tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-62792640766482240812024-02-18T18:17:03.716-08:00In AWE of Two: The Journey of Adelaide and WyattJustin and Rachel Robertshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18390842234057048153noreply@blogger.comBlogger49125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6279264076648224081.post-74467374047902488472011-10-05T23:23:00.000-07:002011-10-05T23:23:03.647-07:00Wyatt James RobertsGrowing up I was taught to begin my prayers by giving thanks to God for the things that He has done, is doing, and will do. While this isn't a prayer, I have no better way to start this, so I will start by giving thanks. I am thankful that people from all over the country, all over the world rather, have been praying for my family. I am thankful that I have seen first hand the support you get when being a part of a Christian community. I am thankful that for a short time I had a beautiful niece and a warrior of a nephew. I am thankful for the doctors and nurses that fought for our sweet Adelaide and Wyatt. I am thankful for my family, who have shown the greatest faith and love I have ever known.<br />
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As bittersweet as this is, I would not be able to tell you the things that I am thankful for if the opposite did not exist. Tonight we mourn the loss of our Wyatt. There are many details to be explained at a later date, but for now please take comfort in knowing that Wyatt did not suffer. Wyatt had many things going against him that the doctors simply could not fix. Rachel, with Justin by her side, was able to hold Wyatt as he took his last breath.<br />
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For now I will conclude with a request and thanks. As for the request, I ask that you continue to pray for my family, mostly Justin and Rachel, as the rebuild their lives from their losses. Now for the thanks, I thank you, we all do. Thank you for your love, support and prayers. We love you right back.<br />
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-Megan (Justin's sister)Justin and Rachel Robertshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18390842234057048153noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6279264076648224081.post-16077440194545919302011-10-05T08:35:00.001-07:002011-10-05T08:35:34.648-07:00Bad LungsAt the hospital today. Wyatt is currently downstairs getting a ct scan of his lungs and brain. He is having trouble getting rid of co2 because his lungs are still very sick. His right lung is completely collapsed again and his left lung has a very large pnuematocele (air filled cyst) that keeps getting bigger. The pnuematocele is so large that it is compressing his right lung and his heart. The ct scan will help the doctor get a better picture of what is going on inside his lungs so that she can determine a corse of action. Her plan is to take the ct scan images to her practice meeting today in order to get ideas from her colleagues. I am so thankful that there happens to be a practice meeting on a day like today because Wyatt needs a think tank. He continues to baffle the doctors and nurses with his lungs and I pray that they will be able to come up with a solution that will help Wyatt's lungs get better. Please pray for guidance for the doctors today.Justin and Rachel Robertshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18390842234057048153noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6279264076648224081.post-89606595519277068442011-10-03T09:22:00.001-07:002011-10-03T09:22:11.039-07:00First Time<div class="separator"style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgUrdME8C6z11ygLAo257KOxeKKMFfvmA5BDIOKZLoa6MPqNoQuKWTnqcGkQxLw64igj_tW3-VZ_Ctf6I8GZnEOuvkfU4oCGirp8zskC6tYdKBNqRf1pj-1AYGVvHIpZx6o-yNrTW0875Yw/s640/blogger-image-1934606538.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgUrdME8C6z11ygLAo257KOxeKKMFfvmA5BDIOKZLoa6MPqNoQuKWTnqcGkQxLw64igj_tW3-VZ_Ctf6I8GZnEOuvkfU4oCGirp8zskC6tYdKBNqRf1pj-1AYGVvHIpZx6o-yNrTW0875Yw/s640/blogger-image-1934606538.jpg" /></a></div><div class="separator"style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhgOfQazScEQRZOo2tIzCcndVMEMhyjmef1FTQ5xqmGRgOpAMLsUxGzGhp-gdbHpCUgXyh_0VExn0M6RNWNO4qyW-LgWQ3fMdBX7oL7rErUbpKBUr2oAnXjNWPbey-9A8fRQexcVHKyydSy/s640/blogger-image--1092406089.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhgOfQazScEQRZOo2tIzCcndVMEMhyjmef1FTQ5xqmGRgOpAMLsUxGzGhp-gdbHpCUgXyh_0VExn0M6RNWNO4qyW-LgWQ3fMdBX7oL7rErUbpKBUr2oAnXjNWPbey-9A8fRQexcVHKyydSy/s640/blogger-image--1092406089.jpg" /></a></div><div class="separator"style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEimDzVDbOkVb5TweZYZvNIzcBN0oRzkFwWxgrs8Q-pfMo5DlaSFwcfKtvGq2EoeAA10skDTtFCAX7YjTvwJarfOopnzaQCLgWiG89OBM6YPa7GtG6DGEGhAATm12J7Ge6dGZ3XPHyYzOER0/s640/blogger-image--198139661.