to get his blood sugar up into numbers that the doctor was satisfied with. During this time I sat in my room, waiting and waiting for my baby. I was recovering from a c-section and waiting for the spinal to wear off. I could get up and go to him, and He couldn't come to me. ): I was heart-broken. Around 11:00 the doctor allowed Brock to come to my room for a half hour so his little sisters could meet him and his Mommy could hold him. After that he went back to the nursery for constant monitoring and various attempts to get his blood sugar up, including 2 doses of formula, and an upped glucose concoction. Finally around 3pm they felt that Brock had stabilized (on the IV) and could come to my room.
We spent the next 2 days bonding and enjoying Mommy/Daddy/baby time with a few interruptions for heel pricks/ blood sugar tests to check his progress. Various pediatricians would come in, explain that they didn't know WHY Brock's blood sugar wouldn't stabilize, and that they were still just trying to figure it out.
Friday morning a pediatrician sat down with us and explained how as an infant's IV gets older, it's less likely to stay in the vein well and due to the fact that Brocks' sugar concoction had potassium in it, they were concerned about it leaking getting into/under his skin and causing a lot of pain. She wanted to move him to the nursery for constant monitoring. She also explained that as Brock was unable to maintain his blood sugar on his own, that they needed to get serious about figuring out how to stabilize him, and what exactly was going on. She made a plan to add a high calorie formula to his breast-feeding plan and to up his sugar-concoction even more.
I was upset, naturally, to be apart from Brock, but we agreed that it was the best plan at that point. When we got set up in the nursery, an IV nurse checked Brock's IV and was concerned immediately that it might be failing. We spent the next hour watching them try to get a new IV in Brock, poking and prodding, leaving bandages on all his appendages ): Once his new IV was in, they immediately checked his blood sugar and found that it had plummeted to 25. The doctors and nurses were very concerned. He had been off his IV for less than an hour and had eaten very well right before - and his blood sugar was too low. Ideally they do not want to see his numbers ever fall below 50.
The Pediatrician decided to make a new plan. She began consulting with some specialists in Eugene and Portland on Friday - making sure that she was doing everything they would recommend and that we had the best possible plan for Brock. She upped his sugars yet again, and we watched his numbers slowly rise over the next few hours. His numbers hit the highest - 67 - Friday night!
Saturday we woke up to news that Brock's numbers had dropped to 43. The doctor was not happy. She had upped his sugars to the highest they could go, and we felt like were making progress and seeing a steady increase in blood sugars. Now this?! They began serious discussion of a possible transfer to Portland to a Neonatal Specialist and also a Neonatal Endocrinologist.
The rest of Saturday morning, Brocks' numbers began to look good again. We made some changes to his eating plan and began spreading his feedings out to every 3 hours (previously every 2 hrs) and upping his calories by adding a supplement to my pumped breast milk. I also text every person I could think of to ask them to pray pray pray. The combination of all these things, seemed to work! His numbers kept going up.
At 4pm his numbers dropped again to 43. ROLLER COASTER RIDE. The doctor wasn't totally concerned since Brock had spit up/thrown up his last feeding when they put a tube down into his stomach. We were hoping that caused the numbers to drop again. We anxiously waited for the 7'oclock blood draw...
At 7 pm his numbers jumped to 69!!! The highest they've ever been. PRAISE GOD. It just made our night.
Right now it's 9:36 am. They decided to give Brock a break from being poked, and just let him rest throughout the night. We are waiting on his numbers right now from his morning work-up. When I went down to the nursery this morning at 8 he was more alert and vigorous than I've ever seen him. He ate well at the breast, AFTER already having his 30 ML of pumped/supplemented milk. So I took that as a good sign.
This whole thing is a precarious waiting game right now. Brock's IV is maxed out with the sugars they are giving him. He can not increase his IV sugars any more. If he continues to struggle to stay about 50, they will have to put a PIK line into a main vein because his tiny veins can not handle any more than the dose he's already getting. They may or may not do that here - I think that is when the discussion of transfer to Portland will take a serious turn.
What we need to see is Brock stabilize on his own, and be able to slowly be weaned off of the sugars. Please pray that God will help his little body regulate on it's own.
I will try to update here later on today. I covet your comments & your prayers. They are so encouraging. This has been a tough emotional rollercoaster. Thanks to everyone who is helping with my girls, meal, cleaning etc! We are so blessed!!
