UPDATE (3/2/13)
-today was interesting-
We began this morning with me holding Beckett…it was lovely! While I was holding him his oxygen suddenly dropped into the 60s. Though that often happens, he typically recovers nearly immediately. However, this time he never pulled himself out of it and just stayed in the 60s. So the nurse came in and bumped his oxygen, and he stayed in the 60s. Then she really bumped his oxygen to nearly 40 ( 21 is room air and what we want), and he still stayed in the 60s. So she got a chest x-ray ordered and Respiratory came in and looked at him. After the first x-ray they noticed that he had accumulated some fluid IN his lungs….that’s not good. To attempt to give you the shorter story, they think his NG Tube (the one going down his nose right now for feeding) was possibly too shallow and he may have aspirated during his feedings. So as a result they have him on an IV dose of Lasix (which helps remove fluid), adjusted his oral Lasix to be administered more frequently and we are no longer allowed to do bottle feeding until this all gets back under control. He was still desating later in the day so they did a different view x-ray and some labs. The second x-ray showed a small pleural effusion (fluid in his chest), but not enough to tap. The labs all came back normal. His hematocrit was on the low end of his goal so they will recheck it in the morning and he could need a transfusion.
Sooooo, it’s been a slightly discouraging day. Beckett is ‘ok’, but he’s got a big week ahead of him and isn’t really kickin’ it off to a good start. Potentially (and I’ll type it again for dramatic effect), Potentially….we could have started having some serious conversations this week about going home! But this lil stunt may have set that back once again.
This upcoming week Beckett will be finishing up his antibiotics, he’ll be given his immunization shots, having a follow-up MRV (for the clot in his brain), and on Monday a HIDA scan (which I guess checks his Liver and such and is quite the process).
It’s so difficult and emotionally taxing to go through days like this, even though we’ve been through much worse. I think it wore Leah and I out, but thankfully we had family around today and the pleasant unexpected visit from some good family friends (Linehan shout-out). I tried to get away in the hospital lobby and set up my lil mobile work desk for school….but it’s clearly so challenging to disengage from all that is going on just a few hundred feet away. But we’re doin’ it….kinda. 😉 We have good days and bad days. But I’m telling you, with the foundation of our faith and the support of family, friends, and even ‘strangers’….we are able to take steps forward. It has bern amazing to experience the power of ‘community’, and certainly the power of God’s sovereignty (which I truly find limitless peace within).
Go Beckett, and to God be the glory!
….hang in there son, you’ve been so strong!
-today was interesting-
We began this morning with me holding Beckett…it was lovely! While I was holding him his oxygen suddenly dropped into the 60s. Though that often happens, he typically recovers nearly immediately. However, this time he never pulled himself out of it and just stayed in the 60s. So the nurse came in and bumped his oxygen, and he stayed in the 60s. Then she really bumped his oxygen to nearly 40 ( 21 is room air and what we want), and he still stayed in the 60s. So she got a chest x-ray ordered and Respiratory came in and looked at him. After the first x-ray they noticed that he had accumulated some fluid IN his lungs….that’s not good. To attempt to give you the shorter story, they think his NG Tube (the one going down his nose right now for feeding) was possibly too shallow and he may have aspirated during his feedings. So as a result they have him on an IV dose of Lasix (which helps remove fluid), adjusted his oral Lasix to be administered more frequently and we are no longer allowed to do bottle feeding until this all gets back under control. He was still desating later in the day so they did a different view x-ray and some labs. The second x-ray showed a small pleural effusion (fluid in his chest), but not enough to tap. The labs all came back normal. His hematocrit was on the low end of his goal so they will recheck it in the morning and he could need a transfusion.
Sooooo, it’s been a slightly discouraging day. Beckett is ‘ok’, but he’s got a big week ahead of him and isn’t really kickin’ it off to a good start. Potentially (and I’ll type it again for dramatic effect), Potentially….we could have started having some serious conversations this week about going home! But this lil stunt may have set that back once again.
This upcoming week Beckett will be finishing up his antibiotics, he’ll be given his immunization shots, having a follow-up MRV (for the clot in his brain), and on Monday a HIDA scan (which I guess checks his Liver and such and is quite the process).
It’s so difficult and emotionally taxing to go through days like this, even though we’ve been through much worse. I think it wore Leah and I out, but thankfully we had family around today and the pleasant unexpected visit from some good family friends (Linehan shout-out). I tried to get away in the hospital lobby and set up my lil mobile work desk for school….but it’s clearly so challenging to disengage from all that is going on just a few hundred feet away. But we’re doin’ it….kinda. 😉 We have good days and bad days. But I’m telling you, with the foundation of our faith and the support of family, friends, and even ‘strangers’….we are able to take steps forward. It has bern amazing to experience the power of ‘community’, and certainly the power of God’s sovereignty (which I truly find limitless peace within).
Go Beckett, and to God be the glory!
….hang in there son, you’ve been so strong!
— with Leah ‘Whiteley’ Rupp at St. Vincent’s Women’s Hospital.
Heart of Beckett 
We lived next to Doug and Linda in their first condo and have met you and Leah on the go with a wave and a smile. Do want you to know you both and Beckett are in our prayers daily and we speak of you often, hoping everything is going as well as can be expected. Please know even those of us who do not know you well are concerned and praying for you all.
Cherie and Keith Short