William - 5lbs 9oz
Aaron - 5lbs 2oz
The boys took a few small steps closer to home today. Aaron passed his hearing test - we weren't worried about this. The eye doctor came back, and his eyes are still beautiful. William's ROP has progressed (bad) a bit, but is still not to the point of needing intervention. He will be rechecked in one week instead of two in case it progresses more and rapidly. If treatment is needed, we are hoping that it can be done as an outpatient service, so that he 1) does not need to stay in the NICU just for another eye doctor appointment and 2) does not need to be readmitted to the hospital for treatment. We shall see.
The pediatrician also visited today to start getting the lay of the land with the chicos. This particular doctor started out as a neonatalogist, so we feel comfortable the boys will be in good hands with her. Our pediatrician's office is a large group, though, so there's a good chance we won't be able to see her every visit.
William will be coming home on oxygen. The doctor was supposed to reevaluate him today, after his eye appointment, to determine if he will need the oxygen full time or only during feeds. Because his ROP is still in question, they will wait to reevaluate until after the next eye doctor appointment. High concentrations of oxygen have been shown to lead to ROP, but apparently major changes in oxygen saturations can also worsen it. I believe the doctor is afraid that without assistance, William's sats will drop a lot. His sats were at 100% for a good part of today, even on the lowest settings for the oxygen coming through the cannula, so I still question the need for the cannula and will talk to the nurse more about it tomorrow. It's not that I don't want him to come home on oxygen - if he needs it, he needs it, but I'd like for his needs to be assessed before we're home and off of the detailed monitors that would help make the decisions.
We are definitely ready for the boys to come home. This week has been rough because we thought they were coming home this weekend. At the earliest, our new tentative goal is Wednesday of next week....that date is up to the boys though. If their needs change, or they aren't gaining weight appropriately, the date could move again. I'm over being upset about the delay...I want to enjoy the time that I have with the boys while I'm at the hospital, which is impossible if I'm bitter or disappointed. So I'm choosing to be happy about their progress and we'll get them home soon, and healthy!
Aaron
William
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