Friday PM - We thought that Adam would be transferred to a lower level of care today, but he was running a low-grade fever, so they kept him in ICU until they can determine what infection he has, if any. So far, no viral infections were found. Now, they are waiting for a blood culture to see if there are any bacterial infections. He's started on antibiotics just to be sure. The double-edged sword strikes again: Improvement means a lower level of care; to keep a higher level of care means his overall condition isn't where it should be.

This next part is difficult to explain, so bear with me and don't jump to conclusions until the end of the paragraph. A small leak was detected around his VSD repair, but it's a small leak. The way this was explained to me is that the leak is minimal and doesn't really affect the blood flow like the large one did. The surgeons used stitches to repair the large leak, but they were working in an area where electric impulses control the heartbeat. There is a trade off between having enough stitches vs. having too many that impair the electrical impulses and thus creating the need for a pacemaker. If a leak this small had been initially detected when he was born, it likely would have not required surgical repair. They will continue to monitor him just as they would had this been the size of the first finding. No treatment or correction is required.

Otherwise, feeding is still an issue. For some reason he's only able to take formula at a very slow rate. We hope to hear something from the G/I specialists, but for now he's taking his formula at a slow, steady rate. Earlier today, there was a coughing/gagging episode but no more of those since then. He's receiving respiratory therapy once every 8 hours, inhaling a medication through a mask placed just above his face.

Overall, we could have had a better day, but it could have been a lot worse. I was able to hold him for about a half an hour before all the doctors arrived for morning rounds. The rest of the time was spent gathering information from the same doctors, and rubbing Adam's bald little head at the same time. He enjoys this and it keeps him calm.

Tomorrow's another day, check back sometime then...