June 29, 9:55 PM
Chase & Charissa have been progressively improving. Each are learning how to simultaneously eat while remember to breathe. Not as easy as we thought it would be, but they're learning!!
On Saturday, Chase & Charissa had their eye exams, looking for a disease called "Retinopathy of Immaturity" (Wikipedia.com has an adequate explanation). We knew that both of them would likely incur this disease, the question was simply its severity. Retinopathy can potentially lead to blindness...
Chase has Stage 1 Retinopathy. He will be monitored weekly to see if the condition will worsen. Most preemies will gravitate towards stage 2, but with maturity the disease will fade. Please pray that this would be so with Chase!
Charissa has Stage 1 Retinopathy with "Plus Disease." The Plus disease makes it more likely that she will need laser surgery to help correct her problem. The retinal ophlamalogist specialist will come in on Wednesday to take a look. We hope that Plus is not too severe and that it would either resolve on it's own or would be correctable with surgery. But please pray that Charissa would not need surgery and that her sight would develop normally.
We are truly thankful to our God!! Our children are starting to grow. Both are over 4 lbs!!
May the Eyes of all oure hearts be enlightened!
Choi Family
Sunday, June 29, 2008
Sunday, June 22, 2008
big scare... ...bigger relief... ...TBTG!
June 22, 8PM
The last 3-4 days have been quite a roller coaster ride. Both Chase & Charissa got sick around the same time...
Chase was having a really difficult time breathing about 4 days ago. After running some tests, he had tested positive for an infection. They immediately placed him on 3 antibiotics, stopped his feeding, placed IVs for nutrition, and began to withdraw blood for testing on a regular basis. We did not know what to think... We just prayed. The next day, seeing the familiar yet frightening tubes entering and exiting his body, we sighed a bit of a relief. Not that the infection had gone, but that Chase was no longer gasping for air. He was breathing well. The question for Dr. Maynar was, "what kind of infection did he have?" At first she suspected that the blood test was a false positive, meaning that Chase did not have an infection at all. She hypothesized that a contaminant of some kind had entered into his system. But being cautious, she continued our son on all 3 antibiotics. So what kind of infection had crept into our frail little boy? The number one suspect was a gastrointestianl disease called "Necrotizing Enterocolitis" (NEC). After Sepsis (infection in the bloodstream), NEC is the most frightening diagnosis. NEC occurs only in premature babies. Their unformed bowels often can not handle the bacteria that is growing. Sometimes this bacteria creates an infection which attacks the walls of the intestines. If not caught early, NEC can kill parts of the intestines. The only treatment would be surgery to remove the "necrotized" i.e. dead sections. While not fatal, the operation is high risk. But the truly frightening aspect of NEC occurs if the infection punctures the bowel walls and enters into other parts of the body. The infection could instantly take overtake the premature baby and prove to be fatal. No one knows why this happens, but NEC can come out of nowhere and quickly destroy the intestines and enter into the bloodstream. Dr. Maynar told us that NEC is the most feared disease in the NICU. So did Chase have NEC? He had some of the symptoms, "difficulty breathing & a hard distended stomach." How do we know if he has NEC? X-rays. As we waited for the results of the x-rays, we were nervous. We understood the consequences if we did not catch this disease early enough. By God's grace, the X-rays were negative. After running more tests and growing more cultures, Dr. Maynar concluded that it was either a weak infection that the antibiotics had already killed or a contaminant. Yesterday, Chase was put on 5.5 cc/hour of mother's milk and only one of his antibiotics remained. Today, Chase was sleeping soundly, without any appearance of stress and pain. Eating the full feed of 9.5cc/hour, he had the look of a healthy content baby. Praise God....
Charissa, on the other hand, was not so fortunate. She had cried in her mother's arms for about an hour. And in total she had cried for about 3-4 without the nurses doing much to alleviate her distress. Charissa was in real pain and it was difficult for us to watch. She had thrown up her feedings and her belly was getting hard & distended. After an X-ray, the diagnosis was confirmed on the following day... NEC. NEC was causing real pain to our daughter's bowels. She was immediately taken off her feeds, given an arterial line, IV lines, and placed on the ventilator. We had gone back in time 2 1/2 weeks. But we were glad to see her on the ventilator. For about 19 hours, she wasn't able to rest. Being in so much pain, she would just cry, which meant, she couldn't breathe. She had a choice, cry or breathe. This exhausted her. The ventilator gave her a chance to just sleep and rest. The machine would expand her lungs. All she needed to do was sleep.
