Little Benji

Since my last post....Ben went the first week post-op doing pretty great with no SVT's (a yucky arrythmia) or other complications. But just like with the first surgery, almost exactly a week after the surgery he started going downhill a little. The Dr's explained that it is common to have some struggles. He started having the SVT's regularly as well as some other arrythmias that were complicated. He developed plural effusion in his lungs so chest tubes were put back in. On Monday this week they thought the right lung was not draining any more so they took the chest tube out. The only way the doctors can explain what happened next is that when they took the tube out a small piece of lung tissue must have attached itself to the tube and came out with the tube, leaving a hole in his lung that quickly leaked air to the outside of his lung. Within an hour the air pressure outside of his lung caused his lung to collapse and was pushing into his heart as well. They call it pnuemothorax. It was crazy--he went down hill so quickly the nurse even thought we were going to loose him. (She started crying!) His little fragile life was on the line and thankfully the doctors and nurses gathered around him and worked quickly to save him. He is okay now but it took him a day to really recover from that. (Any kind of a crisis, procedure, or too much stimulation is hard on his heart and it wears him out.)
So the great news--as of today we are working towards getting Ben extubated tomorrow so he has had several days of spontaneous trials (When they shut the ventilator off for an hour or more and he has to do all of the breathing on his own. It helps to build strength in his lungs and heart.) and he has done amazing! Also he has had four days of steady weight gain in a row!!! That has been a huge battle for him and he has never even had two days in a row, so four is awesome! Today he weighed in at 3.89 kilos which I think is about 8.56 lbs. I can't believe he is almost 7 weeks old. He is really enjoying all of the picture books he got for Christmas; he can't seem to get enough reading to him and he loves to be sung to as well. And three times I've seen him give a little half-smile underneath his breathing tube. I can't tell you what that does for me!
I think seeing all of this progress has really made it sink in just how sick he was before he got the new mitral valve. We must have been in denial or something. It is wonderful to see him gaining strength and being able to respond to Cody and I, like he knows that even though he is surrounded by machines and people buzzing in and out, we are his parents and he loves us. Say a prayer that he can get his breathing tube out tomorrow, then maybe we can get out of the ICU soon and up to the recovery floor. Also if you can keep praying for all of the other little ones at Primary's. There are so many that need your prayers.