26 September 2010

Those Baby Blues

It's been a pretty good day -- they continue to pull back on the ECMO and he's still rocking the stats. I'm not sure if he's making enough pee to make them happy, but he looked noticeably less puffy when we saw him tonight than he did this morning, so hopefully that is a good sign. Also? His lactic acid levels are down again meaning his heart isn't working as hard as it was right after the operation. Good signs.

James and I went to visit him tonight so I could pump and we could see him one last time before we went to bed. Just after I finished, he opened his eyes. They were open for the briefest second this morning I was in there, but tonight was amazing: you could tell he's on a lot of medicine so he doesn't get uncomfortable, but he was awake. And his stats stayed stable, and he showed no signs of discomfort. Amazing!!

And yes, we got video. And yes, I'm going to share it with you. It melted my heart to see his eyes again!!



Prayer needs & short-term goals:
  • They're further weaning the ECMO to 60 by tomorrow morning at 7 am. They're holding steady at about 82 right now and will keep him there until midnight, gradually stepping him down toward the morning. Please pray that he tolerates this well and that his body takes over what it's supposed to do.
  • Depending on how he tolerates this wean, there may also be a one-hour trial with the ECMO clamped off to see how he does. This kind of trial is pretty standard for patients on ECMO. We would pray that he tolerates this well and that this strong boy (whose first name also means "warrior") will exceed expectations here, too.

Longer term:
I'm trying not to look too far forward into the future, but if everything goes as we hope, we're looking at the following BIG steps toward his recovery:
1) Getting off ECMO
2) Closing the chest (this changes the dynamics of his breathing, so this is a huge deal when this takes place)
3) Weaning him off the breathing tube

 Many thanks for your continued support and prayers.

GO TEAM EWAN!!

26 comments:

Karmen M. said...

lots of prayers from me and my family being sent up for your precious little miracle. So thankful for all the miracles he has been given so far! May they continue in abundance!

Shay said...

what a blessing you got to see him awake and alert! melts my heart too! will continue to pray...thanks for the specifics! Ewan is indeed a warrior! With God Ewan will make it through this and anything else that comes his way! love you all!!!

Jessica Haslam said...

i got connected to your blog through Facebook and am so glad I did. Your open witness and faith in God is so wonderful and I am so glad to see He has been so faithful in answering prayers. I am 15 weeks pregnant myself and will continue to be in prayer for Ewan and your family. When I was little my dad used to bless us every night before we went to bed and as I was reading your blog the other night, I felt like I wanted to share the blessing with you and your family.

"My peace I leave with you, My peace I give unto you, not as the world giveth, give I unto you. Let not your heart be troubled, nor let it be afraid."

Blessings to your family

Melissa said...

Oh I got tears in my eyes watching that video. Those eyes of his... what a fighter. He IS a warrior!
Praying specifically for all that you listed and even more. Because I know that our Amazing Father can do more than we can ever ask or imagine. :)

Love you guys!!!

Heartbeats For Keifer said...

brings tears to my eyes too because i have those same memories !! I used to wonder if baby keifer would ever open his eyes again .. they seemed to be closed for so long after the first surgery and the puffiness !!! praying for all of you for him a speedy recovery !!!

Nonny Baby said...

I love how he looks at you, Kirsten! Oh, how I love seeing his eyes open. I love that every day with Ewan is an answer to the prayers of THOUSANDS! Praise God for creating Ewan and for using this little, tiny boy to minister to the masses.

Summer

Baby Hung said...

He seems like such a fighter, like his parents. I am still praying for you daily.

Wodzisz Family said...

I love the video...he is so cute! I continue to keep all of you in my thoughts and prayers. I will add the specific prayers to my list for today.

Anonymous said...

Blessings Ewan, Blessings. So glad to read that his eyes were open. Praying that the continued weaning off ECMO is going as expected.

Thank you for the specific prayer list....I will add it to our Church's Prayer requests.

Shannon Egan

Melissa said...

Tears fall as I watch your video at the strength Ewan has.. Amazing.. Such a fighter... Keep fighting sweet baby Ewan.

Melissa

Tara said...

That video brought tears to my eyes....so close to home. The things are eyes see as heart moms and dads, there are no words.

I was excited to read how well he is doing and I'm praying for a smooth transition period to hopefully get off ECMO. Big steps and big prayers headed your way!

Anonymous said...

Kirsten,

My name is Jennifer, and I found your story through another heart mom and her blog. Just want you and James to know that I am praying for you and especially Ewan. Our son David also spent some time on ECMO (10 days)following his first surgery. I can relate to feeling his cold body after they cooled him down, dialing down the machine, the fight he was in, and the grace from our Father that carried us through it. If you ever get to a point that you want to talk to a heart/ECMO mom, I'd love to be there for you, and my husband would do the same for James as well. Thank you for sharing Ewan's story and your faith. Your son's and your lives are filled with so much purpose as your share God's love, grace, and power through this blog.

Jennifer
www.caringbridge.org/visit/babyhood

christianne said...

Yes, go Team Ewan! And go, Ewan, go! I love that he is such a fighter, just like you are. And that video of him just gazing into your eyes so intently ... there are just no words.

Praying for baby Ewan this morning as he is weaned off ECMO! Jesus, in you we place our faith!

Unknown said...

Continued prayers for Ewan, your family, and the doctors and nurses. I found you via Melissa Elsner. Beautiful video. May God continue to be your rock in these times.

heather said...

You are an amazing momma--that is one lucky boy. Praying for you guys.

Danielle said...

What a blessing to see that sweet boy open his eyes and for you to have some face to face time with him! Continuing to pray for all your specific goals and sending hugs your way!

barb in pa said...

Praying for your baby and family.

Kimberley said...

such a sweet sight to see those eyes! beautiful!!! go ewan!

continuing to pray in AR,
Kimberley

Anonymous said...

What a precious video!!!! He knows his momma and it probably soothed and comforted him so much to see you there, touching him and loving on him :)

Kristen said...

I just read your story and learned about sweet little Ewan. I will be praying for your little man everyday.

Shannon said...

That precious boy looking at his mama just melts my heart! We're always praying for all of you!!! Thanks for the specifics. We'll definitely be praying hard!

ANewKindOfPerfect said...

What a fabulous sight to see, his wide open eyes! I pray that he does well as they dial down his ECMO.

Melissa said...

He is looking GREAT!

Stefenie said...

PRECIOUS!!! Still praying for you guys!!

Anonymous said...

Continuing to pray for Ewan and your entire family as you navigate these waters. He is a strong little boy with amazing parents by his side through this fight. I pray for all of you to have continued strength and I hope some peace during these incredibly difficult times.
Hannah

Jen said...

That is so sweet! I am so glad to hear Ewan is making those strides towards recovery. Please know that while I don't leave messages every time, I am always thinking of you and praying. It is so hard to keep up since I'm working full time now, but I find myself reading your blog over my brief lunch break (with teaching, breaks are few and far between!) but I certainly am always praying and keeping up with sweet Ewan. I loved the story about the monkey- Andrew had a puppy the nurses put by him after his surgery. He had it at his second surgery too, so we can see how much he had grown. We plan to take it to his next surgery as well. :)

Prayers for a peaceful night of weaning off ECMO!

Jen