Transfusion Results

Dr. Balsan tested Maria's blood cell count again this morning. He was looking for a result higher than 40, otherwise Maria would be transfused again today. Her number came back 40.5!! So now she is done with transfusions for this week, and I was happy to be with her when her IV was removed. Thank God! They will test her levels again next week to see if she'll need another transfusion then.

Maria's alarms are not improving. Dr. Balsan has several factors to weigh with this issue. He will put her back on the CPAP for 6 hours at a time (remember "sprinting"?). She alarms much less on her CPAP. Fewer alarms means that she doesn't need to work as hard to pull herself out the apnea/bradycardia/de-sat. Any rest she can have saves calories, which allows her to grow stronger and mature. Growth and maturity seem to be the recipe for reducing and eliminating alarms.

However, the CPAP does force air into her nose harder than the cannula, and that forced air may inflate her belly, putting pressure on her lungs, which could cause more A's and B's (apnea and bradycardia). So ... they are just weighing pros and cons and trying new things and waiting to see how she does. This time really is a "wait and see" game. I don't remember specifically asking God for the opportunity to grow in patience, but I'll try to be good (don't really have a choice, either!).

Her heart murmur is gone, thank God!