But we praise God for Charissa's sensitive bowels!! : ) Dr. Maynar reassured us that they had caught NEC very, very early. They put her on 3 antibiotics and x-rayed her every 12 hours. For the past 2 1/2 days, we would eagerly called 1/2 hour after each x-ray hoping that the NEC had subsided. We were frightened that the NEC would actually get worse, a distinct possibility in a preemie. But by God's wonderful grace, the NEC was disappearing. All her lab work was also indicating that the infection was dying. NEC isn't all gone yet, but Dr. Maynar thinks that in a couple of more days the infection should be eradicated.
Those first 2 days Charissa was like a rag doll. She wouldn't move or open her eyes. She had no strength in her bones. I would move her arms and legs, but she would offer no resistance. Yesterday & today, she looked much better! Her stomach has reduced, she freely opens her eyes, and most importantly, strength has returned to her frail body. Another bit of good news, she has left the ventilator and is now back on the high-flow nasal cannula. She will be on the antibiotics for another 5 days. This will give her bowels a chance to heal and rest. Then, it's back to feeding!
Both Chase & Charissa are now breathing well. No bradycardias and very few desaturations. We're both waiting for the NEC to be completely wiped away from Charissa's body, and we are thankful that God has brought us through another trying moment... ....They are now 33 weeks gestation. Although NEC can reoccur, Dr. Maynar tells us that after 34 weeks gestation, NEC becomes very rare.
Whoa! We thank God for his mercies once again!
TGBG (To God Be The Glory)!
Choi Family
The last 3-4 days have been quite a roller coaster ride. Both Chase & Charissa got sick around the same time...
Chase was having a really difficult time breathing about 4 days ago. After running some tests, he had tested positive for an infection. They immediately placed him on 3 antibiotics, stopped his feeding, placed IVs for nutrition, and began to withdraw blood for testing on a regular basis. We did not know what to think... We just prayed. The next day, seeing the familiar yet frightening tubes entering and exiting his body, we sighed a bit of a relief. Not that the infection had gone, but that Chase was no longer gasping for air. He was breathing well. The question for Dr. Maynar was, "what kind of infection did he have?" At first she suspected that the blood test was a false positive, meaning that Chase did not have an infection at all. She hypothesized that a contaminant of some kind had entered into his system. But being cautious, she continued our son on all 3 antibiotics. So what kind of infection had crept into our frail little boy? The number one suspect was a gastrointestianl disease called "Necrotizing Enterocolitis" (NEC). After Sepsis (infection in the bloodstream), NEC is the most frightening diagnosis. NEC occurs only in premature babies. Their unformed bowels often can not handle the bacteria that is growing. Sometimes this bacteria creates an infection which attacks the walls of the intestines. If not caught early, NEC can kill parts of the intestines. The only treatment would be surgery to remove the "necrotized" i.e. dead sections. While not fatal, the operation is high risk. But the truly frightening aspect of NEC occurs if the infection punctures the bowel walls and enters into other parts of the body. The infection could instantly take overtake the premature baby and prove to be fatal. No one knows why this happens, but NEC can come out of nowhere and quickly destroy the intestines and enter into the bloodstream. Dr. Maynar told us that NEC is the most feared disease in the NICU. So did Chase have NEC? He had some of the symptoms, "difficulty breathing & a hard distended stomach." How do we know if he has NEC? X-rays. As we waited for the results of the x-rays, we were nervous. We understood the consequences if we did not catch this disease early enough. By God's grace, the X-rays were negative. After running more tests and growing more cultures, Dr. Maynar concluded that it was either a weak infection that the antibiotics had already killed or a contaminant. Yesterday, Chase was put on 5.5 cc/hour of mother's milk and only one of his antibiotics remained. Today, Chase was sleeping soundly, without any appearance of stress and pain. Eating the full feed of 9.5cc/hour, he had the look of a healthy content baby. Praise God....
Charissa, on the other hand, was not so fortunate. She had cried in her mother's arms for about an hour. And in total she had cried for about 3-4 without the nurses doing much to alleviate her distress. Charissa was in real pain and it was difficult for us to watch. She had thrown up her feedings and her belly was getting hard & distended. After an X-ray, the diagnosis was confirmed on the following day... NEC. NEC was causing real pain to our daughter's bowels. She was immediately taken off her feeds, given an arterial line, IV lines, and placed on the ventilator. We had gone back in time 2 1/2 weeks. But we were glad to see her on the ventilator. For about 19 hours, she wasn't able to rest. Being in so much pain, she would just cry, which meant, she couldn't breathe. She had a choice, cry or breathe. This exhausted her. The ventilator gave her a chance to just sleep and rest. The machine would expand her lungs. All she needed to do was sleep.
