Wednesday, October 24, 2007
Finally a Long Update Current mood: thankful
I am so sorry that is has taken me so long to update! Things have been very busy in the Wiles family over the last week. It is hard to believe that this time last week MJ was in the OR and we were thinking that we had six more months out here. God has been so good and faithful to us and I just cannot describe it. Let me start from about a week ago.
Macy Jane did very well after her surgery. The only setback she has had is an increased white blood cell count and c-reactive protein. They have not been able to find the source of the infection, other than her having staph in one of her wounds. They did a culture of her sternal incision in the OR and it grew out yeast, but they are thinking that it is just the normal yeast that is on your skin. They consulted infectious disease just in case and they drew cultures of blood and urine to see if anything grows. She was started on antibiotics yesterday and today her labs look a lot better. So whatever it is and wherever it is hiding out, the antibiotics are killing it. It was also just noted that she has thrush. When the doctor heard that, he said "well, that's where the candida (yeast) is coming from!" They started some nystatin on her so we'll see.
In other exciting news, Macy Jane is going to have her first try at PO (by mouth) feeds today. Her tube feedings have been off for several hours in hopes to get her really hungry and then the therapist is going to come in and try some feeds! I am not sure if it is going to be a bottle this early or pureed foods/rice cereal. I can't wait to see how she does. She loves when stuff is in her mouth so hopefully she will like the taste of food. Pray! I would love to be able to take her home and let my dad feed her a bottle. That was his favorite thing to do and asks about it all of the time. It is so funny to think that at first he was skiddish about holding her and even feeding her, but over time he got more comfortable with it and can't wait to do it again.
I received the shock of my life a little while ago. The doctor was talking to me during rounds and said we are going to start getting things ready to boot you guys out of here in about a week. I was shocked! I told him that I needed her to stay in the hospital until at least the 1st to that SSI would carry her through the month of November. He said that she would be able to go straight home and they would take out her IV before she goes home. So, besides her G-tube she wouldn't have anything else! I am super excited!! Now, all of that is contingent on the hope of her blood cultures all coming back negative. She is going to be on antibiotics anyways for the next week, so regardless if they are negative or positive, she is still going to be on them.
She is finally gaining weight! She gained an ounce and a half yesterday! They have increased her calories and they are going to start bolus feeding her later this afternoon. Basically she will receive 3 hours worth of feedings in 2 hours and have a one hour break off of the pump. Over the next few days they are going to work with her and eventually get to where she will receive all the volume in an hour and have 2 hour breaks. If she does well with the oral feedings, that might change a little.
She is still going through withdrawals a little bit, although not as bad. She is on Methodone and has a Pain Therapy consult and they are weaning her slowly off of the methadone. Pretty soon she will be back to normal!
I went yesterday to Carter's and once again that was a mistake So many cute outfits! I got her probably ten outfits for winter and spring/summer and they were dirt cheap. They are having a huge sale and then a massive clearance center. You may be wondering why we are getting her so many outfits and the reason is pretty simple. She has no winter clothes and pretty much no 6 month clothes. Well, she didn't have any but now I think she has almost enough!!
Well, the therapist is here to try and see how MJ does with feeding so let me go! Keep your fingers, eyes, and toes crossed that she does well.
Much Love
Bethany