Unsure what to think

[lukesdaddy]

So my wife had our son early at 24.5 weeks due to preeclampsia. Lately I don't know what to think and want the opinions and knowledge of those who are going through the same thing. My son Luke recently has been having trouble with his breathing. He rollercoasters up and down on his oxygen levels on the ventilator, sometimes to the point where he drops down to the needing of having to be manually given oxygen. This has been a constant recoccurance for a while, but more so for the past week and a half. Now they are telling me that he could have possible sepsis and that this is possibly the cause of his breathing problem.

The good thing is that he was born at 1.7 pounds and is now 2.2 pounds. He has had no brain bleeds yet, his PDA has remained closed, and there have been no other problems execpt for minor infections. So I'm not sure what to think or what to expect. Has anyone else gone through this and can give advice?

-Patrick

[jules2]

I haven't gone through this, though I did have very early onset severe PE. I can only imagine it must be * for you all. I don't really think anyone can tell you much about what is going on other than your son's doctors, but 1.7 pounds is a good birthweight for 24+5 (my daughter was 1.6 pounds a week later on) so i hope that is a good sign.

[aggie95mom]

Sepsis can definitely cause your son's O2 requirements to flucuate dramatically. Hopefully his docs will have done a culture or decided to treat him regardless if they suspect he's battling something. Lung maturity (or the lack thereof) is really difficult for micropreemies and you'll likely find his repiratory needs will change a lot. I know it's really hard not to worry and I hope you have neos/nurses that you trust and are open to your questions/concerns. His weight gain is awesome!

[joker]

Ditto what Alysha said. His needs will change frequently for awhile, unfortunately, it's just part of the rollercoaster ride they call the NICU. Hang in there!