Joshua A. Lozano

Joshua is doing GREAT!!

2010-03-04T21:00:00.002-06:00

Joshua is doing great, he is still on 1/8 of a liter of oxygen. He is still having trouble consuming milk by mouth, but is up to 11 lb. Joshua will be 4 months on March 9 !!

DOING GREAT ! !

2010-01-25T17:56:00.007-06:00

We have been home for 13 days and Joshua is doing great, he is up to 10 lbs!! Joshua is not drinking his full bottle yet, but is drinking daily out of his bottles. Joshua will have a dietician, physical therapist and a nurse coming to our house to monitor his progress weekly. We are hoping and praying that his lungs continue to grow so he can be removed from his oxygen and monitor.

Joshua is HOME!!

2010-01-14T19:38:00.006-06:00

It has been 2 very busy days for us back at home, but we are doing great.Joshua was fussy his first night home, we stayed up all night trying to soothe him. He did have a spit up after arriving home because of the long drive home. Joshua is attach to a oxygen tank and a monitor, it will take us a little time to adjust carrying it around the house.

Today Joshua had his first visit to his pediatrician, and everything looked great (weight, length, head size, color). The pediatrician has had CDH patients before and stated Joshua should be off from the oxygen/feeding tube hopefully no later than his 1st birthday. She emphasizes the only thing that can set him back is if he gets any bacteria infections (caused by germs).

We want to thank all the front desk receptionist for the nicu, nurses, doctors, specialist, surgeons and The Ronald Mcdonald House at Texas Children Hospital.

A very special thanks to the following nurses that were there for us....
Day: Sarah, Rossana, Robin & Nancy
Night: May, Esther, Allison and her partner the night Joshua arrived in the ECMO room.
You guys made it easy for us to sleep, we don't know what we would have done without you guys!

Thanks to the blue team doctors....especially when Joshua first arrived, we were soooooo blessed for having these doctors.
Dr.Jonhson, Dr.Rios, & Dr.Cho, they were there from the very beginning.

Thanks to Dr.Adam who delivered Joshua, and gave us so much hope during the pregnancy. Another very very special Thanks to Dr.Cass the surgeon who had a very big part in saving Joshua's life.

As we were getting ready to leave the hospital the doctors reminded us about how important it was to keep Joshua safe in order not to return back into the NICU. Practice good hand washing, keep sick visitors away and make sure for at least the next couple of months people who come and visit Joshua have there flu shot.

SO again we want to make sure everyone understands we would love for Joshua to meet you and he is ready when you are, BUT we ask that you do have your flu shot. We don't want anything to cause Joshua to be back in the hospital. Other then that we would love to see you and we appreciate you understanding us wanting to keep our baby as healthy as can be.

Going Home Finally!!

2010-01-13T01:11:00.007-06:00

At this moment (1:13am) were "rooming in" and doing fine with Joshua. After rounds (9:00am) they will DISCHARGE Joshua. We are so excited that tomorrow 12-13-09 we will finally have Joshua home after 2 months. He also drank his whole bottle (2 oz) for the second time!!

We are thankful that he will have a full recovery in a few years. Many parents that we have met at Texas Children Hospital don't have the same outcome.

Big day tomorrow....

2010-01-11T19:36:00.004-06:00

After rounds tomorrow (Tuesday) morning we will get a room in the hospital with Joshua to ensure the doctors that we are capable of handling his needs. We are very confident we will have a awesome day, and hopefully we will be heading home on Wednesday.

Joshua continues to eat 1 oz out 2 oz twice a day without and spit ups. He continues to gain weight and is up to 9lb 3 oz. We are excited that in 2 days Joshua will be at home with us after 64 days.

2 months old !!

2010-01-09T18:05:00.003-06:00

Joshua is 2 months old today and hopefully this might be his last weekend at the hospital. If everything goes as plan we are schedule to leave on Wednesday. Joshua was given his 2 months immunization shots and passed his car seat test. We are continuously practicing using the G-tube every 3 hours.

Looking GREAT!!

2010-01-08T14:13:00.010-06:00

Joshua is doing great after the surgery, and is starting to bottle feed. He is off pain medication and they have removed his IV. They have briefly trained us on how to use the G-tube but we still have the whole weekend to practice. We are very confident that we can manage the G-tube and the oxygen treatment.

We have been hearing great news:

Pulmonary doctor "Joshua really doesn't need the nasal cannula but is better just to take it home for a few weeks"

Developmental specialist " He pass the test, and is behaving just like a regular 1 1/2 month old baby"

Neonatologist stated his last ultrasound came back normal, and there is no abnormality of the spine.

Surgery went well....

2010-01-05T22:35:00.004-06:00

(12-5-09 after surgery in his hospital gown)

Joshua did well during and after surgery today. He had some pain but was given morphine to help him. Now we have to wait for him to fully recover and then we can start bottle feeding him again.

Surgery is on...

2010-01-05T16:47:00.004-06:00

Joshua went into surgery at 4:12pm and will be done approximately at 6:12pm. It's still hard signing the consent form because of all the complications that can occur under anesthesia. Joshua was wide awake on the way to the operating room and enjoyed the ride.

No surgery yet...(2:11pm)

2010-01-05T14:09:00.007-06:00

The surgery was schedule at noon, but the surgery team is running behind.

So very proud of Joshua!

2010-01-05T00:53:00.005-06:00

(12-5-09 midnight after his 2 oz feeds)

For Joshua's surgery he needs to have an empty stomach, so late last night/early this morning (12:00am) Joshua drank his last bottle. And we are proud to announce that he DRANK THE WHOLE BOTTLE ON HIS OWN (60cc's) for the 1st time. Now when he recovers from his surgery we hope he will pick up from where he left off.

Big Day tomorrow...

2010-01-04T18:52:00.005-06:00

On Friday afternoon our nurse notice a golf ball size bulge on Joshua's left side abdominal. At the time the doctor (not our primary) on call said it looked like a abdominal hernia but it was nothing to worry about (easy for him to say).