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEimDzVDbOkVb5TweZYZvNIzcBN0oRzkFwWxgrs8Q-pfMo5DlaSFwcfKtvGq2EoeAA10skDTtFCAX7YjTvwJarfOopnzaQCLgWiG89OBM6YPa7GtG6DGEGhAATm12J7Ge6dGZ3XPHyYzOER0/s640/blogger-image--198139661.jpg" /></a></div>Justin and Rachel Robertshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18390842234057048153noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6279264076648224081.post-31989275417897467192011-10-03T08:48:00.001-07:002011-10-03T08:48:19.532-07:00Kangaroo CareGreat News: Wyatt has gone over 24 hours without a chest tube which means I get to hold him for the first time today! I called Justin and he is going to be able to leave work to come to the hospital and participate in this milestone! Starting today Wyatt is also going to get fortified breastmilk to help him grow and gain weight. <br />
Things to pray for: Wyatt has a cyst (pneumatocele) that is half the size of his left lung. If this were to rupture it could be very traumatic for Wyatt and would most likely take two chest tubes to resolve. Please pray that this pnuematocele will heal on it's own. The doctor is worried that Wyatt's fragile body might not recover from a pneomo this large.<br />
Also continue to pray for Wyatt's brain bleeds. At this point they have not gotten worse and the doctor feels that Wyatt is stable enough to have a ct scan this week. The ct scan will give the neurologist a better idea of what is going on inside Wyatt's ventricles and help them determine if he needs to be transported downtown for closer monitoring. <br />
Thank you so much for your support and prayers. Justin and Rachel Robertshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18390842234057048153noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6279264076648224081.post-86019556914971608282011-10-01T11:46:00.000-07:002011-10-01T11:46:56.747-07:00Blessings of BoredomBoredom. That's what I really hoped for my life. Many people want adventure and drama and unprecedented excitement around every turn, but not me, I like the calm uneventful bliss of predictability. I've always said that I love my family, I've loved that my parents are still together and my grandparents are still together and my aunt and uncle are still together. We've been fortunate as a family, we've had challenges; my mom has an autoimmune disorder that makes her life very uncomfortable and even miserable sometimes and my Dad has had to bury two brothers and a father but in my life, in my little bubble, it's been pretty calm. These are the events that I'm talking about, I didn't want to be too interesting, to be honest I wish I didn't have this blog, because in order to be this interesting, in order to need this much support something significant had to happen. Sure, sometimes people win the lottery or invent something grand, but often the drama is a result of something sad or cruel or some other descriptor of the utterly miserable.<br />
I would love just to be married to my beautiful wife and be raising a soccer team full of crazy, healthy kids in my nice middle class neighborhood with my uneventful middle management job, with my great, loving family. My concerns would be limited to what I'm gonna wear to church, how I'm gonna pay for all the kids extracurriculars and how in the heck I'm gonna squeeze in some time for me to get fit. Unfortunately, this isn't the path for my life, but fortunately yesterday and today have been absolutely mundane. Wyatt is stable, his bleed hasn't progressed and his chest x-rays have actually been better than at any other time in his short little life. We still don't know what tomorrow will bring or even what 15 minutes from now could hold, but we're thankful for these moments of boredom. We thank God and we thank all of you for your prayers. Wyatt has a long way to go, and as you know, it is likely he's going to have some kind of delays, we can just hope that they're insignificant. Remember to thank God for answered and unanswered prayers, you never know what it would mean to have an "exciting" life.<br />
We love you all, and pray for you daily.<br />
<br />Justin and Rachel Robertshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18390842234057048153noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6279264076648224081.post-72215561169514534022011-09-28T16:25:00.000-07:002011-10-01T11:18:26.697-07:00Bell CurveIn life we're given all kinds of statistics on the likelihood of good and/or bad things happening and with each variable change the percentages change accordingly. I don't remember much from my stats class or what the percentages each standard deviation from the middle indicated but I know, for whatever, reason we've been on the wrong end. There's a reason they tell you there is "a one percent chance" or "less than a 1 percent chance" that this or that will happen based on a given situation, but they don't say "there is a "zero" percent chance. That reason being, for some unfortunate souls, things do happen on that end of the bell curve that balance everything out.<br />
