The report from the NICU this morning is that Bennett is hanging in there, and his status is essentially unchanged from last night.  The bypass machine is on the same "lower" level as last night, which is good, and his oxygen levels are improving.  The nurse also said that he's much more alert this morning.  These are all good things, and we're so very thankful for this. 

The main concerns remain the infection and the blood in his urine.  Evidently, his urine output is fairly bloody right now, but there is not much that can be done for this, and in fact is kind of expected because of the heparin and invasive nature of the ECMO procedure.  Please pray that this bleeding stop or at least slow, giving his little lungs more time to improve and strengthen. 

More chest x-rays and brain ultrasounds are being performed this morning, so we will try to give you updates on those later in the day. 

Thank you all for your prayers for our son, for the other precious children in the NICU, and for the amazing medical staff caring for them all. 

Love,

Travis, Kelly, and Bennett 

Well, there actually isn't much of an update from this afternoon.  The bypass machine is still around the same level (.42), but that's much lower than it was just 2 days ago, and that's a good thing.  The ventilator setting is still higher, but so far the staff thinks this combo (higher ventilator setting and lower bypass setting) is working a little better.  His heart rate is a little high, but they think it will come down eventually. 

We had a good time together tonight.  We sang several songs, and he was even awake for most of them.  It's so hard not to just reach down and pick him up and tell him everything is going to be ok.  He's fighting so hard, so please continue your prayers for his healing and his strength.  I know he hears them.

I end this post on a good note.  Another couple who we've met, and whose son is also in the NICU, received the "discharge" word tonight.  They've been here over six weeks and will probably be here another two, but they see the light at the end of the tunnel.  The look on their faces was priceless - such joy and happiness.  It's such an encouragement to see this, and provides even more motivation to press on.

Thank you all for your incredible words of strength, peace, comfort, and love.  We read all of your posts, and they keep us going.  Thank you for showing such love and compassion to our family. 

Love,

Travis, Kelly, and Bennett

I actually wrote an update late last night, but I accidentally deleted it before I posted it, so let's just say I went to bed a little hacked off!  Most of this entry is a repeat from last night.  Also, it seems I have little control as to where the journal updates are posted, so please scroll up and down to see if the newest update is at the top or the bottom of a particular day.

I just called the NICU, and Bennett's status is essentially unchanged.  They gave him his final dose of Infasurf last night in hopes of helping his lungs open and function properly.  The Infasurf doesn't really have anything to do with the actual work of the antibiotics, as my earlier posting yesterday had suggested.  The Doctors think that the antibiotics will eventually help clear the infection.  The Infasurf is just another tool to assist in the opening/functioning of his lungs.  Another chest x-ray this morning will be able to show if the infection has been reduced, so please continue your prayers for his lungs and for the bleeding to be controlled. 

According to the nurses, Bennett remains very, very sick.  But he continues to fight and refuses to quit.  It was not easy to leave him last night.  He just looks so healthy, at least on the outside (minus all the swelling).  It's almost like he's going to just role over soon and start screaming like mad!  It's funny, before this whole episode began the thing we dreaded most was all the crying and screaming.  Now, it's the one thing we look forward to most (I know, I know, see how we feel in 3 months, right?) 

One good bit of information is an update on Bennett's roomate, Peter.  It seems that he is doing somewhat better, and that the ECMO option at this point looks a little less likely.  This is awesome news, so please continue your prayers for Peter and his continued health. 

Unfortunately, I end this post on a sad note with more requests for prayers.  We met a mother and father of a baby girl in the NICU last week.  She is just 2 beds down from Bennett, and she has also been struggling continuously.  Last night I met her father in the washroom just outside the NICU (everyone has to wash their hands before they enter) and asked how she was.  At other times, he would smile gently and say she was hanging in there.  But when I asked last night, he couldn't control himself any longer and simply broke down on the spot.  Evidently, there is nothing more that can be done for their precious daughter.  I'd rather not provide their names, but please pray for God to be with this young family and to provide them with the strength and peace that only He can provide.

Thank you all for your continued love and support. 

Love,

Travis, Kelly, and Bennett  

Well, Bennett's lungs are still jammed full with the infection, and there's a little blood showing in his urine.  These are the things that haven't really changed, but the Doctors and nurses are not terribly concerned at this point.  They do still feel that the antibiotics will eventually cause the infection to decrease, so please continue your prayers for our son's lungs and for the infection to GO AWAY!

Some good news to share is that they've turned down the level of assistance on the bypass machine (from .58 to .43), and his breathing appears to be improving a little.  They turned the ventilator setting a little higher, and so far he's responded well to this.  As a result, his oxygen levels in his blood have increased, and therefore it's allowed them to turn down the level of assistance on the bypass machine.  This is a good thing - we want the bypass machine at the lowest level possible.  His "urination" remains steady, he had a good "poop" today, his heart rate is good, and his blood pressure, though a bit high, is not too bad.  These are all positive signs, and we are very thankful for this news.  His eyes were open some, and it seemed as if he was even trying to play with us some.  We even took a few more pictures of Bennett as well as our first "family photo" which we will try to post by tomorrow morning.

The medical staff here at Georgetown continues to amaze us, and they are also quick to remind us that things in the NICU can change quickly.  There are good days, and there are bad days.  This is the nature of the NICU.  Today, overall, was a good day, and we are so thankful for this.  But Bennett remains a very sick baby boy who has undergone an extremely serious procedure (ECMO) whose risks are many.  Please continue your loving prayers for our precious boy.