Today, they took an ultrasound and notice it was not a hernia it was his kidney pushing other organs to the left side making his abdominal very weak. Our surgeon stated it's nothing to worry about and if needed he can insert a patch to help his abdominal.

Joshua will have surgery tomorrow afternoon, and will be back on IV fluids for several days. This is a surgery so he will be given morphine during this procedure. It will be approximately 2 hours long including preparations. Of course with any type of surgery there is a risk of infection, and a possibility of a blood transfusion. We are just praying that everything will go as plan and no complications will occur.

The doctor stated that if everything goes as plan, Joshua might be home sometime early next week. Within this week we have to do the following before we can be discharge CPR class/ training, car seat test/class (Joshua must be on 1 hour without any vital changes), 2 month vaccinations and RSV vaccination. Crossing our fingers that all goes well so we can go home next week.

HAPPY NEW YEAR!!! 2010!!

2010-01-01T00:33:00.005-06:00

Joshua A. Lozano- 2010

Tuesday 1-5-10....

2009-12-30T12:34:00.021-06:00

(12-30-09 first time on the bouncer)
Joshua's G-Tube surgery will take place on Tuesday (1-5-10). It will be a 5-7 day recovery, then we can get properly trained using the G-Tube. We are excited that we might be home in about 2 weeks, but at the same time very nervous.

(12-31-09)
During rounds today our neonatologist warned us about the severity with anyone in close contact with Joshua should be vaccinated with at least the flu shot. Joshua will leave the hospital with a "lung disease" because of his undeveloped left lung. He will have a full recovery once our pulmonary doctor removes his oxygen tube, but it can take anywhere from 6 months to 2 years. Our doctor firmly stated if Joshua gets the flu or H1N1 he will be emitted back into the NICU. He will have to be intubated and hooked up to all the same machines again like when he was first born. He made sure that we were aware that he is still considered a "sick" baby, and he needs to fully recover before we have him out and about. He wanted us to make sure all family members and friends (especially children) are vaccinated with at least the flu shot if they want to be around Joshua .

It only takes one bad germ to put Joshua in a critical condition and back in the hospital NICU @ TCH, for something that can be prevented. Joshua will leave from the hospital with his RSV vaccination but cannot get the flu or HIN1 until he is 6 months old.

So we as parents who love our baby boy have to be VERY STRICT with anyone who would like to come visit Joshua once we are home. We do not want to insult anyone in any way but we have to be especially careful with Joshua and request for anyone who would like to come visit Joshua to make sure they have there Flu shot before they plan to come over (especially children). We are sorry for any inconvenience and appreciate the understanding.

What is RSV?
Respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) is a highly contagious virus which is quite prevalent during the winter months. It is transmitted primarily by hand-to-nose, hand-to-mouth, and hand-to-eye contact. The severity's of the symptoms vary depending upon the age of the child and whether he has any chronic medical problems. Because RSV is so prevalent and it may cause very serious illness in some children, it is considered the most important childhood infection of the respiratory system. Thus, a lot of research is currently being done to investigate the best way to prevent and treat this disease.

Still no Changes.....

2009-12-27T21:37:00.004-06:00

(12-28-09 mommy feeding)

We are still waiting for the date/time of the surgery. The doctors stated its pretty difficult to gather a team together during this time of the year. Joshua is just getting stronger everyday, and is ready to go home.

Merry Christmas !! 2009

2009-12-25T13:22:00.008-06:00

Joshua has continued to stay stable with his weight(8lb) and feeds (1oz). No changes over the weekend, we are still waiting to hear what date he will have surgery. We are hoping that Joshua will come home in 2-3 weeks.

Joshua received many gifts from family, friends, co-workers and nurses this Christmas. Thank you for the gifts and most important the prayers....

Christmas Day 12-24-09

2009-12-24T16:10:00.002-06:00

No major reflux!

2009-12-24T00:30:00.007-06:00

Joshua was very exhausted after his Upper GI exam. He didn't show any signs of having major symptoms of stomach reflux. He will not need any medication and will continue to bottle feed twice a day. We are waiting for the exact day Joshua will be going to the operating room to input his G-tube. The sooner he gets the G-tube, the sooner he comes home.

The doctors reminded us the importance of having Joshua away from crowds and other children due to germs. They said to keep up with the NICU rules by washing hands, using hands sanitizer and to limit the visitors.

Joshua continues to drink an average of 30cc a day and is almost 8lb!! He is very alert and will recognize daddy and mommy's voices.

Reflux...

2009-12-22T00:59:00.008-06:00

Joshua will have the G-tube surgery sometime next week, he will also have a Upper Gastrointestinal (GI) tract x-ray to detect reflux (a backward flow of partially digested food and digestive juices). Last night Joshua consumed 31 cc !! This morning he took in 35cc!!

We pray he continues this pattern so maybe he wont have a G-tube inserted (MAYBE). Joshua did loose some weight last night but not a significant amount to worry about.

Surgery # 2...

2009-12-21T12:02:00.006-06:00

Joshua is going to get a G-tube (Gastric feeding tube) before he goes home. The surgery has been ordered, we are now waiting for them to assign a date. It will take at least 5 days to heal, the nurses will train us on how to use and maintain it from not getting infected. The G-tube is not permanent but is needed till he is able to consume his total daily bottle feed on his own. They will also have to train us on how to use his breathing treatment and measure/insert medications (sodium,lasik). Joshua has a couple of other tests that has to be done before he can go home, so we still have no idea how much longer he will be at TCH.

The good news is that his right lung has improved but they will continue to keep an eye on it. He also passed his hearing test and is digesting his food very well.

Fussy day......

2009-12-21T00:44:00.004-06:00

Joshua is consuming the same amount of milk, but has gained 2 ounces (7lb 13oz). They will take another chest x-ray to see any improvements on Joshua’s right lung. If they see no improvement they will have to insert a tiny camera to see what the problem might be.

