Gideon is doing better than he ever has. They have continued to wean him on the nitric oxide and he will be off tomorrow night. They have weaned his vent settings to an extubatable level. I have not wanted to let my hopes go too high, but I can't help it. I am so excited! I have had a million questions for the nurses and doctors. I have to be patient still. "Courage, grace and faith". I can do it. I want to know what will happen to his heart if his pulmonary hypertension takes a long time to resolve. I know what will happen if it doesn't resolve, but now I am really trying to understand all the possibilities. I've asked about how he'll be able to eat, how often I'll have to bring him back to this hospital, whether we can see one of the cardiologists who comes to St. George, can I hold him tomorrow, will he be able to cry when the tube comes out. The cardiology fellow spent a full hour with me tonight just answering questions as best he could. It's hard for them because so much depends on Gideon that they have to answer with the usual "wait and see", but I couldn't help myself tonight. He is still on a medicine call Milrenone, which helps his heart to squeeze and I'm told that even if he is extubated tomorrow, I won't be able to hold him until he is weaned off of that drug. Bummer. Today, for Gideon's biggest hurdle, they turned the vent almost off for one hour. They called it "spontaneous trial". I say almost off, but what it really did was require Gideon to initiate every breath he took. It still delivered oxygen when he breathed and it delivered pressure because he still has the tube in his mouth and he needs the extra pressure to overcome the tube as it is an obstruction, but HE had to do the initial breathing. He did really well. The nurse and I were bathing him and bugging him and his breathing rate went up sometimes and so did his heart rate, but they didn't stay up at all. Infact, when we were done he just went to sleep and his numbers were "perfect" according to the nurse. Afterward they sent a 'blood gas' to see how his ph levels were and they were also "perfect". I love it! I'm so excited, I can't sleep! They are going to do two more spontaneous trials fith Gideon tonight. I'm nervous for him, but I am so happy for my baby
I feel so much in my heart. I can't say it all. I just love you all. Your prayers and Heavenly Father's good grace have done so much. Combine that with Gideon's fighting spirit and Gideon's life has been preserved! Good night. We love you.