Joshua will be on T.V....

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....

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.....

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

Joshua remains stable and is heading in the right direction. Surgery is still scheduled for Friday morning. We will continue praying that Joshua stays strong and has a successful surgery.

November 11 2009

The neonatologist updated us this morning and stated the following:

The blood transfusion went well last night without any adverse reactions.

He has started urinating this morning (due to blood transfusion).

He is still considered stable but remains critical until the 48-72 hour period.

The surgery is still scheduled for Friday, unless he is put on ECMO or other complications arise.

The ventilator is giving him 50% oxygen and 40 beats per minute (BPM), compared to 60 bpm yesterday. These numbers change hourly and depend on many factors.

Both sides of his head have been shaved in an effort to find a main vein. After countless unsuccessful attempts to locate a vein, they eventually decided to run the IV through his groin area. This IV will assist with the blood transfusion process. If he continues to do well, the surgery will be on Friday. Joshua is also having trouble with his bowel movements; we hope that it will improve tomorrow. 

Joshua has gone through a lot today and continues to be a strong baby. He has been poked with a needle several times. He had a risky surgery after the unsuccessful attempts to find a vein. Also, Melissa finally met Joshua today and touched his little hands.

Joshua doing better.....

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

Melissa is doing well, although she is in pain because 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 get more detailed information.

Joshua in NICU

This was taken last night around 10:00pm, with Joshua receiving 100% oxygen. The doctor said he's working too hard to breathe but not enough to be sedated. He can't open his eyes because of all the stress he's endured.

We are now reaching out to friends and family to update them on Joshua's condition. We chose to keep Joshua's health private during pregnancy due to the stressful and emotional situation we faced when we first found out. Now that Joshua is here, we would greatly appreciate lots of prayers and support.ort.ort.ort.ort.ort.

Joshua is out...

The C-section went well, and Joshua was born at 8:08 pm. His weight was 6 lb 6 oz and he was 20 inches long. Joshua responded very well to the ventilator. He didn't go on ECMO or receive any sedatives. The picture shows Joshua crying while being placed on the ventilator. I visited him around 2:00 am, and he was doing better than earlier. The nurses and doctors said that it looks promising compared to their initial expectations. The doctor told me it is better if he doesn’t receive any visitors because any voices he hears or touches can stimulate Joshua and increase his heart rate. They also mentioned that things can change for the worse, as CDH babies are hard to predict. He still has a long way to go, but so far he’s doing great.

Still Waiting...

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

Epidural

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

The water is out.....

Melissa is still at 4 cm, but Dr. Adam pops her bag so she can start dilating. They want Joshua out before 5:00pm today. She still doesn't have severe pain but is expected to get the epidural soon.

UPDATE !! She is Dilating

The doctor assistant checked on Melissa and said she is already dilated. He mentioned she is up to 3-4 cm and just waiting for stronger contractions. He will call Dr. Adam to give an update, and Joshua might arrive earlier than planned. Melissa isn't feeling any pain yet, and she has dropped.