Recently we have noticed that Joshua has been getting very fussy in the evening, after putting him back in the crib he settles down. We realized that Joshua does not like to be bothered and likes to be left alone (daddy personality).

Results.....

2009-12-19T16:46:00.007-06:00

Joshua did great on the kidney ultrasound, they didn't see any abnormalities. The chest x-ray did find that his right lung is not developing at a normal rate. Joshua's rapid breathing (tachypnea) usually occurs during feedings and doctors said that it might be because of his right lung or its just a part of him.

The doctors also stated that his esophagus and the stomach are functionally normally, and he doesn't have any reflux (but can change). Joshua should be able to bottle feed without any problems but will need a feeding specialist daily until he can consumes the daily amount. Joshua's weight has increased to 7 lb 11 oz, due to the increase of oxygen and calories.

Joshua's tests....

2009-12-17T20:12:00.010-06:00

Joshua took two tests:

1. Kidney Ultrasound
2. Chest X-Ray

We will get the results tomorrow for the two tests. Joshua is still not drinking any more than last week but has retained his weight (7lb 4oz).

More exams....

2009-12-16T19:42:00.010-06:00

(First real bath 12-16-09)

The doctors this morning stated that Joshua might also go home with a oxygen tube because he continues to breath very fast when he bottle feeds. They will take a x-ray and other exams tomorrow to verify that all his internal organs are working properly. We are not sure when he will be coming home due to his breathing condition. We just take it day by day, and pray that everything will go on the right direction.

(After his bath nice and clean 12-16-09)

GOOD NEWS along with some scary ........

2009-12-15T12:15:00.008-06:00

At today's rounds doctors said Joshua looks GREAT and they need to start getting us ready to go home. Doctors said the only thing Joshua is not doing so well on is his feedings with a bottle. Joshua can not stay in the hospital forever due to his feedings so the best thing for him is to go home and work on it.

If Joshua does not improve on his feedings with a bottle by this weekend doctors said they will have to send him home with a G Tube. A G Tube is placed into Joshua's stomach for an alternate way for feeding as we continue to work on his bottle feeding at home. We knew from the beginning this was a part of his CDH and it could be worse, he could have needed to go home with an oxygen tube. But at the same time it is a very scary thing to deal with but we will cross our fingers eventually he will get a hang of it.

Still doing good!

2009-12-14T21:33:00.005-06:00

No new changes for Joshua since Friday. We are still in the level 3 NICU location since at this time they are still watching his breathing and there is no room in level 2 NICU right at this moment for him.

Joshua did good over the weekend as he continues to work on his feeds with a bottle. Everything going great!

No More IVS !!

2009-12-11T21:22:00.006-06:00

Joshua no longer has any IV's, his last one was removed this morning (Friday 12-11-09). He no longer needs antibiotics, or any other fluids. The only foreign object Joshua has is his feeding tube and his nasal cannula .
Joshua continues to work hard on his feeds using his bottle, but again we were told it's going to be a roller coaster. Last night Joshua consumed almost 20-25 cc, today he only took in less than 10cc. He is also throwing up more because of the stress of sucking on a bottle. He will eventually catch on, but it will take some time. We are still in NICU level 3, but Joshua is consider level 2 status.

NICU Level 2......

2009-12-10T18:44:00.009-06:00

Joshua continues to do well, yesterday (Wednesday 12/9/09) at the morning meeting doctors decided it was a good time to go ahead and let Joshua try to drink out of a bottle for the 1st time. On his first day he only consumed 10cc of milk, but needs to reach up to 150cc (5oz) to meet his goal. After meeting his goal with his feeds, he also needs to be off the cannula breathing treatment so that way he can come home.

At today's morning meeting the doctors decided they could go ahead and change Joshua's status level 3 in the NICU to level 2 in the NICU. This is another very big step Joshua is taking. Joshua is on the right path and slowly but surely we will be on our way home.

Happy 1 Month Birthday Joshua!

2009-12-09T11:23:00.010-06:00

Today makes a month since Joshua joined us in this world, and to celebrate Joshua's Big Boy 1 Month Birthday today we are happy to announce a big step.

At this mornings meeting doctors said we are going to start trying to bottle feed Joshua a couple of times a day and see how it goes. We will cross our fingers and pray everything goes good!

His infection is gone, he is breathing and drinking great on his own, all of his internal organs are working great. So now all we have to do is get him off of the cannula tube and get him fully drinking out of a bottle. Soon after that we will be on our way to HOME SWEET HOME!

No more CPAP (nasal oxygen tubes)!!

2009-12-08T19:49:00.008-06:00

Joshua's CPAP was removed today Tuesday 12-8-09, and was put on his last breathing treatment (nasal cannula). He is still doing great !! Joshua is taking his full feeds and is still sleeping all day. The doctors are not worried about his right leg anymore since it has improved.

4 Weeks....

2009-12-07T18:21:00.006-06:00

(12-7-09 w/ CPAP)

Joshua continues to improve....

Still sleeping......

2009-12-06T22:56:00.026-06:00

Joshua received his first two Christmas ornaments that daddy & mommy each picked out and his tia Miriam also surprised him with his first Christmas stocking.

Joshua continues to sleep sleep and sleep. We feel so much better now that we see him doing like any other normal almost one month old baby does all the time (SLEEP). We were so use to him being awake all the time that now we try to wake him up. We call his name, mess with him a little and all he does is lift one eye brow and open one eye half way for a second then closes it tight after he sees who it is.

He is feeling so much better and just wants to be left alone, but mannnnnnnn how he HATES those diaper changes, baths and temperature checks. He cries, cries and cries the whole time the nurse are doing any type of movement on him.

Looking forward to that when we get home!!!!!!!

Joshua's Crib....