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It started with our pregnancy, no doctor seemed to be able to figure out why we couldn't get pregnant. But after surgeries, fertility drugs and artificial inseminations without success we had to turn to IVF. We were fortunate, it worked and we were blessed with both transferred embryos taking hold. Rachel's physician told her she was an "A+ pregnancy" that this was going to be a walk in the park because she was the perfect candidate. She had already carried a baby to term and was young and healthy so the likelihood of anything going wrong was far away on distant point of some statistical bell curve that we wouldn't have to worry about because odds were so minuscule that it would be relevant to our case.<br />
Then on September 5th Rachel's water broke unexpectedly in the Kroger checkout line like something out of a Lifetime movie. Two days later at 2:09 and 2:12 AM Rachel gave birth to Adelaide and Wyatt. Adelaide lived just 3 days and tore my heart in to pieces as I listened to her little heart beat just once in her chest and held my baby girl just one time before she had to be buried. Wyatt has been a fighter and has lived and is living today, but today was is another day that our family found out we're filling the wrong side of the bell curve once again. <br />
After the first week of life the likelihood of a brain bleed in an infant drops off, after the second week the percentages drop even more as we were told >95% of all head bleeds occur by week two. Here we sit at 21 days of life and we've just found out that Wyatt has a grade III and grade IV bleed. Now we're left with decisions, the doctors tell us that most likely Wyatt, if he survives, will have some sort of cognitive and/or physical deficits that well significantly affect his quality of life. The plan, for now, is to observe the bleeds and make sure they don't get any bigger, if they do they're really may not be a choice to make. At this juncture we're torn, we hear "most likely" just as we've heard so many times already only to find out that we function in the most "unlikely". Are we to believe that Wyatt will have deficits if he survives because it's "most likely" or are we to believe that he's going to give those statistical projections the finger just like he's given all of them so far? We ask for your prayers for the physicians, the nurses, Wyatt and us as we try to determine what's best for him and our family.<br />
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Justin and Rachel Robertshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18390842234057048153noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6279264076648224081.post-54178343598453462362011-09-26T09:49:00.001-07:002011-09-26T09:49:55.675-07:0019 days oldI am at the hospital today with Wyatt and he is having a good day. He had an eventful evening last night. He wiggled out his chest tube on the right so they had to replace it and then his pneumothorax came back on the left so they had to reposition that chest tube too in order to get the air out. I talked to the doctor this morning and he seemed pleased with Wyatt's progress since last week and he was more optimistic about Wyatt coming home one day. All of his organs, except his lungs, are doing well. The doctor is hearing bowel sounds and Wyatt is still having bowel movements, which means he is tolerating his feedings. He heard a heart murmur this morning which most likely means his PDA is open again. Justin can explain this much better than I can but basically a place in his heart has opened back up. This is common in premies and right now the goal is to get his lungs healed and then worry about the PDA. <br />
I think our little Wyatt has proved that he is a fighter. I truly believe in the power of prayer and cannot thank you enough for lifting up our son and asking for him to be healed. I am sure that everyone reading this blog has their own prayer requests so I thank you again for adding Wyatt to your list! <br />
RachelJustin and Rachel Robertshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18390842234057048153noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6279264076648224081.post-60504625114573848052011-09-24T14:46:00.001-07:002011-09-24T14:46:26.032-07:00ProgressWyatt continues to struggle with his lungs but he has made some progress since he was switched to the NAVA ventilator. Last night the doctor tried him on a nasal cannula again but unfortunately he was not able to blow off enough co2, so he put him back on the NAVA. This morning the doctor had to remove one of his chest tubes and replace it with a new one in order to get rid of another pneumothorax. He has started to get feeds again which is important because that is the only way for him to start growing. He is receiving 1/2 ml per hour and needs to get to 3 ml an hour in order to get enough calories to grow. I do not have a lot of time to post right now but I wanted to give you a brief update and share a new picture.<br />