But we praise God for Charissa's sensitive bowels!! : ) Dr. Maynar reassured us that they had caught NEC very, very early. They put her on 3 antibiotics and x-rayed her every 12 hours. For the past 2 1/2 days, we would eagerly called 1/2 hour after each x-ray hoping that the NEC had subsided. We were frightened that the NEC would actually get worse, a distinct possibility in a preemie. But by God's wonderful grace, the NEC was disappearing. All her lab work was also indicating that the infection was dying. NEC isn't all gone yet, but Dr. Maynar thinks that in a couple of more days the infection should be eradicated.
Those first 2 days Charissa was like a rag doll. She wouldn't move or open her eyes. She had no strength in her bones. I would move her arms and legs, but she would offer no resistance. Yesterday & today, she looked much better! Her stomach has reduced, she freely opens her eyes, and most importantly, strength has returned to her frail body. Another bit of good news, she has left the ventilator and is now back on the high-flow nasal cannula. She will be on the antibiotics for another 5 days. This will give her bowels a chance to heal and rest. Then, it's back to feeding!
Both Chase & Charissa are now breathing well. No bradycardias and very few desaturations. We're both waiting for the NEC to be completely wiped away from Charissa's body, and we are thankful that God has brought us through another trying moment... ....They are now 33 weeks gestation. Although NEC can reoccur, Dr. Maynar tells us that after 34 weeks gestation, NEC becomes very rare.
Whoa! We thank God for his mercies once again!
TGBG (To God Be The Glory)!
Choi Family
Tuesday, June 17, 2008
Infection...
June 17, 11PM
After a couple of weeks of no events, today was a really difficult day. Both Chase & Charissa have had multiple events throughout the day. When we arrived at 12Pm, both of them were having multiple desaturations and bradycardias (sudden drop of heart rate). The doctors are not sure why they are having such a difficult time and suspect some sort of infection... We sat with our kids for about 6-7 hours, jumping from child to another, hoping they would remember to breathe...
Chase started on antibiotics today. He looks okay, but his breathing is still too shallow. He's not doing all that well (and still needs prayer), but sister is doing worse...
Charissa does not look good at all. She actually looks really sick. During our stay, her heart rate climbed to about 205bpm (normal heartrate is 165bmp) for about 3 hours & she cried non-stop. Yu Ran held her to try to assuage her, and for a little while she stopped crying. But her color got worse and her stomach began to distend and harden as well. They X-rayed her and decided to give her a break from the feeding tube. This helped a bit, but as she lied in her bed, she looked pale and lethargic. I would lift her arm and she would offer no resisitance. It would simply go limp.
I just called the nurse about 5 minutes ago. The doctors, as a precaution, have placed her on 3 different antibiotics. She is still having multiple desaturations and bradycardias. My wife and I are extremely worried. Charissa is really, really sick again. Please pray...
Exhausted again...
Choi Family
After a couple of weeks of no events, today was a really difficult day. Both Chase & Charissa have had multiple events throughout the day. When we arrived at 12Pm, both of them were having multiple desaturations and bradycardias (sudden drop of heart rate). The doctors are not sure why they are having such a difficult time and suspect some sort of infection... We sat with our kids for about 6-7 hours, jumping from child to another, hoping they would remember to breathe...
Chase started on antibiotics today. He looks okay, but his breathing is still too shallow. He's not doing all that well (and still needs prayer), but sister is doing worse...
Charissa does not look good at all. She actually looks really sick. During our stay, her heart rate climbed to about 205bpm (normal heartrate is 165bmp) for about 3 hours & she cried non-stop. Yu Ran held her to try to assuage her, and for a little while she stopped crying. But her color got worse and her stomach began to distend and harden as well. They X-rayed her and decided to give her a break from the feeding tube. This helped a bit, but as she lied in her bed, she looked pale and lethargic. I would lift her arm and she would offer no resisitance. It would simply go limp.
I just called the nurse about 5 minutes ago. The doctors, as a precaution, have placed her on 3 different antibiotics. She is still having multiple desaturations and bradycardias. My wife and I are extremely worried. Charissa is really, really sick again. Please pray...
Exhausted again...
