Update: Trial Delayed, Unexplained Setback

We received a call from one of the doctors in the NICU this morning as we were preparing to leave for the hospital. Oh, how we hate to see that phone number on the caller ID. We start to tremble, fearing we're on the cusp of receiving more bad news.

The doctor indicated that last night, for some reason she can't explain, Jude started looking puffier. Subsequent imaging and/or tests revealed that his pulmonary edema had suddenly gotten a little worse. Then, his lungs whited out...again.

The doctors responded by getting more aggressive with his hemofiltration, increasing the hourly volume extracted from 15 to 20 cubic centimeters, and by giving Jude Lasix, a diuretic intended to increase his urine output (which it did). His ECMO settings were also increased to give him the support he needed after his lungs whited out. To ensure that some kind of infection wasn't playing a role in these issues, the doctor ordered blood drawn and cultured, and, at the time of this post, the cultures are negative. His antibiotic that he was on, nafcillin, was changed to something else, although I don't know what yet. Presumably whatever he's on is something that staphylococcus aureus, the original bug that caused Jude's sepsis, is sensitive to, but perhaps more broad range than nafcillin.

The plan for this morning is still to put Jude on the oscillator, now with the hope that, among other benefits it can afford us, the consistent level of pressure it offers can help with his edema. The trial off on low ECMO setting, however, will have to wait. Jude's lungs aren't ready for that after last night's setback, and his ECMO settings will need to be weaned a little bit more now before engaging in a trial off. We don't know how long we'll have to wait for that to arrive.

Currently, we're a little distressed by the unexplained nature of this latest setback, and we hurt for our little boy who has been tossed about as he's experienced all of these setbacks. We pray that God would provide answers to questions today, and that he'll enable Jude to bounce back from these latest challenges.

God, we know you're in control, and we love you. But we need your grace, even to help us trust you, because we know we can't even do that on our own and that we're broken and lost without you. We need your mercy in all things, in all areas of our lives, in the deepest fiber of our being. We know you, Lord Jesus, came to make your blessings flow as far as the curse is found, and we pray that would be realized, even today, in ways even beyond our wildest imagination. Please help us, and most of all, help Jude in his hour of great need. But, above all, your kingdom come and your will be done. May you be glorified in all things.

    Oh, the depth of the riches and wisdom and knowledge of God! How unsearchable are his judgments and how inscrutable his ways!
    “For who has known the mind of the Lord,
        or who has been his counselor?”
    “Or who has given a gift to him
        that he might be repaid?”
    For from him and through him and to him are all things. To him be glory forever. Amen.
(Romans 11:33-36)