Rachel<div class="separator"style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhR_tFzU18dz2mPlfzFj_sF1Ljm_bPqeYvvqIUFXABkv9LAC8QMDgBkVqdqsJBcuZ9Be10cRu5Q7XW_cm2l33cxkhxrq8S59gsEFSfRF33UTd-KZtwgWLdp-CKurnB-OCofEsp_OYY_CadK/s640/blogger-image-591038288.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhR_tFzU18dz2mPlfzFj_sF1Ljm_bPqeYvvqIUFXABkv9LAC8QMDgBkVqdqsJBcuZ9Be10cRu5Q7XW_cm2l33cxkhxrq8S59gsEFSfRF33UTd-KZtwgWLdp-CKurnB-OCofEsp_OYY_CadK/s640/blogger-image-591038288.jpg" /></a></div>Justin and Rachel Robertshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18390842234057048153noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6279264076648224081.post-53649668219591883482011-09-22T19:39:00.000-07:002011-09-22T19:39:51.680-07:00NAVA VentWell, Wyatt had a pretty bad day today with ups and downs and some pretty tenuous moments but fortunately, with the help of the physicians nurses and the grace of God we survived another day. As I know Rachel has told you, one of the added concerns is now Wyatt's heart and the decreased function as a result of the pressure the hyperinflated lungs are continuously exerting on it. This has been an ongoing problem and because of the recent development of metabolic acidosis its moved to a more immediate concern. To correct the problem the physicians decided to try Wyatt on a new vent called the NAVA vent. It functions more like a conventional vent, simulating normal breaths, but the uniqueness of it is in the mechanism. There is a sensor that measures the neurological impulses that contract the diaphragm to initiate breathing, and the vent initiates breath based on Wyatt's respiratory behavior. The reason this is superior to the conventional is that often times with a conventional vent it may be trying to push a breath in when Wyatt naturally may be trying to breath out; when that happens in can increase damage to the lungs and puts more stress on Wyatt in general. <br />
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The good news is that Wyatt has tolerated the afternoon/evening interventions very well. Dr. Mehta also manipulated the chest tubes a bit to ensure they're in the right position in order to minimize the pneumothoracies that he's acquired. Along with the new vent and chest tube manipulation, they have placed him on his left side to sleep for now, in an effort to reduce the size of his left lung and push some air into the right to relieve the atelectasis (non functioning lung tissue). The left lung is much larger than the right and is the primary culprit in the chest cavity pressure battle. Wyatt has now had three blood gases since the new vent and this last one took place after the other two interventions and resulted in the best levels in 3 days. He appears to be moving, once again, in the right direction. Dr. Mehta and the others have been phenomenal and I just want to thank you for all of your prayer support, that the physicians and nurses be given the wisdom and calm to make the best decisions and Wyatt's care and for the Lord to heal what they can't. We're very happy to be able to bring you news of an upswing and hope that it continues, we just want to bring out baby boy home and we know that won't be possible without the care and compassion of so many of you. <br />
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Thank YouJustin and Rachel Robertshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18390842234057048153noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6279264076648224081.post-59329247969619912172011-09-22T14:53:00.001-07:002011-09-22T14:53:29.163-07:00Wyatt Goes High TechI just got off the phone with the doctor and he and the dayshift doctor have decided to put Wyatt on a new cutting edge ventilator that controls more aspects of his respiratory system. I don't know very much about the ventilator yet but I will be sure to explain it better in my next post. They are also going to start Wyatt on a new steroid that will help address his blood pressure problems. The main goal right now is to reduce the hyperinflation in order to take pressure off Wyatt's heart. Hopefully this new ventilator will do the trick because the doctors are running out of options. They cannot start feeding him again until his heart starts working better so right now they are just maintaining Wyatt's body with machines and medicine. In order for Wyatt to get better he has to gain weight and grow stronger, which can only happen with breastmilk. Justin and I are going to the hospital this evening to see him and learn more about his new ventilator so we will let you know how everything goes. <br />