2009-12-06T12:57:00.007-06:00

(Saturday 12-5-09)
Joshua was moved out of his bed and put into a Big Boy Crib. He no longer needs a heater to keep him warm so there was no need for his old bed anymore. Joshua continues to do good, his milk was increased again this morning. He only has one more IV left on his head, it only has his antibiotic medication and his food nutrition hooked up to it. Doctors said he will have his antibiotics until next Thursday but his nutrition should be coming off by Monday.
Joshua staying strong!

Sleeping on a Winter Snowy Day........

2009-12-05T11:01:00.010-06:00

(Friday 12-4-09)
It's not even Christmas yet and it snowed today for Joshua's first winter!

Doctors increased his mike again and lowered his level on his vent. Doctors say as long as he continues to do good they will continue to increase his milk so he can soon drink from a bottle and they will continue to lower his vent level so he can soon move to hopefully his 3rd and final step the cannula tube.

In regards to his leg and the swelling, they know he has a blood clot and they will continue to keep an eye on it and hopefully it will soon go away on its own.

Right leg........

2009-12-03T23:54:00.006-06:00

Joshua is continuing to do better, he is starting to cry and sleep most of the day like all the other babies.

The only concern the doctors had today was a blood clot they found on his right leg. It's not considered severe but needs to be monitored daily. The doctor stated that he has a good blood flow running down his leg and eventually it will get better. If the blood clot does happen to get worse then they will have to thin his blood out. This is definitely not a good thing, but it could have been worse. At first they assumed the infection could have traveled to his bone but that was ruled out with an X-ray and ultra sound that was given this afternoon.

Other then that Joshua is doing good, they went up on his intake of mike. His test have came back negative for an infection two days straight, now we just need one more day for the test to come back negative so we can be assured that the infection is completely gone. He is off all of his pain medication and they have removed his tape from his little battle scar. His voice is also coming back little by little since the oxygen tube is now out.

So........... we can say today was a good day and only hope that tomorrow is even better.

THE BEST DAY OF MY LIFE!

2009-12-03T10:24:00.008-06:00

Sometimes you might hear a mom here and there complain about babies being fussy all the time and wanting to be carried all day. You might even hear them complain about how they are not able to get any work done etc.

I am a first time mom and so far from my experience all I can say is please enjoy the time you have holding your baby. Even if it's because they are screaming there heads off and just wanting attention. It might not be the best time for baby to be acting up and crying and wanting to be held but for someone like me we have to take advantage of the time we are able to hold our babies in our arms.

After 23 days of Joshua joining us in this world I FINALLY GOT TO HOLD MY BABY! Last night between 11:00 and midnight the nurse on duty said it would be okay to try to hold him.

I have a couple of days in my life that I could call the best days of my life (Day my baby was born, Day I found out we were pregnant, Day I married the love of my life) But I can honestly say out of all those days this was no doubt THE BEST DAY OF MY LIFE!

It's one thing to have your baby then have the nurses hand your baby over to you in the delivery room so you could hold, hug, kiss and then take baby home. But it's another thing to have your baby in the delivery room and only be able to have a peek for a second before they take him away. Then not being able to HOLD your baby until almost a month after he was born. So........ yes I can call this The Best Day Of My Life!

So if you ever hear me complain about Joshua crying and wanting to be held, just give me a little reminder! LOL

Joshy's Mommy

It continues....

2009-12-03T01:11:00.005-06:00

Joshua did excellent today, his platelets increased and is drinking more milk. Around7:45pm he was being very fussy, and the nurse turned his position. We notice that his right leg (where he has his IVs) was swollen and all the numbers (blood pressure/heart rate) were looking awful.It reminded us from last Friday when he was infected by the two deadly viruses. The nurse called the doctors to notify them of the situation. The doctor stated we just had to wait, it could just be from the position he was in or the infection may have traveled to his bone. After giving him some pain medication, Joshua's numbers went back to normal. The doctors are still wondering why his leg was swollen. They are keeping a close eye on Joshua tonight just to make sure the leg doesn't get any worse.

Bouncing back faster then expected.....

2009-12-01T22:01:00.004-06:00

10:04pm
Joshua's oxygen gases are excellent, so they will try again (3rd attempt) to remove his oxygen tube. We will definitely not be sleeping tonight, so that we can make sure he can overcome this big step again...

12:16am
Everything went great!!....no more oxygen tube!! Joshua also pottied and started to cry hard enough for us to hear. We are so happy..

Bouncing back.........

2009-12-01T17:26:00.010-06:00

Joshua is doing great !!

- No meningitis

- No blog clots

- No pain medication

- Started to drink milk (4cc)

- Gained some weight

- Still has an infection (still on antibiotics)

Thanks for all the prayers....

3 Weeks Old.....

2009-11-30T21:52:00.004-06:00

Joshua still has his infection (cocci bacteria) but at the same time he is also improving a little everyday. He also had a second bacteria infection called E-coli but he seems to be fighting that one a little faster. Joshua also has a very low count of platelets, this could be caused by the bacteria infection or he could have a blood clot. The doctors ordered a ultra sound today to scan his body and double check to make sure he does not have any blood clots. This ultra sound will hopefully rule out and blood clots.

We seen Joshua a little more alert to any noise or to any touching, he also opened his eyes a little here and there. We hope and pray that he gets better and better each day and fights all the infection off.

Improving......

2009-11-29T17:22:00.008-06:00

Joshua has been improving more and more today, he has opened his eyes a few times. He is still pretty knocked out, but at the same time he does react when being touch. Our doctors stated Joshua is over the "hump"and should continue to recover for the next couple of days. The infection is still in his bloodstream and usually takes any wheres from 24-48 hours to get rid of it completely.

Tomorrow November 30, 2009 will be the last day that Joshua will be with his "Blue Team" of doctors (Dr.Johnson, Dr. Rios & Dr. Cho) as his primaries. Tuesday we will meet his new set of doctors for the month of December. They have been an awesome team!

