Timothy James

I was admitted to the hospital on Dec. 8th because my amniotic sac was leaking and I had begun to dilate. I was ordered to lie flat on my back until the baby came ( I was due April 2nd!). Well, on Dec. 17th my water broke at 7:15pm and Timothy James decided to come early. He was breech and already on his way out, so the doctor did an emergency C-section and at 10:20 pm he was delivered. He went straight to the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU) and has been there ever since. Timothy was only 25 weeks along in his development (a "normal" pregnancy lasts 40 weeks) so he still has a lot of growing to do.

Thank you to all of you who have been praying specifically about the surgery.

Timothy went in to surgery at 6:15 pm and Jon and I finally got to see him after surgery a little over 3 hours later at 9:30 pm.

The surgeon decided not to take the entire top lobe of the right lung. Once they got inside, they saw a small portion of "good" lung tissue in that lobe, so they only cut out the damaged parts. Because of the immaturity of the lungs, they thought it best to leave him as much good lung as possible. The surgeon and doctor hope to wean him off the ventilator, possibly within a week's time if he tolerates it. His vital signs were great during and after surgery and all those involved said he tolerated it very well. Answer to prayer!

Prayer:- smooth healing and recovery with no complications
-that both lungs would begin functioning as intended so he can be weaned off the ventilator this week

Timothy is going onto surgery between 5 and 6 pm today!

The thoracic surgeon notified me at 2:00. Because of his small size there is a lot of risk involved in the surgery. They will be removing at least the top lobe of the right lung, possibly more. The surgery is necessary because without it ,the doctors say he would never be able to be off the ventilator and breathe on his own.

If you are reading this before surgery, please pray for the doctors, nurses, anesthesiologists, and surgeons who will be performing the surgery. Please pray that the baby would maintain good vital signs during surgery.

After surgery, pray for his recovery to go smoothly and that the surgery would be successful in allowing the good part of the lung to begin working and growing so he can get off the ventilator.

We know that God is in control and thank you for your prayers and support. We serve an awesome God who knows what the future holds and we are trusting in Him!

Weight: 3lbs. 5oz.

CT Scan results:
The right lung has three lobes, top, middle, and bottom (these are the simple descriptions:). Of the 3 lobes, Timothy has 2 that are damaged-the top and middle. The doctors are thinking that surgery to remove the entire top lobe of the lung is necessary to help the 2 lower lobes to function better. Obviously, there is great risk involved. They are getting some second opinions from doctors at Kaiser Sunset (Los Angeles). It has not been decided if, when, or where the surgery will take place yet.

His feedings are up to 2 cc's an hour (=1 1/2 ounces in a day).

Prayer: - wisdom for the doctors as they discuss options regarding the lungs
-wisdom for Jon and I to ask all the right questions
-healing of the right lung and liver

Weight: 3 lbs. 3 oz.

Timothy continues to rest well with good vital signs and blood oxygen tests.

The doctor has ordered another special ultrasound of his abdomen to see if a condition exists which can be adjusted to help with the functioning of the liver. He is still battling some jaundice.

Still awaiting the results of the CT scan.

They have begun feedings slowly and he will remain on an IV until they are increased enough to take him off. He is starting over again at 1 cc an hour of breastmilk (= almost 1 ounce in 24 hours).

He has had a low platelet level, but received 2 tranfusions of platelets and one blood tranfusion yesterday. His levels are better today.

He had his 2nd eye exam today to check for ROP (Retinopathy of Prematurity), a condition in which there is damage to the retina of the eye possibly leading to blindness. The causes are not completely understood, but prematurity and changes in blood oxygen levels (which he has had a lot of!) appear to play an important part. Of babies born at less than 28 weeks (Timothy was 25 weeks), 85 % have some ROP. At the eye exam today, Timothy shows no signs of ROP! Praise the Lord!

Prayer:-that he would maintain good platelet and red blood cell levels without needing constant tranfusions
-wisdom for the doctors in diagnosing what is happening with his liver
-patience for Jon & I as we wait to hear the findings of and decisions in response to the CT scan
-Praise the Lord for the results of the eye exam and that Timothy has had a much easier day today

Thanks to all of you who lift our family up in prayer each day. Your prayers are keeping us going hour by hour.

CT Scan Update (as of 9:00 pm): It has been a rough 36 hours (see previous entry). We spent last night at the hospital to make sure that the baby was going to stabilize.

At 4:00 this morning, they did an ultrasound of his liver and gall bladder. This was compared to the ultrasound done 4 weeks ago after his surgeries. At that time there were 2 pockets of fluid visible. Now the pockets are much smaller.

At noon, they did a CT scan of his lungs and liver. His doctor wants to see in more detail how much damage there may be and this will help her determine the next course of action (possibly surgery to remove the damaged part(s) to allow the healthy parts to function better).

We are still waiting on the CT scan results.

They have stopped his feedings for now and he is back on an IV until he stabilizes and they can get a handle on his condition.

He is on 3 antibiotics for various infections.

Timothy's heart rate and oxygen saturation levels are much more stable now. He is resting well and Jon and I are home for tonight.:)

The pictures are up! Check the "site" column to the right and you should see a photo link. We will give an update on Timothy's condition later today.

Timothy had a very difficult day. He had several episodes during the day where his breathing and heart rate drop to very low levels, but the hospital staff were able to make adjustments and bring his levels up. This evening (Monday) at about 9:30 pm his heart actually stopped beating and they had to do compressions and give him a shot of epinephrine(?) to get it going again. He has had a blood transfusion and is resting well for now. Mommy and Daddy are staying at the hospital overnight to be close just in case. Tomorrow he is going to have a CT scan of his right lung which is still enlarged to see if surgery will be necessary. He will also have a CT scan of his gall bladder and liver since he is still a bit yellow. Grandpa Barry is helping with this communication tonight since mommy and daddy are at the hospital. Please pray with us for Timothy. We know God is in control.

Weight: 3lbs. 1 oz.

Timothy was resting well all weekend. Most of his vital signs and blood work have indicated fair levels today. His right lung is still distended and he must be placed on his right side all the time. He likes to wiggle and reposition himself a lot! :) So the nurses constantly have to put him back on his side. As a result of the the cystic BPD (see Fri. for explanation), if he survives, he is at high risk for respiratory problems for the next 2-3 years and possibly for life.
On a good note, he is now receiving 8 cc's of breastmilk per hour which translates to over 6 ounces in a 24-hour period!

Prayer: - praise the Lord that he is tolerating the feedings!
- complete (miraculous) healing of his right lung
- that his left lung would remain healthy and not be adversely affected because of the condition of his right lung