Thank you for continuing to pray for Wyatt. <br />
RachelJustin and Rachel Robertshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18390842234057048153noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6279264076648224081.post-15441190347594477352011-09-22T08:32:00.001-07:002011-09-22T09:02:46.591-07:00HeartWell the good news is that Wyatt does not have an infection in his gut as of today. They have determined the reason for his metabolic acidosis to be the amount of pressure being placed on his heart by his lungs. Unfortunately, the hyperinflation in his lungs is worse and his heart is not pumping blood as well as it had been. They are continuing to decrease the pressures on his ventilator in order to remedy the hyperinflation. The doctor says he is going to accept higher co2 levels to help get his ventilator settings lower. I know ventilator settings probably don't mean much to you all but his amplitude is at 30 and the doctor would like it to be at 22 by tomorrow. To give you some perspective, on a good day the lowest Wyatt has tolerated is 25. I hope that he continues to tolerate the lower vent settings so that his heart will not be under so much stress. <br />
Wyatt is also getting another blood transfusion today because he has had to be pricked so many times for his blood work. <br />
They clamped off one of his chest tubes and are going to take an xray at 12:00 to see if they can remove it. This would bring him down to 2 chest tubes instead of 3. They are also going to do a blood gas at 12 to see if they can tweak his ventilator settings.<br />
Bottom line the doctors are giving Wyatt a 50/50 chance, their main priority right now is to decrease the hyperinflation so that his heart will start working more effectively. Their second priority is to start feeding Wyatt as soon as possible so that he can build up his strength and start gaining weight. Please continue to pray for our little guy!<br />
I am sorry for not updating the blog more frequently but the last couple days have been very stressful, I will try and do a better job because you all have been so committed to reading the blog and praying for Wyatt. <br />
Thanks,<br />
RachelJustin and Rachel Robertshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18390842234057048153noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6279264076648224081.post-41395272821413889342011-09-21T07:16:00.001-07:002011-09-21T07:16:54.286-07:00Wyatt Needs PrayerI'm driving to the hospital so this will be a short post because I don't want to wreck! Wyatt's blood is acidodic but his co2 levels are still in the normal range, which leaves the doctor to believe that this is a metabolic issue. They are going to xray his belly to see if he is having any problems with his gut. We knew that his gut could be the next hurdle but we were hoping he would respond well to his feedings. The doctor is not positive that there is something wrong with Wyatt's gut but he suspects it. Please pray for our baby boy.<br />
RachelJustin and Rachel Robertshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18390842234057048153noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6279264076648224081.post-80083516789327614292011-09-20T08:40:00.001-07:002011-09-20T08:40:10.292-07:00Day 13Today is Wyatt's 13th day in the NICU and hopefully he will have many more uneventful days in NICU like the last three! He is having a good day today. The doctor increased his feedings by 1/2 a cc again and he had a bowel movement this morning. I'm getting more and more nervous about his gut because the doctor mentions NEC (necrotizing enterocolitis) every morning when he comes to tell me the plan for the day. We are praying that the Lord will protect Wyatt's belly from this devastating disease. There are a few things that have been proven to help prevent NEC. Breastmilk is one and a closed PDA is the other. Wyatt is getting breastmilk through a tube that runs from his nose directly to his stomach and according to his last heart scan his PDA is still closed. Hopefully he will not have any problems with his gut so that his body can focus on healing his lungs. <br />
Thank you again for your prayers and support. Wyatt is still fighting and I hope that with continued prayer he will grow stronger each day!<br />