So far the WORST 24 HOURS EVER....

2009-11-28T21:37:00.012-06:00

Since yesterday (Friday) late afternoon, it has been the WORST 24 hours ever! Joshua had/has a severe (deadly) viral infection that doctors were trying to fight all night till this early morning. They found two types of viral infections, one of them was making his internal organs collapse. We really didn't know if he was going to make it, all morning long doctors were giving him all they could to improve his condition. The infection was caused by the central line that was inserted by his groin area on day 2. The main problem was that the central line had to be removed, but Joshua had to get more IV's to replace the central line. Joshua's blood pressure was so low that they had to poke him more than 20 times to find some good veins. Eventually they found one on each arm and one on his forehead (looks awful). They have him on so many medications that they had to set one machine on his bedside. He changed so fast from Friday morning, even the nurses that seen him on Thursday could not believe how much he changed. His face is very puffy (due to retaining liquids) and has wires all over him. When the new shift (docotors/nurses)changed this morning (Saturday 7am) they too were also stun on how bad he looked, and told us that the infection was/is a very bad infection and could be deadly.

At this time his temperature is good and his numbers all look okay. We are in such a disbelief on how this viral infection changed Joshua's condition and has nothing to do with his birth defect. We would of never guessed that his surgery would have gone so well and recovery be going good and then for him to get sick from an INFECTION that again has nothing to do with CDH.

Slowly the doctors say he is getting better and fighting the infection, we will just wait till the morning and see what his doctors have to say at that time.

Asking for all the prayers, Thank you so much!

Two Steps Back TOO MANY.................

2009-11-27T19:51:00.004-06:00

Well bad news........... Joshua had to go back on his oxygen tube, not because he can not breath on his own (he is great on his breathing). His test came back and he does have an infection in his blood. They are still running test to check where the infection came or is coming from but, at the same time they are already giving him antibiotic medication to fix his infection. The doctors decided to go ahead and put his tub back in because they did not want him to be working on his breathing and his infection at the same time. They said it might be too much for him to try to do at the same time.

His heart rate and temperature is back to normal but............like I stated before his tube is back in. So....................we are back to square one!

Two step back......

2009-11-27T12:26:00.002-06:00

Yesterday was a great day, but today................ is a whole different story. Since 3:00am this morning Joshua has had a high heart rate of 210-220, but should be in between 100-200. The doctors assume it might be an infection or he might need more fluid. They have poked him a few times to get some blood, and now we are waiting for the results. If they have to continue giving him fluids, they will have to put back the oxygen tube back in. (2.22Pm). As of right now the doctors are going to give him a blood transfusion and wait another four hours to see how his heart rate is doing before they put the tube back in.

Our 1st Thanksgiving as The Lozano Family!

2009-11-26T10:54:00.007-06:00

Joshua's tube was removed for the 2nd time (7:20am), we are just waiting for a blood test at noon that will determine how well his lungs are working. They inserted a nasal tube just to help him with his breathing since this is all new to him.

Have a great Thanksgiving day...

(12:33pm) UPDATE...The test came in and everything looks GREAT!! No More Oxygen Tube!

Not today....

2009-11-25T12:57:00.008-06:00

Joshua's oxygen tube was not removed after all today due to his right lung. His right lung has too much fluid and they rather wait until tomorrow. Our doctors said this is very typical for CDH babies, and they do not want to rush him. The doctors want Joshua to be 100% ready, and they don't want another set back. Besides his right lung, Joshua is doing fine he is more calmed compare to yesterday. They also increased his milk intake since he is digesting it pretty well. Like the saying goes "For every one step forward there is two steps back" (something along those lines).

We only hope that our First Thanksgiving Day together will be one of our most successful and memorable one.

Continues to improve.....

2009-11-24T19:25:00.008-06:00

Today was a preparation day for Joshua’s 2nd attempt to remove his oxygen tube that will occur tomorrow. They gave Joshua a steroid medication that will help his lungs open up more and took his pain medication away so that he can be fully awake tomorrow. Our doctors and surgeon continue to tell us that he is doing great.

He gained 3 more ounces and is keeping his milk in better (no vomiting). Joshua was introduce to his first pacifier, and took it most of the day. Also, today was the first day that Joshua was awake for a good portion of the day, but was crying (without the noise) half of the time.

2 WEEKS OLD!

2009-11-23T18:11:00.008-06:00

The doctors removed Joshua’s oxygen tube this morning, but he was pushing his self too hard to breathe on his own. After a few hours the doctors decided to put back the tube and wait until Wednesday to try to remove them again. Joshua had a tough day, but continues to be a trooper. It was a very tough day for us having to watch Joshua struggle with his breathing but hopefully Wednesday will be a better day.

Resting after a rough day 11-23-09

Quite Sunday....

2009-11-22T11:03:00.003-06:00

Joshua did great on Sunday, he was put back on milk and did not vomit. They did not remove his oxygen tube because the (weekend) doctor wanted his primary doctor to be present just in case something goes wrong.

What a Saturday….

2009-11-21T13:43:00.011-06:00

Joshua had a busy day….
1. He was evicted from the ECMO room (V.I.P) and was put in the pod with all the other kiddos.
2. His milk was taken away because he was vomiting too much last night.
3. He was put on the scale for another weight in.
4. Joshua took his first sponge bath and cried the entire time. Since he has the oxygen tube we can’t hear him cry but see his facial expression.

Tomorrow he might get his oxygen tube removed. If so, we hope to hear him cry for the first time.

More good news......(11-20-09)

2009-11-21T02:05:00.015-06:00

Joshua continues to drink (milk) and poop all day. Our doctor told us some great news today, she said that the oxygen tubes might be remove on Sunday. Joshua is more aware of his surroundings and has gained weight (7lb 2oz). The only concern that we have is the possibility of Joshua choking on his vomit. We are watching him very closely, and making sure he is being taken care of. He does have a nurse, but now that he is doing better he has to share his nurse to another baby. The plan for the following week is feeding him more milk, and making sure his lungs work properly without the ventilator. The doctors want Joshua out of NICU level 3 by the end of this month, and then place him in NICU level 2. Hopefully Joshua will come home by Christmas, and he can finally meet friends, family and his big brother KODY.