When Brock was born (8:06am) his initial blood test showed his blood sugar levels at a 9. Normal range is above 50, and best in the 60's and 70's. So his was dangerously low. If a baby's blood sugar stays at a single digit for too long (days, not hours), it can cause brain damage to the baby. Immediately Brock was put on an IV of fluids to help maintain his blood sugar. In the minutes and hours after his birth his numbers slowly rose, to 20, then 25, then up into the 30's. It took several hours to get his blood sugar up into numbers that the doctor was satisfied with. During this time I sat in my room, waiting and waiting for my baby. I was recovering from a c-section and waiting for the spinal to wear off. I could get up and go to him, and He couldn't come to me. ): I was heart-broken. Around 11:00 the doctor allowed Brock to come to my room for a half hour so his little sisters could meet him and his Mommy could hold him. After that he went back to the nursery for constant monitoring and various attempts to get his blood sugar up, including 2 doses of formula, and an upped glucose concoction. Finally around 3pm they felt that Brock had stabilized (on the IV) and could come to my room.
We spent the next 2 days bonding and enjoying Mommy/Daddy/baby time with a few interruptions for heel pricks/ blood sugar tests to check his progress. Various pediatricians would come in, explain that they didn't know WHY Brock's blood sugar wouldn't stabilize, and that they were still just trying to figure it out.
Friday morning a pediatrician sat down with us and explained how as an infant's IV gets older, it's less likely to stay in the vein well and due to the fact that Brocks' sugar concoction had potassium in it, they were concerned about it leaking getting into/under his skin and causing a lot of pain. She wanted to move him to the nursery for constant monitoring. She also explained that as Brock was unable to maintain his blood sugar on his own, that they needed to get serious about figuring out how to stabilize him, and what exactly was going on. She made a plan to add a high calorie formula to his breast-feeding plan and to up his sugar-concoction even more.
I was upset, naturally, to be apart from Brock, but we agreed that it was the best plan at that point. When we got set up in the nursery, an IV nurse checked Brock's IV and was concerned immediately that it might be failing. We spent the next hour watching them try to get a new IV in Brock, poking and prodding, leaving bandages on all his appendages ): Once his new IV was in, they immediately checked his blood sugar and found that it had plummeted to 25. The doctors and nurses were very concerned. He had been off his IV for less than an hour and had eaten very well right before - and his blood sugar was too low. Ideally they do not want to see his numbers ever fall below 50.
The Pediatrician decided to make a new plan. She began consulting with some specialists in Eugene and Portland on Friday - making sure that she was doing everything they would recommend and that we had the best possible plan for Brock. She upped his sugars yet again, and we watched his numbers slowly rise over the next few hours. His numbers hit the highest - 67 - Friday night!
Saturday we woke up to news that Brock's numbers had dropped to 43. The doctor was not happy. She had upped his sugars to the highest they could go, and we felt like were making progress and seeing a steady increase in blood sugars. Now this?! They began serious discussion of a possible transfer to Portland to a Neonatal Specialist and also a Neonatal Endocrinologist.
The rest of Saturday morning, Brocks' numbers began to look good again. We made some changes to his eating plan and began spreading his feedings out to every 3 hours (previously every 2 hrs) and upping his calories by adding a supplement to my pumped breast milk. I also text every person I could think of to ask them to pray pray pray. The combination of all these things, seemed to work! His numbers kept going up.
At 4pm his numbers dropped again to 43. ROLLER COASTER RIDE. The doctor wasn't totally concerned since Brock had spit up/thrown up his last feeding when they put a tube down into his stomach. We were hoping that caused the numbers to drop again. We anxiously waited for the 7'oclock blood draw...
At 7 pm his numbers jumped to 69!!! The highest they've ever been. PRAISE GOD. It just made our night.
Right now it's 9:36 am. They decided to give Brock a break from being poked, and just let him rest throughout the night. We are waiting on his numbers right now from his morning work-up. When I went down to the nursery this morning at 8 he was more alert and vigorous than I've ever seen him. He ate well at the breast, AFTER already having his 30 ML of pumped/supplemented milk. So I took that as a good sign.
This whole thing is a precarious waiting game right now. Brock's IV is maxed out with the sugars they are giving him. He can not increase his IV sugars any more. If he continues to struggle to stay about 50, they will have to put a PIK line into a main vein because his tiny veins can not handle any more than the dose he's already getting. They may or may not do that here - I think that is when the discussion of transfer to Portland will take a serious turn.
What we need to see is Brock stabilize on his own, and be able to slowly be weaned off of the sugars. Please pray that God will help his little body regulate on it's own.
I will try to update here later on today. I covet your comments & your prayers. They are so encouraging. This has been a tough emotional rollercoaster. Thanks to everyone who is helping with my girls, meal, cleaning etc! We are so blessed!!
Comments