RachelJustin and Rachel Robertshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18390842234057048153noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6279264076648224081.post-19890815288225391422011-09-19T17:29:00.001-07:002011-09-19T17:29:59.763-07:00Wyatt: the strength of a warriorOne of the reasons we chose the name Wyatt is because of its meaning. I hope that our little Wyatt has the strength of a warrior because he is going to need it to make it through his stay at the NICU. So far I think its safe to say that we have a fighter on our hands. Wyatt has made it through another day and the doctor has been able to turn the pressure on his ventilator down even more since the last time I posted. His last chest xray came back pretty good, he still has some small air accumulation on left side but the right is completely cleared up. His hyperinflation is still a concern because of the pressure on his heart and because his lungs are down to his 10th rib and they want his lungs to be closer to his 8th rib. His blood gas was good as well and his oxygen levels are staying between 25 and 35. His next chest xray and blood gas are at 4am, so I will update everyone tomorrow when I get to the hospital. We are praying for another uneventful night so that Wyatt's lungs can continue to heal. We cannot thank everyone enough for praying for our family. The Lord is taking care of Wyatt and we know that his progress is a result of all the prayers lifted up on his behalf! <br />
I wanted to let everyone know that my doctors appointment went okay. I have an infection that should clear up with a round of antibiotics. I go back in a week to make sure the infection is gone.<br />
Thanks again,<br />
Rachel Justin and Rachel Robertshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18390842234057048153noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6279264076648224081.post-3847496780668641412011-09-19T10:54:00.001-07:002011-09-19T10:56:12.309-07:00Still StableI'm at the hospital with Wyatt today and he is still doing good. The doctors remain cautiously optimistic. The doctor is concerned about the hyperinflation in Wyatt's lungs because his lungs are pressing on his heart. Also, the cysts or blebs are still a major concern because they could rupture at any time and then we would be looking at more chest tubes. One of his chest tubes worked it's way out today so the doctor removed it. He was very agitated yesterday so I think that might be from the tube coming out. They did a head ultrasound and that came back normal. He tolerated his feedings yesterday so they increased the amount they are giving him from 1/2 a cc to 1 cc. We are still very nervous about the feeding because as we have said before they are our next big hurdle.<br />
Bottom line is Wyatt's lungs are in very bad shape but as long as he can tolerate the vent settings and not rupture a cyst the better chance he will have of healing. His lungs need several weeks to heal and grow new tissue. The doctors believe that feedings will help him grow stronger so he can fight his lung disease. He has another chest xray and blood gas at 2:00 so I will let you all know how that goes. I have to go to the doctor today as well because I'm having problems with my incision area. Hopefully it is nothing major because I need my body to heal so I can focus my energy on my family. Thank you for continuing to pray for our family. Love you all!<br />
RachelJustin and Rachel Robertshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18390842234057048153noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6279264076648224081.post-34540627902046751162011-09-18T14:21:00.001-07:002011-09-18T14:21:21.439-07:00Another Good DayJustin and I are at the hospital hanging out with Wyatt for the afternoon. He is having a good day today. His oxygen levels have stayed in the 20's, they have been able to wean him a little from the nitric oxide, his chest xray was pneumothorax free, he had a bowel movement this morning and his blood gases have stayed in the normal ranges. So far he seems to be tolerating his feedings but Justin and I are still very nervous that something could go terribly wrong so we pretty much feel sick to our stomachs all day long. <br />
Since Wyatt was doing so well, we decided it would be okay for us to go to church this morning with our moms and Ethan. It was very nice to get in the car and drive somewhere other than the hospital! Kyle's sermon really hit home with Justin and I so we know that it was in His plan for us to be there this morning. We are defiantly in a "rebuilding phase". Please continue to pray our family.<br />
RachelJustin and Rachel Robertshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18390842234057048153noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6279264076648224081.post-82182624649903784882011-09-17T18:08:00.000-07:002011-09-17T18:08:53.245-07:00Stability ContinuesWell I just got off the phone with the NICU, and his blood gas was acceptable and moving in the right direction. His supplemental O2 requirements are down and his saturations are good, which is encouraging. The comforting news for the physicians and nursing staff is the fact that he is tolerating lower vent settings and O2 and he's been maintaining the saturations and blood gases, which means that if his lungs do misbehave they have room to adjust and compensate for him. <br />
