One step closer

The feeding tube was removed this morning.  There is a small chance it will be put back in as Birk is having some difficulties with fluids.  We've been using a nector thickening substance to his beverages which seems to be working and just have to do medicines by mouth very slowly!!!  If he seems to not be tolerating this, then we will have to put the tube back in!  We are praying hard that we don't have to do this.  We love seeing his whole face!!!!

We also had a rough night oxygen wise.  He was sat'ing in the low 90's and high 80s's and the night team put him back on oxygen pretty quick.  They then told us that "you know, this means you're here for a couple more days."  What a bummer that was to hear.  We feel like we were given hope that we would get out this week, and then it was taken away.  However, this morning the Nurse Practitioner confirmed what I had suspected all night and confirmed that my mother's intuition is RIGHT ON.  We have to let Birk work to get his sat's back up.  We can't just give him oxygen or his body will start depending on it and not work.  It also doesn't teach him to move around and cough if he needs to...which is a lot of the reason his sat's are a bit lower when he is sleeping. He is so used to coughing to his throat area and then we would suction it out.  He isn't learning to cough that out just by giving him more oxygen.  He is just depending on us to fix the problem.  SO...I've asked if we can just do check's on his oxygen levels instead of continuous.  Then we deal with the alarms round the clock and not trying to solve the issue of why he is lower at night.  His extra secretions!!!

So, needless to say we are kind of stuck in a spot that brings us joy and frustration.   We see the light at the end of the tunnel and know he is doing great, but we feel frustrated that this oxygen thing is causing us such worry.  Please pray that this is resolved.  He seems to be a bit better today so we are hopeful tonight brings us peace and rest and he is ready for discharge!

Thank you for your prayers!  They are felt in Cincinnati from everywhere you are praying!

God Bless you today!