I guess Max and Tyler are giving us a dose of life with twins. If it's not something with one of them, it's the other!
Tyler is feeling much better and it looks like his infection is on the way out. He stills has 6 more days of antibiotics but he's doing well. And... he hit 2 lbs last night! Max is right behind him at 1 lb 15 ozs, so I'm guessing he'll join his brother in the 2 lb club very soon.
Now that Tyler is stable, Max has decided to struggle with his breathing and apnea spells. Apnea is a very common condition in preemies where the baby stops breathing for more than 20 seconds at a time. The brain controls the breathing rate and rhyth, and because premature babies' brains are not yet programmed for nonstop breathing, they sometimes just stop breathing . It is common for preemies to experience several apnea "episodes" or "spells" throughout the day. If they do not start breathing again on their own, the nurse must stimulate them with a rub or pat on the back, arm or leg. As the boys continue to grow and their brains mature, they will outgrow the apnea - although this may not happen until just before they are ready to go home.
Up until a day or two ago, Max was only having a handful of apnea spells throughout the day, which is very normal. When he started having close to 10 spells a day, the doctors had to give him more breathing support. They turned up his oxygen level to 58%, which is much higher than the 20-30% they'd like to keep the boys at. They also increased the amount of pressure that goes into his breathing tubes from 4 liters to 6 liters. He has been doing better today with only 2 or 3 apnea spells so far, but this is due to the increased support he is on. Hopefully he will continue to breathe well so they can decrease his oxygen level and pressure level.
And hopefully one of these days we will have good days for both boys!
Thursday, February 21, 2008
Ups and Downs
Posted by Bridget and Andy at 4:05 PM
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3 comments:
Thank you, thank you, Bridget and Andy, for sharing your boys, your photos and your thoughts and feelings with us. Each day is a miracle, just like Max and Tyler. We all share your love for them and your concern for their continued growth and development. They are lucky young guys to have the care and attention they are getting from the dedicated and serious doctors and nurses at Baptist Hospital. May God bless you and your little fighters. And we know that you have the love, faith and hope to endure these trying times. Now we all hope you can find the patience you surely need to be able to wait until you can hold them in your arms and get them home in their nursery.
Much love to you,
Dad/Big Jim
It sure tugs on my heart to see the little guys fighting so hard. It's in the Jones/Maguire blood! I can't wait to meet them. Max, Tyler, Andy & Bridget are part of my daily prayers and I know that God is watching over all of you.
-Uncle A
I am still praying for both the boys every day and checking the blog daily to stay updated. I am glad that they are both closer to the 2 pound mark. I hope the sleep thing gets settled out soon so they can both have good days on the same day.
Matt Bodnar
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