Easter weekend came and went. Not a whole lot happened over the last few days for Belle since the staff was limited and most procedures were put on hold until after the weekend.
So now we're back to it.
Arabella had an eye exam this morning, along with a heart echo. Her eyes are being checked every other week to ensure that she doesn't develop 'retinopathy of prematurity' or ROP for short. Excessive oxygen can cause damage to a preemie's retinas, and that's why Arabella is only given as much oxygen as she needs in order to keep her blood oxygen saturation within a decent range.
It's crazy how one thing can affect another.
An ultrasound on her abdomen is scheduled for later today, but it might be moved. They don't want to tire her too much. Arabella is strickly on minimum handling at this time. No unnecessary diaper changes, for example. No one bothers her unless it's absolutely needed.
Kiera and I had a meeting to discuss Belle's bone situation. We met with genetics, an orthopedic doctor, and our lead doctor. We saw the x-rays on a projector and the staff showed us some of the areas of concern. It's really quite unusual for her to have this many fractures (even given her fragile state to begin with). Hopefully it's nothing too serious.
We're still waiting on blood and DNA results to give us definitive answers, but so far it's very likely that Belle could have a nutritional deficiency called rickets. It results in thinner, less dense bones that can break easily. We're hoping that's all it is. Once her nutrition improves she should recover from it completely, with strong straight bones and no long-term consequences.
That kind of healing will take time, though. Her bones need to strengthen, and in the meantime her lungs and PDA situation is worsening. When will the PDA surgery happen? No one can give us an answer just yet.
We've been praying for a lot of patience lately. Everything will sort itself out in due time.
Last night they increased Arabella's morphine to manage her pain better. It's not a huge dose, but enough to keep her content. She's likely in a bit of pain from all of the small fractures that continue to heal and get better. More morphine also means that she can rest and breathe easier. Her breathing becomes more stable as a result, and that allows her to be ventilated easier, using less oxygen. And less oxygen means less damage to her lungs.
There is always a ripple effect, it seems.
It gets complicated when you start to weigh the pros and cons, when you compare one thing to another.
You can understand the tough position that everyone is in. Every action has a reaction, therefore every move is a calculated one.
No comments:
Post a Comment