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I've heard so many stories of people that were praying all night last night for Wyatt and my family and and just have to use the words thank you only because I don't have any others. Your support has been unbelievable and I truly believe the care he received and his response to it is a direct result to the amount of prayer offered on his behalf.<br />
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We'll be headed to the Ronald McDonald House as soon as Rachel wakes up from her late but much needed nap. We'll keep you posted on any developments but please continue to pray through your waking hours for my son and I can only promise that I will raise him to know how much was done on his behalf and the reason he was blessed with life.<br />
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<br />Justin and Rachel Robertshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18390842234057048153noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6279264076648224081.post-34011429429030140972011-09-17T13:56:00.001-07:002011-09-17T13:56:16.000-07:00Cautiously OptimisticJust want to let everyone know that Wyatt has made significant progress today. They were able to tweak his ventilator settings enough to try and help prevent another pneumothorax. His blood gases are much better. In fact his co2 is currently too low so the doctor was able to tweak the ventilator again and each time he tweaks it, it decreases Wyatt's chance of having another pneumothorax. Not only has the doctor been able to decrease the possibility of another pneumothorax but he was able to tweak the chest tubes enough to resolve the ones he already had! God is watching over our son today and i truly believe that the doctor he has today is here for a reason! I will forever be thankful to the doctor who took a chance today and quite possibly could have saved my child's life. I know that I probably sound much more optimistic now than I did earlier today but I feel it is important for you to know that even though Wyatt is having a good day today the doctor remains "cautiously optimistic". There are still a million things that could go wrong but we are going to take this opportunity to celebrate a small victory! Wyatt is a fighter and with your continued prayers maybe he can keep fighting until he gets to come home. He has a very long road ahead of him and only time will tell if his lungs can heal from all the damage they have sustained so far, but everyday he stays in the NICU is another day closer to holding him in my arms and I pray that that day will come soon! I can't begin to describe how difficult it is to watch your baby suffer knowing that you are not able to console him. I am so thankful for his progress today and I pray that it is in God's will for my little Wyatt to live a long and happy life! Thank you again for continuing to pray for my family. I love you all very much!<br />
RachelJustin and Rachel Robertshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18390842234057048153noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6279264076648224081.post-15478675958390207652011-09-17T06:19:00.001-07:002011-09-17T06:19:52.858-07:00New PlanThere is a new doctor here today and he is going to treat Wyatt's condition aggressively. He is increasing the pressure on his ventilator, giving him a blood transfusion, changing his antibiotics and starting to feed him. So far the pressure change on the ventilator has worked! He is down to 60% oxygen and is continuing to drop. They just started giving him blood and the feeding will start within the next hour. The new doctor seems to be more optimistic than the last and is doing everything he can to get Wyatt back on track! Thank you for all of your prayers, maybe it is in Gods plan for Wyatt to come home. I will keep you posted as his condition changes. Please continue to pray for Wyatt and those taking care of him today. Justin and Rachel Robertshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18390842234057048153noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6279264076648224081.post-15397747266177156552011-09-17T04:21:00.001-07:002011-09-17T04:21:08.346-07:00We Need A MiracleBack at the hospital. Wyatt is stable but his oxygen is up to 100% which means if he starts losing oxygen then they can't give him anymore. The only positive news is that his blood gas has improved significantly and is staying in the normal ranges. There is a new doctor coming on right now and he says that he has a strategy to try and help Wyatt's lungs get better. I hope that he can make a difference but to be honest it is very hard for me to stay positive after all we have been through. I know that God has a reason for everything he does but my heart is already broken over the loss of Addie and now I fear that I may lose Wyatt as well. I pray that God will intervene and make it possible for us to bring Wyatt home one day. Thank you all for your prayers and support. We could not make it through this difficult time without you.<br />
