Fourteenth Day (update)...

The best word to describe today is "tough." The heart rate issue I mentioned the other day has gotten more persistent. Today I had occasions when my heart rate would dip and I was unable to recover on my own. My nurses and/or RT had to help me get back up to speed. The docs haven't nailed down the problem, but it is probably one of two things. I either have an infection or I'm just a tired little guy. Both are common in preemies. Later in the day it looked like I was gonna be put back on the ventilator, but they tried altering the way the SIPAP delivers O2 to my lungs. It was a big help, but that alone may not fix the problem. So, I still may go back on the vent. My feedings have been suspended as they are trying to let me rest as much as possible. The less I have to do the quicker I can regain strength. Dr. Strange wants to see how I progress tonight before they change anything. Earlier in the day they put me on antibiotics and took some blood cultures to be tested. We'll get the results in a couple of days. I need you guys to continue to pray for rest, strength, and stamina. A return to the ventilator is a strong possibility and though it would be a set back it's not totally unexpected. I'm in the midst of what has been called the preemie dance, ie having one, two, or three good days followed by one or two bad. It's all part of the growth process. It's not fun, but it's the way it is.