Kaleb is off the ventilator!

When I talked with Kaleb's nurse Monday night she informed me that they planned on extubating the next day. This was sooner than we expected, but God provided the childcare we needed exactly when we needed it and I was able to be there for the procedure. It went SO much better than the time before. For a glorious, brief moment I got to see his cute face without anything on it, and then they transitioned him immediately to the BiPAP machine (Bilevel Positive Airway Pressure). Though he struggled at first, he eventually surrendered to the new mask on his face.  The pulmonologist likened BiPAP to trying to breathe with your head out the window of a car going 80 mph.

Later in the day he was able to wean off of BiPAP and was put on CPAP (Continuous Positive Airway Pressure) which is a more mild experience and enabled him to sleep the night. He's also weaning off the last of his sedation and experiencing some withdrawals. We're unsure how long he will need to be on CPAP in the hospital, but according to the pulmonologists and respiratory team it would be ideal for him to be on it all the time (which doesn't seem to be realistic at home). The purpose of these machines is to supply pressured oxygen which keeps his airways open, enabling them to clear of mucus and secretions and make his left lung less likely to develop infections. Having said that, they are going to try him on a “sprint” with just a nasal cannula tomorrow. The conversations are continuing on this front to figure out what his future looks like. We're hopeful that this is something Kaleb will grow out of as his body strengthens and grows.

Please Pray:

• For Kaleb's lungs to strengthen and for him to do well on the nasal cannula tomorrow so that he doesn’t need to be on CPAP all the time.

• For Kaleb's recurrent fever to be resolved

• For Kaleb to recover swiftly so he can come home!

• For continued provision of childcare so I can spend time with Kaleb