Sitting at Jordan's bedside, you would think you're in a science laboratory, not a hospital room. The familiar sound of a water fountain fills the room as his chest tube now has a vacuum attached to it to help stop the clotting that has plagued him. Red, green and blue lights fill the room from all the light indicators on the equipment. Air flow leaking around Jordan's endotracheal tube makes it sound like he is making duck calls. All of the support Jordan has received has led to this night. Jordan's lungs have have started registering tidal volume on the ventilator. This means that his lungs are responding to the air pressure from the ventilator and holding volume - he had to start doing this to come off ECMO.
After our post last night, we called the hospital around 2:00am to check on our son. The nurse informed us that the x-ray was worse than the day before. Needless to say, that was a hard pill to swallow and we had difficulty sleeping the rest of the night. When we arrived at the hospital this morning, we discovered a positive transition in discussions as the team made plans for the day. We had been misinformed last night - Jordan's x-ray was much better than the day before. What a relief to say the least!
Jordan is being treated with surfactant. Surfactant allows the alveoli to remain open. If babies do not have enough surfactant, the lungs cannot remain open and they collapse. It appears that a combination of the surfactant and the nebulizer treatment is helping Jordan greatly.
The team is making plans to take Jordan off ECMO tomorrow. Many thought about trying today but Dr. Adzik made the final call that he didn't think Jordan was ready. So far, it appears that was a good decision because Jordan has made slow and steady progress today. Ultimately, Jordan will come off ECMO when the time is right for Jordan. If they feel like he's getting pushed too hard in trials tomorrow, they'll back off and give him more time.
This is a big night for Jordan. He needs to come off ECMO. The timing of that move is extremely critical. We are hoping and praying he can make it through the night without complications; such as additional swelling. We can't thank everyone enough for your continued prayers and support. It is truly amazing to see the love and warmth shared by all who have heard about Jordan's story. We couldn't do this without the gifts, love and prayers so freely offered for our family. Thank you...
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