Over the last two to three weeks, Calvin’s ventilator rate and pressures have been lowering on almost a daily basis. These pressures are what keeps his lungs open and Calvin has always struggled with weaning them. The rate is the number of breaths the ventilator gives him when he doesn’t initiate his own; this was upwards of 40 every minute at the beginning of December and has now been at just 5-10 this week! His oxygen needs have decreased drastically as well and he has been in no more than 30% FiO2 for the last two weeks. He was in 50-70% FiO2 when we first came to the PCCU – sometimes even maxed out at 100%.
Calvin has been improving by leaps and bounds! We are so extremely proud of him and thanking the Lord for working daily, even hourly miracles in our son’s life.
We are very excited to say that, for a period of time yesterday, Calvin was breathing in room air (21% FiO2) on a trach mask. THIS IS A BIG DEAL! In simpler terms, this means he wasn’t needing pressures to keep his lungs open, he wasn’t needing a rate to encourage him to take breaths, and he was breathing the same “air” that you and I breathe every moment. The only additional thing is the trach mask that gives a bit of humidity into his trach as he adjusts to breathing off a ventilator. It feels so foreign for me to say Calvin is off a ventilator! He was needing 30% FiO2 overnight and throughout today, but remains off the ventilator. He is initiating every breath and maintaining all the necessary lung pressures on his own, just needs a little “whiff” of oxygen to help him out.
Last night was the very first time I have ever helped myself to holding my son. In over seven months of life, I was finally able to pick him up, adjust him as needed in my arms, and get us seated together in a rocking chair for snuggles – all without the assistance of a nurse or respiratory therapist. My heart is overflowing.
On Wednesday evening, I spoke with one of Calvin’s physicians who told me that “Calvin has done surprisingly better than any of us expected he would.” She also said that – as of next week – the medical team will begin planning small steps towards getting Calvin home. If Calvin is able to maintain his own pressures and continues to self-resolve his clamping spells, he will be coming HOME!!! There are many things that need to fall into place before this would happen – including surgeries for his hernia and a G-tube as well as trach training for Corey and I – but we are so excited to hear the words “going home” from our medical team!
Thank You, Lord! You are answering our prayers, our pleas, and we give You all the glory!
The Hughes Family 