The rollercoaster continues

The emotions definitely ran high today. We got up early again to see Kelson before the shift change, and were informed that it had been a rough night. Kelson had been trying to breathe over the ventilator, and was in distress. His blood pH was the worst it had been. They had him heavily sedated to keep him from fighting the vent, and had to replace his breathing tube. Needless to say, this was not a good way to start the day. Luckily, the doctor was able to calm us down. Apparently the old breathing tube had been clogged, and they were hoping the new, clean tube would help. He also started him on a new blood pressure medication, and was even talking about starting him on a feeding tube later this week, so he could start getting breast milk. The doctor seemed pretty confident in his new plan of action. It was also decided to keep Kelson sedated today, to let him rest and continue to focus his energy on healing. After receiving this positive news, we decided we could eat breakfast, shower, and get ready for the day. Our new nurse invited us to assist again while they had the isolate open. Krista and I were both able to "hold" Kelson for the first time today. Since there are so many tubes and wires, we obviously couldn't hold him up to our chest like a normal infant. We were able to place one hand under his neck, and one on his bottom, and hold him up while they changed his bedding. It was a big milestone for us, and we were able to pose for some pictures to preserve the memories. Kelsons blood levels had all returned to normal, and remained that way for the majority of the day...the new treatment appeared to be helping!! Our friend Marla brought us yummy lunch from Panera Bread today, and we had a surprise visit from Kristas friend Blair. My Aunt Janet and Uncle Russ also stopped by. Sharon Monroe also came. She brought some more prayer caps, and was able to pray over Kelson. We went to the cafeteria for an early supper, because we were going to get to hold Kelson again at 6 PM. When we went in at 6, I noticed they had started Kelson on another medication. I asked the nurse about it, and she informed us that he had a blood clot, but the doctor would discuss the details with us. Like any paranoid parent, I started pacing, and preparing myself for the bad news we were about to hear. It felt like we waited forever for the doctor to show up. Thankfully, the doctor was not too concerned about the clot, and felt like the medication he was on would be able to dissolve it. He then proceeded to tell us that they found the clot by accident while doing the EKG. He said they were lucky to have caught it, and that someone upstairs must be watching out over him! After the series of events we have been through this week, it is pretty obvious that God has some pretty special plans for Kelson. Tomorrow, we will have another EKG to check on the clot, and hope to get more hands on time at noon. I am planning on going home tomorrow to repack clothes, and play with the dog, Rally. Claire spent all day and night (Monday) with her babysitter and I will pick her up tomorrow. We will go back to the hospital, and then she will spend a night or two with Kristas parents. We have to check out of the guest house tomorrow morning, and depending on Kelsons stability, we will either stay at the hospital, or with some family that live nearby. We are praying that tomorrow brings us a little less stress, and that Kelson will continue to gain strength! We appreciate all the kind words of support and encouragement.