Choi Family
Saturday, June 14, 2008
Part Deux
(Mom holding Charissa & Dad holding Chase on Saturday, June 7: 30 weeks 6 days gestation)
June 14, 10PM
Sorry about the 10 day delay since the last post. Over the past week and a half I have been busy helping to organize & run our presbytery's youth conference. Sleeping only 3-4 hours/day during this period left me no time to blog...
Update...
Chase took a step back on his respiration. After being on the high-flow nasal cannula for 2-3 days, the doctors placed him back on the Bubble CPAP. My wife watched with her parents as he would de-saturate (sudden drop in oxygen saturation level) & have sudden drops in his heart rate (from 180 down to 70 in a matter of seconds). But just today, the doctors said that he has stabilized. They will try him again on the high-flow nasal cannula.
Chase will be completely drug free by 4 am this morning! After his final dose of hydrocortisone, the strongest meds he will be on will be caffeine! Chase's latest head ultrasound showed that that the clot had almost completely drained. The doctor said that no more ultrasounds will be needed! Also, after testing his thyroid, the doctors declared that his thyroid levels are normal.
Weight you ask? 3 lbs. 11.26 oz (1.68Kg). He's growing well and actually has some body fat on him. He's so warm, in fact, that they don't even use the heater in his isolette. Feedings? Up to 9cc/hour
Charissa has had a hard 10 days. With lots of desaturations and bradycardias (sudden drop of heartrate), my wife and I had been very concerned. But again, just like with Chase, the doctors keep telling us not to worry. They keep saying that they are having an acceptable amount of bradycardias for their age and that they are actually doing well. Intellectually we know this is true, but emotionally it's difficult watching your kids stop breathing. She's doing well on the high flow nasal cannula. They lowered the pressure from 5 litres to 4 litres. Next step? Well, a simply nasal cannual without any pressure... How long? That's up to her!
Weight? 3lbs. .67 oz. (1.38 Kg). Feedings? 7cc/hour.
Part Deux
So what's part deux? Well... they just have to keep growing. The doctors say that they're respiratory issues will most likely resolve themselves, so not to worry.
They still have two other major exams: 1. Eye Exams (every 2 weeks) 2. Ear Exams.
Tomorrow will be their first eye exam! Preemies are susceptible to a type of retinal damage associated with premature birth. Doctors will examine her every 2 weeks until 40 weeks gestation when they will no longer be at risk. Ear exam? We don't know when they will have their first examination, so we wait...
God has been tremendously merciful to our family.... Please continue to pray for our two kids, especially for their first eye exam!
Blessings,
Choi Family
Tuesday, June 3, 2008
Can anyone say 3 pounds?
June 3, 1:15 PM
Update...
Chase is 2 lbs 15 oz (1.33 kg)! Not much news on him today. He's still on the bubble CPAP but should be graduating to the next step in a couple of days...
Weighing in at a respectable preemie weight of 2 lbs 7 oz (1.13 kg) is our little Charissa. Although smaller than her brother, she has surpassed him in the all important category of breathing. Yesterday they took her off the bubble CPAP and placed her on the 'high flow nasal canula'. (I have given up at trying to fully understand all the medical terms. So I won't try to explain this to you either : ) Everytime I think I understand, I find out that my understanding isn't quite right). Needless to say, this is good news. After this step is the regular 'nasal canula,' and then it's on to unassisted breathing!
Life has truly slowed down for the both of us. We're able to come to the hospital and enjoy God's generous gifts. Both doctors & nurses have few words to say now... ...as we like to say, 'no news is good news.'
Please continue to pray for their development. May the Lord of Salvation open our eyes to His incomparable grace.
Resting,
Choi Family
Update...
Chase is 2 lbs 15 oz (1.33 kg)! Not much news on him today. He's still on the bubble CPAP but should be graduating to the next step in a couple of days...
Weighing in at a respectable preemie weight of 2 lbs 7 oz (1.13 kg) is our little Charissa. Although smaller than her brother, she has surpassed him in the all important category of breathing. Yesterday they took her off the bubble CPAP and placed her on the 'high flow nasal canula'. (I have given up at trying to fully understand all the medical terms. So I won't try to explain this to you either : ) Everytime I think I understand, I find out that my understanding isn't quite right). Needless to say, this is good news. After this step is the regular 'nasal canula,' and then it's on to unassisted breathing!
Life has truly slowed down for the both of us. We're able to come to the hospital and enjoy God's generous gifts. Both doctors & nurses have few words to say now... ...as we like to say, 'no news is good news.'
Please continue to pray for their development. May the Lord of Salvation open our eyes to His incomparable grace.
Resting,
Choi Family
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