11/5/08 - 10:54pm - Time to Work!!!

Today was the end to a great day and we are pleased to say that her first 24 hours, which are the most critical, went very smooth. Since they closed the chest earlier than expected, they are going to start making Kayleigh work for her progress now. Starting tonight, they are going to slowly wean her off of her sedation medication and allow her to start waking up.

As she starts to come to, they will do a balancing act with her dial settings. They want to try to help her relax while she is coming out of sedation. The scary part is keeping her lung pressures down, which also means keeping Kayleigh calm without much stimulation. That means that Aimee and I have to keep our hands off and not talk to her as much, which is tough but we know we need to do what is best for her. If her lung pressures do rise, since she does not have the VSD (hole in her heart) anymore to level out the pressure, the heart will bare down and work extra extra hard. The hard work that is placed on the heart, if the lung pressures don't come down quick enough, can cause it to weaken and fail at a fast rate. Also, if they can't fix the pressures quick enough, they will have to open her back up :(

So, it is going to be a tough day tomorrow but hopefully Kayleigh will do fine and we can get past this. We are trying to be very positive, but her lung pressures were up all day today because of her heart closing procedure, some of the medications and the fact that she was not as sedated. But, since she doesn't have any other major stimulation going on tomorrow, we hope she will do better with controlling her pressures. Please pray she will do great.

All in all, today was another awesome day and she is showing signs of more improvement. I know this all sounds scary, but she is being put to the test only because she is progressing so well. We are so proud of the progress though that it just blows our mind. Several new staff members that we have met have said that they are amazed with how well she is doing for how little she is. So if they are amazed, then I am amazed. But, we all know who is in control and He can do ANYTHING :)

God Bless and Goodnight :)

The Freemans :)

14 comments:

Chase said...

Amazing...what a strong family, and the toughest little girl anyone could hope for. You guys have SO much to be proud of...you'll be telling her story FOREVER and giving people strength for the rest of your lives. You are truly blessed!

Love~All of us....God Bless!!!!!!!!!!

MrsKatieH said...

Hello from another preemie mommy. You all are in my thoughts and prayers. Please stay strong. :) My son was born at 29 weeks exactly, weighing 2 pounds 5 ounces :) he is home now and turning into a chunky monkey.

Anonymous said...

Great Job Kayleigh Keep up the good work!!!! I am rooting for you for sure and praying as always! It was so nice to be able to see your little body closed up again and ready to heal!!!

Kisses and prayers from us!

Love,
Crystal in CT

Anonymous said...

Hey mommy and daddy and little Kayleigh..I am a lurker who follows ur story.I just wanted to tell you guys that u have a beautiful daughter..And she IS a fighter..Your family is in my prayers every night..Take care everyone!

Anonymous said...

Way to go Kayleigh,and kick but tomorrow! God watch over and let her shock some more people with how fast she is recoering! Love Brandi ortiz and family in ohio

Kira said...

Just think, mom & dad, maybe her big bad battle wound will keep her out of a bikini a few extra years. ;)
Lovin' that little baby! Kayleigh, you are in my family's hearts and prayers.

Anonymous said...

I am new to your blog, you definitely have a super tough little miracle fighter! My daughter was born at 25 weeks and weighed 15 ounces, less than a pound. You guys will get through this and next thing you know you will have a crazy happy toddler keeping you busy! I will be thinking about you and your family. Keep up the good work Kayleigh!
~Jess (Maya's mom)

Nelson Family said...

I am also new to your blog and found it through facebooks preemie group. What an awesome blessing you have been given to be a part of her life. She will do great things in her life, just wait, it will come! I have a fighter too. born 25 weeks, 1.7 pounds, my daughter is 17 months now, and is amazing us everyday! you would never know looking at her that she was so tiny and had so many struggles. My prayers are with you and your family. May God bless you all.

Anonymous said...

I'm almost glad that I wasn't able to get to the computer during the last couple of days just because I don't know if I could have handled the stress of waiting for updates. It was much easier to just read it all at once.

Yay, Kayleigh! She is such a trooper! I'll be putting her name on our prayer rolls at church again tomorrow as soon as they open up in the morning. I've said it before, but I'll say it again. Kayleigh is a true miracle baby.

I hope tomorrow goes as smoothly as possible and that she continues her progress toward recovery.

Ali said...

Yay, Kalyleigh!

Anonymous said...

More prayers and love for all of you. You just want to hug her when you see her pictures. She is so beautiful.

C. Herlong
Irmo, SC

Jennifer in NM said...

WTG KAYLEIGH! You are amazing all kinds of people, and you will continue to amaze us all. Relax for the next few days and allow the pressures in your lungs to come down. Before you know it you will be laying in your own crib!

With lots of love and hugs,
Jenn in NM
jlcampbell2008@yahoo.com

Anonymous said...

Yay Kayleigh!! Keep up the great recovery! Many hugs to you from all of us! Prayers are still coming your way sweet baby girl!

~Karley~ said...

We've been silently following your journey since the beginning. Mady was born at 28 weeks. We pray for your continued success and hope you're home soon!!