This weekend had some ups and downs. Josh was taken off the ventilator on Saturday and given some steroids to help his lungs. Unfortunately it appears that he was not ready yet and on Sunday they put him back on the ventilator. This has been very frustrating for us to watch him struggle. The cause for his struggles is still unknown but they are going to do another echo on his heart today to look at the PDA. If this is the problem the next step will probably be surgery to clamp the PDA shut. Josh is also being watched closely for signs of hypothyroidism. He flagged on a state test for possibly having a thyroid problem but his TSH (Thyroid Stimulating Hormone) levels are normal so the doctors are going to consult with an endocrinologist.
Josh has had some improvements over the last few days. He has gained a little weight and is tolerating his fortified milk. They are currently adding 4 calories of vitamins, fats, minerals, etc to the breast milk which means the milk he receives is 24 calories per ounce vs. 20 calories for regular breast milk. Because he is able to tolerate these feeds his PICC line has been removed. We also found out that Josh is making his own red blood cells which was unexpected. We hope that he will continue to make red blood cells and he won't have to have a transfusion (which is common for preemies).
Thank you to everyone again for all the good wishes and prayers.
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