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Saturday, February 7, 2009

We're home...

We just got home from the hospital after a very extended stay. As you know, my water broke Sunday night. We were admitted late Monday morning without any obvious signs of labor. After three days of trying to get things going we finally made some progress and labor progressed throughout the day Wednesday. There was no turning back by the afternoon and labor was pretty intense from that point on thanks to the heavy doses of pitocin they had been pushing into me! It was all worth it though!

Vincent Charles D'Angelo was born at 9:52 Wednesday night with a full head of dark hair. We are calling him Charlie  in order to avoid the 2 Vince confusion - that way they know who I am yelling at! :-)  There was no crying, but he was breathing on his own before the NICU team wisked him to their work station. A breathing tube was put right in, as we expected. Deacon Nick was able to baptize him before they left our room. 

They then rushed him out to the NICU where he made quite the impression, needing 5 adults to hold him down in order to prevent him from pulling out his breathing tube and other equipment. They got him settled and he had a decent first night and was able to go from 100% oxygen down to 60% by the time I was able to see him around 3 am. 

Thursday was a rough day. He is having some problems with pulmonary hypertension - which we knew was a  possibility. His oxygen had to be turned back up and other medications added. A chest tube had to be put in because he perforated his left lung and the chest cavity was filling with air and fluid. It took a few tries to get the tube in properly because of the bowels being in the way, but it is working very efficiently now.

He has been doing really well yesterday and today. His oxygen is down to about 45% - although they sometimes have to tweak it up and down. He is on medicine to keep him sedated and paralyzed, but they have been letting him "wake up" a little today and he is breathing over the vent pretty regularly and his little tongue wiggles around. His nurses have been amazing and explain everything to us whenever we are there.

It was really hard to leave him today and I am tearing up again sitting here typing. But we know our little man is in the best hands possible and with everyone's prayer and positive thoughts he will be home before we know it! We have faith and we know you do too. Thank you for continuing to send him your love and strength - he needs all he can get in the coming days, weeks, and months.

3 comments:

Julie, the mama said...

You know, he looks like a Charlie. I should know since I have looked at his sweet picture a gazillion times!

So glad to hear things are going well; although I know you want to be with your baby.

I continue to pray for our sweet Charlie's health and for y'all to cling to Philippians 4:6-7 during this time.

Hang in there, and rest while you can. Thanks for sharing your story with us, and letting us pray for your family.

Tracy Meats said...

Many prayers for Charlie in the weeks to come!! Keep fighting Charlie and may you soon have your repair surgery. Stay strong Patty and Vince and continue to have faith in that little guy.

Sending your entire family lots of positive energy and thoughts,
Tracy Meats - mom to Ian, born with a LCDH on 4/3/04 and WY and CO State Rep. for CHERUBS

Darcy said...

Hi Vince and Patty,
Congrats on the birth of your little man. My son Owen was born in March of 2007 with CDH. Your story caught my attention because we called our little man "Peanut" because he looked like a peanut on the ultrasound, and my husband and I met when I was in the 6th grade and he was in the 7th.
I will be praying for you and sweet little Charlie, fight little guy!!
darcy
http://ittybittyblog.wordpress.com