Since he had the positive RSV test, Grair has stepped up the fighting. A mucus build-up in his right lung caused what is considered a partial collapse, and he is slowly rebuilding. Many coughs and hacking fits have helped to break up the build-up and remove much of the mucus. He still has a way to go, however this is typical for RSV.

Since Tuesday, Grair has taken very little breast milk orally. He has been getting most of his nutrients through an IV, which has also kept him hydrated. However, that can only sustain so long, so Dr. David has put a feeding tube in, and Grair is getting breast milk dripped into his stomach every three hours. The drip started this morning, and we can already see the change in Grair. He is much more alert, energetic and even smiling at times!

Our first few nights, Melissa and I had concerns as to whether we were in the best hospital for Grair. Up until now, we have only had our great experience at Children’s to compare. However, I was not making appropriate comparisons since Children’s involved intensive care units and St. Elizabeth’s is the pediatric wing. I have since realized my mistake in comparison, and have become much more comfortable with the staff at St. Elizabeth’s. (Even though this feels intense to mom and dad, we are not at the intensity level of heart surgery.) We have had some excellent nurses taking care of us, and they work well with Dr. David, which is the best combination we can give to Grair.

At this time, we don’t have a release date down. Grair needs to start taking some feeds orally and he needs to completly ween from his oxygen. In order to do this, the mucus build-up must be deprecated and this, in theory, should allow for the removal of the oxygen (he’s barely on any right now), and will also hopefully help him get more of an appetite. It’s up to Grair, but I would most likely guess the middle of next week (provided nothing goes south).

I’ll keep you posted as we learn more.