Today was one of our "BEST DAYS EVER" (11-19-09)

2009-11-20T09:22:00.010-06:00

Joshua has been pooping more and more today, after 11 days we (mommy & daddy) finally got to change his first dirty dipper. It was so exciting for us but at the same time scary, he still has wires on him that make us a little nervous.
The doctors did not expect Joshua to get to his next step till the middle of next week (“maybe Thanksgiving” doctors said) but since they saw that he is doing so good they decided to go ahead and let him taste a little of my breast milk. They are starting off with a very small amount in his feeding tube every 3 hours, Joshua was not able to digest all of the milk but they said he did well for his first day of feeding.
Today was also his first day back on a scale since he was born! It was a big deal for him since he had not left his bed ever since he was put on there in the delivery room; his surgery was even on his same bed. Joshua’s weight did go up slightly, and its way better than going down since a lot of babies in the hospital usually lose weight, not Joshua he is still holding strong!
Tonight was the first night that we left Joshua’s bed site at a decent time (10:00pm). We usually stay with him till at least 2:00am. Since he has been doing so good for the past couple of days and his two favorite doctors (Dr. Cho & Dr. Rios) are in this evening and watching over him we felt at ease to turn in early. We pray that tomorrow will be just as good as today!
Joshy’s Mommy

Mommy Update (Dad is resting)

2009-11-19T00:22:00.004-06:00

I know a lot of you have been asking Jose about my condition, and I am doing great. I am still a little sore but nothing half as bad as what Joshua must be feeling (with his little battle scar). His numbers were great today, the doctors told us they are better then what they expected. They are very surprised on how good he is doing based on how bad they expected him to be when he was first born. ECMO is almost out of the question, the doctors are already discussing about taking us out of the critical room (“V.I.P Room” Daddy likes to say) and putting Joshua in the pod with all the other kiddos. So… that’s a good thing, if we move out that is just one step further to going home. JOSHUA DID POOP! Maybe not so exciting news for everyone but for us this is WONDERFUL NEWS! Today is his 10th day in the world and his first day to poop, this is a big step for us.
The only bad news the doctors just gave us this evening was about visitors. The doctors informed us for the next couple of days they would recommend us to keep Joshua to minimum visitors of immediate family members only, since he is still recovering from surgery. I know some of you are waiting as I myself can’t wait for you to meet Joshua, but I will give you the A-Okay as soon as the doctors clear him to have more visitors.
I am very thankful to have so many friends and family members who care so much about me and my new little bundle of joy. Thank you so much for all of the prayers we are receiving from everyone and we ask them to please continue.
Joshy’s Mommy

Joshua......

2009-11-18T16:52:00.004-06:00

Joshua continues to recover from the surgery......

Post Surgery- 48 hours

2009-11-18T10:57:00.004-06:00

Joshua is still asleep, and we are just waiting for the meeting ...

Post-Surgery- 26 hours

2009-11-17T13:20:00.007-06:00

At this mornings meeting the neonatologist stated that Joshua should continue to be paralyzed until tomorrow morning to give his body more time to recover. She also said that the numbers (blood pressure, Heart rate….) looks good but she still does not want to rush into the next step (waking him up).
The plan is that Joshua will wake up tomorrow and hopefully breathe very softly to his re-position lungs. The concern they have is that Joshua might do the opposite and wake up breathing very heavily. That is a concern because it can cause damage to his artificial patch (is what is separating his organs apart).

At this moment (1:18pm) Joshua’s results are great….they are now reviewing his echocardiogram (heart x-ray) to determine if his heart is working properly.

Happy Birthday Joshua -1 week old 8:08pm

2009-11-16T20:35:00.008-06:00

Joshua did great during surgery, and that was a huge step for his road to recovery. They manage to move all his intestines, stomach, spleen and part of his liver back into his stomach (he has a belly like me now (jose)). The surgeon also realized that one of his lungs is bigger than expected. The nurses that have worked with CDH babies said it’s amazing how well he is doing after surgery. Joshua is still in a critical condition because of the major surgery.
Joshua will still have some more steps before he comes home. At this moment he is “paralyze”(sleeping) until tomorrow morning. This will help him recover and let his body adjust to the new positions of his internal organs. Our neonatologist stated that this is a new Joshua, and this is the beginning of his recovery. The doctors, nurse and surgeons want Joshua to take small steps every day. Joshua will have a challenging day tomorrow…..but so far he has been a champ.

This has been a blessing day…..thanks to family, friends and co-workers for all your prayers.

(this picture was taken after surgery)

Surgery is over....WENT GREAT!!!

2009-11-16T11:46:00.002-06:00

Joshua is out of surgery and everything is looking good....

Surgery is on...

2009-11-16T08:27:00.004-06:00

Surgery will proceed this morning at 8:30am. It's a 2-3 hour procedure, this will be Joshua's biggest step to recovery. The surgeon and nurse warned us that it's the worse step, and Joshua will be very sick for the first 24-48 hours.

He has been a champ, the surgeon was amazed that he was just on 26-28 % oxygen from the ventilator this morning. The throat infection that was brought to our attention last night is a minor detail that will not affect the surgery.

Infection.....

2009-11-15T22:26:00.010-06:00

Late this evening we were notified that Joshua has an infection in his throat. The cause of this infection was due to the tubes inserted into his lungs and stomach.He is still on antibiotics but surgery MIGHT be delayed. We will find out tomorrow morning. The doctor mentioned that the infection is not in the blood, so it cannot spread. The throat infection usually gets better after 7-10 days using antibiotics. The doctor can not comment about the surgery until the neonatologist, surgeons and other specialist discuss this situation in the morning.