RachelJustin and Rachel Robertshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18390842234057048153noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6279264076648224081.post-23680762704426497512011-09-16T21:52:00.001-07:002011-09-16T21:52:35.438-07:00Buying TimeI just left the hospital for the night...I hope. Wyatt gave us quite a scare. The doctor did not think he would make it through the night. Luckily she gave it her best shot to save him and was successful for the moment. She did warn us that he still might not survive all of the lung problems he is facing but was pleased with his response to her interventions tonight. Her goal was to buy him some time to heal and that seems to be what she accomplished. She had to use a needle to draw air out of a collapse in his right lung and reposition one of his chest tubes. He currently is receiving Nitric Oxide to help get oxygen to his lungs. These seem to be working because his last blood gas had improved. <br />
At this point we need nothing short of a miracle in order to one day bring little Wyatt home, so continue to pray that his lungs will heal.<br />
RachelJustin and Rachel Robertshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18390842234057048153noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6279264076648224081.post-11331041303805492482011-09-16T15:31:00.001-07:002011-09-16T15:31:00.302-07:00Wyatt Needs More PrayerJust spoke with the doctor and she had to put a second chest tube on Wyatt's left side. She is very worried about the reoccurrence of his pneumothorax and the amount of chest tubes he has had to have. I know we keep asking for prayer but please continue to pray for his lungs to heal. Justin and Rachel Robertshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18390842234057048153noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6279264076648224081.post-70684308210544199062011-09-16T11:43:00.001-07:002011-09-16T11:43:44.274-07:00Another day at the NICUI am leaving the hospital for the afternoon. Wyatt is having a better day today but still not great like he was a few days ago. The doctors warned us that we would take two steps forward and then one step back. Honestly I feel like we have taken 2 steps forward and 3 steps back! The good news is his heart and brain are cooperating now we need his lungs to do the same! The doctor was going to start feeding him today but then scratched those orders. I think we have mentioned before that he is very cautious to start feeds because a preemies gut can turn on you in an instant and his little body would not be able to fight off any type of gut infection. As much as I want the feeds to start in order to help him build up his strength, I also want Wyatt to be healthy enough to tolerate them. They are drawing another blood gas at 4 and we are praying that his co2 has gone down some and that his ph remains good like it was earlier. Justin and Rachel Robertshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18390842234057048153noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6279264076648224081.post-31443923683952143822011-09-16T06:13:00.001-07:002011-09-16T06:13:22.115-07:00LungsOn my way to the hospital, but I talked to the doctor this morning and Wyatt's co2 is still elevated and they had to replace one of his chest tubes because they found more air on the xray. According to the doctor because he has these cysts in his lungs he is going to be battling multiple pneumothorax during his stay in the NICU. The doctor also told me that the cysts will eventually heal but it could take 1 to 2 years, so continue to pray for little Wyatt's lungs. Thank you <br />
RachelJustin and Rachel Robertshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18390842234057048153noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6279264076648224081.post-53861049582494601602011-09-15T11:11:00.001-07:002011-09-15T11:11:09.310-07:00StableHad quite a scare, his pneumothorax came back so they had to add a chest tube. His CO2 has gotten better and is moving in the right direction. Thank you for all that you continue to do.Justin and Rachel Robertshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18390842234057048153noreply@blogger.com0