Patience

Good morning from Ryder!

He had a painfully boring day yesterday - in the ICU, I know boring is a good thing but uhhh, still painful.  He did well without his foley catheter but was slightly up on fluid intake, his blood pressure did well without epinephrine all day but some of his labs and NIRS monitor "scores" were lower so a low dose was restarted last night.  Still though nothing bad at all, just slow.  Practicing our patience.  More waiting.

Today he is looking great!!  He had a follow-up head ultrasound (no bleed), had a follow-up ECHO (clot smaller), still has tricuspid regurgitation "mild-moderate" but no other changes.  His labs look good and his NIRS scores look SOOO good today it was likely that the big and expensive monitor on his forehead (that bandaid on his forehead costs $400 I am told - yikes) was not working very well.  He was left on the epi after rounds this morning but good to know that his numbers didn't likely tank without it.  Because we are still trying to get more fluid off he was given an extra dose of lasix a little while ago and had a big wet diaper so we are in the negative fluid range now already - whoo hoo - way to pee Ryder! 

Hoping today he continues to diurese and that all his numbers remain stable.  Thankful today for Ryder's good morning, his awesome nurses & doctors and for those of you who figured out how to send him Children's Mercy ecards!  Also, thankful for cafeteria $$ vouchers (provided by lactation) that, of course I am using to buy Starbucks with, and thankful that we met our medical deductable months ago - bring on the pricey monitor stickers!! and...

VERY thankful to be learning more patience and for the ability to see the painfully boring time with a different perspective - not boring, but peaceful, with time to hope for more slow and steady progress.  It's just like this mugshot of our little warrier I took yesterday afternoon...

take away the chest dressing, NGT, dobhoff tube, NIRS monitor, ETT and tape...

and all you can see is those perfect little blue eyes!!

For in this hope we were saved. Now hope that is seen is not hope. For who hopes for what he sees? But if we hope for what we do not see, we wait for it with patience.

Romans 8:24-25