Joshua sleeping all day....

2009-11-15T15:14:00.005-06:00

Good news....Joshua has improve and so far no infection was detected from the culture blood test (3:26PM). His temperature remains the same, but it's nothing to be concern. The extra air from his stomach and intestines has decrease.He has been sleeping all day, and looks more relax compared to yesterday. He had another blood transfusion today, and he didn't have any reactions. Everything looks great, so hopefully the surgeons look over his condition and proceed with the repair surgery tomorrow.
Melissa has been released from St.Lukes, so we are now staying at the Ronald McDonald Home. It's located in Texas Children Hospital by the NICU room where Joshua is staying at. Thank you for all the positive comments, emails and text messages.

Joshua's still hanging in there....

2009-11-15T01:13:00.004-06:00

Joshua’s temperature has improved since yesterday, from 99.0 to 98.5. Our nurse indicated that the temperature is better but he will still be on antibiotics. Some of Joshua’s results came back, and the flu, and other infection test came back negative. His white blood cells (fights infections) came back normal. We are still waiting for one more test tomorrow (Sunday) to determine if he has any other type of infection. Joshua also had a problem today regarding having too much air in his stomach and intestines. After making some changes with his tubes in his stomach, some air was released. They will continue to monitor this situation throughout the night. Also, Joshua has been trying to grab the tubes from his mouth all day, and has been very active. The doctor recommended that he will be given more drugs to sedate him. Overall the doctor stated he is doing just fine but yesterday (Friday) was better.

Joshua will be on T.V....

2009-11-13T21:22:00.015-06:00

Joshua’s temperature is a bit high, but they have been giving him antibiotics to help it go down. The nurse stated that it takes about 24 hours to see a significant difference. The results of the test that will determine if he has an infection will arrive on Sunday. If he does have an infection the surgery will be delay further, and Joshua will be on antibiotics for 10 days. Joshua overall is stable and very active when were around. We have seen him cry , get irritated when being touch a few times.
Our neonatologist this evening was Dr. Arnold from the T.V show Little Couple on TLC. She asked me and my sister (Miriam) if we can be film for her show. We agree, and Dr. Arnold just went over Joshua’s present condition and talked about Joshua’s x-ray picture. Hopefully when this episode airs in mid December, Joshua will be home to watch.

No surgery today....

2009-11-13T09:09:00.007-06:00

Joshua's surgery has been cancel due to a possibility of a infection. His temperature has been around 98 -99 since yesterday. The surgeon doesn't want to risk his stable condition so wants to wait until Monday. They are running test on Joshua to determine if he actually has a infection, if so he will be giving antibiotics.

The big day.....

2009-11-13T00:35:00.012-06:00

Joshua did great today( Thursday)...he keeps on staying strong every minute. The surgery is set for Friday morning and should be over at 1:00pm. During Surgery Joshua will be under general anesthesia (asleep and not able to feel pain). The surgeon will make a surgical cut in his abdomen under the upper ribs to be able to reach the organs of the abdomen. Then he will gently pulls these organs down into place through the opening in the diaphragm and into the abdominal cavity.Then the surgeon will repair the hole in the diaphragm, and a plastic patch may be used to cover the hole in the diaphragm if Joshua doesn't have enough tisssue. We are praying for Joshua to do well during the surgery and recover within 24 hours.

Joshua on the right path to recovery

2009-11-12T01:47:00.008-06:00

Joshua continues to stay stable and is heading to the right direction. Surgery is still set on Friday morning. We will continue to pray that Joshua will stay strong and have a successful surgery.

2009-11-11T11:21:00.010-06:00

Neonatologist updated us this morning and stated the following:

The blood transfusion went well last night without any negative reactions.
He has started to urinate this morning. (due to blood transfusion)
He is still consider stable but critical until the 48-72 hrs time period.
The surgery is still schedule for Friday, unless he is put on ECMO or any other complications occur.
The ventilator is giving him 50 % oxygen and 40 beats per minute (BPM). (compare to 60 bpm yesterday)This numbers change hourly, it just depends on many different factors.

2009-11-10T22:44:00.012-06:00

Both sides of his head have been shaved in an effort of finding a main vein. After countless of unsuccessful tries in grabbing a vein, they eventually decided to run the iv through his groin area. This iv will help the process of the blood transfusion. If he continues to do well , the surgery will be on Friday. Joshua is also having trouble with his bowel movement, we are hoping that it will improve tomorrow.
Joshua has gone through allot today, and continues to be a strong baby. He has been poke by a needle several times. He had a risky surgery after the unsuccessful attempts of finding a vein. Also, Melissa finally met Joshua today, and touch his little hands.

Joshua doing better.....

2009-11-10T11:34:00.006-06:00

Joshua has improved, last night he was receiving 100% oxygen from a ventilator (standard) and now down to 20%. Joshua is producing 80% of his own oxygen. He has open his eyes a few times this morning. They will have to sedate him today because he moves to much and might unplug something. All the nurses stated that his on the right path for recovery.

Melissa is doing well, of course she is in pain becasue of the c-section. She will see Joshua later today when they finish all the exams. We will also talk to our doctor and surgeon to update us with more detail information.

Joshua in NICU

2009-11-10T10:01:00.010-06:00

This was taken last night around 10:00pm, Joshua was receiving 100% oxygen. The doctor said he is working too hard breathing, but not enough to sedate him. He can't open his eyes due to all the stress he has gone through.

We are now contacting friends and family to inform them about Joshua's condition. We decided to keep Joshua's health condition private during pregnancy because of the stressful and emotional situation we were in when we first found out. Now that Joshua is out in the world , we would love lots of prayers and support.

Joshua is out...