With more love and appreciation than we can express,

Travis, Kelly, and Bennett    

Please keep those prayers coming, and thank you all for your love and concern for our boy.  According to the latest chest x-ray and report from the attending Physician, Bennett's lungs appear to have slightly improved, although "very little."  Still, this is good news and means things are possibly heading in the right direction!  Evidently, one of the possibilities for why this infection has remained so long is that when the infection/bacteria die they release even more toxins.  It's not that the anitibiotics are not working, but rather its the infection "multiplying" as it dies off, as if it is trying with all its power to do as much damage as it possibly can before its time runs out. The Doctors and nurses aren't for sure that this is what is happening, but they are hopeful that the antibiotics are finally beginning to take hold.   

There's also been some very small traces of blood in the urine, but as of now the Doctors are not terribly concerned.  In addition, this morning the nurses told me that Bennett would probably be given medication to prevent ulcers.  I guess if I'd had all of this done to me over the course of a week then I'd have a few ulcers too!

One of the best analogies a nurse used with me was the tightrope.  The key is to achieve a balance.  Any slight movement in one direction can cause the whole body to follow.  As soon as you move or lean one direction, you need to be immediately prepared to move part of the body or flex a particular muscle in a particular way in order to get the body back up straight.  It's very similar to what's going on in the NICU with Bennett.  One move in one direction will cause the staff to treat him one way and move him back straight, but that same movement can cause him to lean over in another direction, and so another treatment or method has to be used to ensure he stays back up on the rope.  And so the cycle continues, until you're finally safe and sound on the other side.  You're constantly moving forward, but it's a balancing act the entire way.

We thank you for walking this tightrope with us.

Love,

Travis, Kelly, and Bennett   

My call to the NICU this morning reminded me of the first lesson I learned about the NICU - every day is a new day.  It could be a good day, and it could be a bad day.  This is normal and is to be expected.  The report this morning from the NICU is that Bennett's lungs have not responded (yet) to the medicine to help his lungs.  They have given him 2 doses, and they will probably give him a third (and most likely final) dose later today.  The infection has an extremely tight hold on his lungs, so please pray for the medicine to break the strength of the infection.  As a dad, I want to do everything I can to fight this infection for him, and it hurts so much to see him struggle so much, but our boy continues to fight like a champion.  I know you would be proud of him, as I am and tell him daily, to see him fight like he does.

Kelly continues to heal and is resting as much as possible.  Bennett just LOVES to hear the sound of his mommy's voice, so I love knowing that she'll be by his side today.  She hopes to be able to go to the NICU sometime today, and then we'll both head back later this evening.

I hope each of you have a great Monday (as great as Mondays can be, right?!).  Thank you again for lifting our son up in prayer.

Love,

Travis, Kelly, and Bennett  

Bennett is urinating great!  In fact, he's urinating so well and so much that the Doctors and nurses have requested the prayers to be "re-directed" towards his lungs instead.  His lungs are still very infected, so they really need the prayers right now.  Please pray for Bennett to urinate "just the right amount" and for the antibiotics to fight this infection in his lungs.

Overall, Bennett is in stable condition.  He opened his eyes a bit this morning and we sang and read some to him.  It has been a great Lord's day with our son, and I'm looking forward to some more singing later tonight to close it out.  Thanks for all the great song suggestions!  I sang a lot of them, and I think Bennett really likes them.  For those who have asked about singing Rocky Top, I actually have not sung it to him as of yet.  I just think that if I sing it now then he'll get way too excited and then his heart rate will go way too high and then I'll have to leave again!!   

Thank you all for your love and concern for our precious boy.  He's holding strong, and he's fighting.  Man, is he fighting!  Please continue to pray for his lungs, the potential for bleeding, and for strength and guidance for the wonderful medical staff that cares for him daily. 

Also, his new buddy Peter seems to be holding strong as well, so please continue your prayers for him.  I'm hoping that one day he and Bennett will be able to start throwing the ball to each other across their beds.  When the nurses and Doctors aren't looking, of course ;)

Love,

Travis, Kelly, and Bennett

Please continue your prayers for Bennett's lungs.  The infection, combined with the affects of his pneumonia, are really taking a toll on his little lungs.  Beginning this afternoon, the Doctors and nurses began to give Bennett a drug (I can't remember the name of it right now, but it's normally given to premature babies) to help open up his lungs and clear out the infection.  The staff is hoping that after a day or two of these treatments Bennett's lungs will slowly begin to improve.  Please pray that his little lungs will respond well to these treatments.  Everything kind of centers around the lungs right now.  If they can improve, then other things may begin to follow.

The other main concern, as before, remains the potential for bleeding, so please continue to pray for that as well.  The longer Bennett remains on ECMO, the higher his chance for bleeding. 

Tomorrow morning at 9:23am our boy will be one week old.  And what a week it has been.  In fact, I'm not sure if he'll believe us when we tell him all that happened to him in his first week of life here on earth.  It has been a long and difficult week, but your prayers, pages, visits, emails, blogs, calls, and love have sustained us.  We cannot thank you enough for them. 

Today was our son's first Lord's Day, so we sang (most of your suggestions), read, and just talked about Jesus.  It was not how we pictured it, but it was oh so precious.  A memory we'll cherish forever, I'm sure. 

Tomorrow we begin week #2.  Please continue your loving prayers for our boy, for the wonderful medical staff at Georgetown, and for Kelly and I as we continue to adjust to life in the NICU. 

May God bless you all.  Have a great week.

Love,

Travis, Kelly, and Bennett