Day +16 ...still on Oxygen

Good evening everyone. Thank you for praying for us last night. It was a bad night. I think I just needed to cry and last nights events put me over the top. There's nothing as horrible as watching your baby fight to breathe. His respiratory rate got to be over 100 a few times, which is WAYYYYY higher than it should--normal should be around 50. His little lungs were working overtime all night long. This morning he was able to get a little bit of a respit after we sucked some huge boogies out of his nose. He is still congested, but not as much. The fluid overload is playing a big part in the labored breathing. His weight has gone down about 1 pound since yesterday afternoon and that has helped release some of the pressure. He is still very uncomfortable when he is awake. He has been on Adavan around the clock since yesterday and that has seemed to help him. He has to stay as calm as possible, or the breathing will just be intensified and harder for his lungs to keep up. With the help of the released fluids and boogies, Dylan seems to be stable at this point. His resp. rate is still high, around 70, but much better than 100+!

The good news from today is that his WBC is at 700!! We are so excited that his body seems to be responding well to the transplant (besides the breathing problems). We asked the Dr how he knows that it is the donor's cells reproducing and not Dylan's. He said that in the rare case that it happens, the child's WBC comes back much slower and would not be showing Dylan's numbers. He said that it would take at least 30 days to get to 400-500, so he is confident that Dylan's growth is from the cord blood. PRAISE GOD!! It's incredible how the human body works!! Absolutely amazing!! The Dr also said that if Dylan is stable in the next week and can get off of oxygen, then we can be released as soon as a week from Monday!! That would be AWESOME!! PLEASE pray that his body is able to release the mucous and fluids so that his breathing can get back to normal....that is a HUGE prayer request. We are hoping to have an uneventful night, full of sleeping!! We need it!! We are thankful for the wonderful nurses that we have here to take care of us! God has provided some really knowledgeable and fun people to take care of Dylan and not to mention his genious Dr and his staff!! We love you guys!! And we miss our St. Joe's nurses and staff....it's crazy how attatched you get to everyone....but I guess it's not a bad thing :)

I am going to be posting some info on a fundraiser and also a cancer walk if anyone would be interested. Details later to come. As always, Thank you for your love and support! I hope you had a great weekend and are ready for the crazy week ahead!! We love you all!! Even those of you whom we have never met ;)

PS...also be looking forward to a NEW LOOK to the blog! A wonderful woman, Kelly, has volunteered her serviced to make over the blog and it's going to be adorable!! Thank you Kelly....you are AWESOME!!

Under His Wing,

Michelle