2009-11-10T02:51:00.006-06:00

C-Section went well, and Joshua was born at 8:08 pm. His weight was 6lb 6oz and 20 inches long. Joshua responded very well to the ventilator. He didn't go on ECMO or put on any sedatives. The picture shows Joshua crying while being put on the ventilator. I went to visit him about 2:00 am and he was doing better then earlier. The nurses and doctors said that it's looking good compared to what they were expecting. Doctor told me it is better if he does not receive any visitors because any voices he hears or touching stimulates Joshua and increase his heart rate. They also stated that it can change to the worst, CDH babies are hard to predict. He still has a long road ahead, but so far doing great.

Still Waiting...

2009-11-09T18:04:00.008-06:00

Still waiting for Dr.Adam, now they say C-section at 8:00 pm.

Epidural

2009-11-09T16:59:00.002-06:00

Melissa took epidural injection and doing fine...now just waiting for her to dilate more. She is still at 4 cm, we are waiting for the doctor to check her again.

The water is out.....

2009-11-09T15:00:00.006-06:00

Melissa is still at 4 cm, but Dr.Adam pop her bag so that she can start dilating....They want Joshua out before 5:00pm today. She still has no severe pain, but expected to take the epidural soon.....

UPDATE !! She is Dilating

2009-11-09T12:29:00.005-06:00

The doctor assistant check on Melissa and stated she is already dilating. He said she is up to 3-4 cm, and just waiting for stronger contractions. He will call Dr. Adam to update her, and Joshua might come earlier then plan. Melissa is not feeling any pain yet, and Joshua has dropped.

St.Lukes Hospital

2009-11-09T08:04:00.005-06:00

Today is the big day for the arrival of Joshua. The doctor said most likely the delivery will happen late afternoon. Melissa is contracting, but the baby is still high up so most likely it will be a C-section.

November 5, 2009

2009-11-06T21:45:00.002-06:00

This picture was taken on November 5, 2009. It's the last ultrasound picture before his arrival. Joshua's weight dropped 8 oz from our last doctor appointment from 6lb 3oz to 5lb 11oz. Dr.Adam stated it's pretty common for a CDH to decrease in weight. Dr.Adam also stated that she saw signs of lungs working and some breathing activity.

The day we found out...

2009-06-23T20:38:00.007-05:00

June 13, 2009

We were excited to find out the sex of our baby. We both wanted a boy, but really just wanted a healthy baby. Excited of course, waiting in the room looking at the monitor, while the technician scanning Melissa stomach for 2-3 minutes suddenly stop. She pointed at the screen and asked us what does that look like. We of course thrilled, it’s a BOY! She then stated it's not 100 %, but it seems likely its boy. I just knew it was a boy no matter what she said after that. Melissa had a doctor appointment that following Tuesday with her OBGYN that will confirmed the sex of the baby. I still had a gut instinct that it was a boy, but at the same time didn't want to tell people until the second appointment. I told Melissa to invite her mother to the doctor appointment, and I will head to work that day. I told Melissa just text me ASAP when she confirms it's a boy.

June 16, 2009

It was after 3:00pm, I text Melissa so what??? Boy right and she replied it’s a boy BUT he might be sick......Talking to her on the phone few minutes later, she stated that the baby has a hole in his stomach, 2 out of 3 vessels cords and one kidney. Her OBYGN recommended us to a new OBYGN that specializes in birth defects.

June 19, 2009

We went to our new OBGYN Dr. Adam that has dealt with patients having CDH babies. While waiting in the lobby, Melissa received a phone call from her previous OBGYN nurse. The nurse told her that the test she took that day (June 16, 2009) came positive for spinal bifida. We were pretty emotionally numb about the news but then it seemed that everything was wrong with Joshua. I had so much hope to meet Dr. Adam to give us some hope.
Dr. Adam confirmed that he had Congenital Diaphragmatic Hernia. She also stated that he might have a certain syndrome that is causing all the abnormalities. The spinal bifida wasn't 100% , but can be confirm by a Amniocentesis test. Dr. Adam told us that abortion is an option if the test came positive for spinal bifida and the syndrome causing all the abnormalities. At that point we couldn't’t believe that abortion was even brought up as a option. Melissa agree to take the test, but it was a risk for a miscarriage. Looking at the monitor while the needle being inserted in the sack, I saw Joshua moving away from the tip of the needle. Dr. Adam said the results will come in next week and that will confirm any other chromosomes abnormalities.

• Amniocentesis test came out negative for any syndromes, chromosome abnormalities or spinal bifida

• Surgeon at Texas Children Hospital stated it's too early to determine his survival but can tell us looking at the advance ultrasound he has 80 % survival. Joshua Head to Lung ratio was 1.6 (anything less than 1.4 is considered severe). He also said that Joshua will most likely have surgery after a few days after his stabilize. Also, he might not need ECMO to help him breath.

• Cardiologist stated the heart is working properly but is being push like a pancake towards his ribcage but can't promise anything just because the internal organs are still developing.

More appointments to follow....

September 9, 2009

Cardiologist: gave us good news on the heart, she said it's working properly but still being compress towards his ribcage. She again can't promise us anything, because it’s still considered very severe. .

October 7, 2009

Surgeon gave us an update on the condition of the baby, and told us he only has 50 % of survival (10% complications, 40% not surviving at all) He also stated that Joshua might have a certain syndrome that cannot be determine by tests. The only way to determine the syndrome is by his facial features. He also stated Joshua might have other organs that might be abnormal but can't verify until the day of delivery. The minimum time Joshua will be at the Hospital is 6 weeks and the maximum 9 months. The surgeon did tell us that every case is different and not to worry about the numbers that much. The ECMO machine will be at stand by, in case Joshua can't produce his own oxygen.

October 8, 2009

Dr.Adams told us that Joshua Head to Ratio dropped from 1.6 to 1.2. It wasnt looking good; the only good news that day was he was gaining weight at a regular rate. She reminded us to have hope, and that every baby is different.

October 12, 2009

Texas Children Hospital Tour: We visited the NICU were Joshua will be staying for some weeks.