February 20, 2007 - Part 2

"Keep me safe, O God, for in You I take refuge. I said to the Lord, You are my Lord, apart from You I have no good thing." Psalm 16:1

Oh...where to even begin. Last night around midnight, I got up to use the restroom. Everything was fine, but when I got back into bed, I literally felt something between my legs. As it turns out, I had Prolapse of the Umbilical Cord, which means the sac holding Kyle was literally falling out of me. Kyle's heart rate was not effected yet, so he did not realize I/we were in labor. Because of this, as gross (for lack of a better word) as it sounds, they were able to "push" him back in and then deliver him by Cesarean section. He was breach and they felt that a vaginal birth would be to traumatic for him to survive.

Kyle came out whimpering/crying much to my relief, where there was a team of neonative intensive care doctors waiting for him. They were amazed that as young as he was, he was breathing on his own, so they were able to take him off the ventilator last night. Unfortunately, today he has had many episodes of Apnea. During an Apnea spell, Kyle stops breathing and his heart rate drops. Apnea is caused by immaturity in the area of the brain that controls the drive to breathe. While Kyle is able to breath on his own, it is something that a baby this young should not have to do, and occasionally his brain "forgets" to breath. In the Neonative Intensive Care Unit (NICU), Kyle is monitored constantly for Apnea spells. Treating an Apnea spell can be as simple as gently stimulating him to restart breathing or adjusting his oxygen level. However, with Apnea occurring frequently, as with Kyle today, the doctors figured it was better to put him back on the ventilator.

Although Kyle is fighting and holding his own, the doctors say the chance of his survival is 60% - 70%. While we (as well as the doctors) are encouraged that Kyle was even attempting to breath on his own, the doctors say there isn't a skill or test for him to pass that increases his chance of surviving. Babies this young are unpredictable and although he may pass one test, there could be a life threatening complication of another sort he may face. In addition, the doctors have also been very clear that although Kyle has a 60% chance of surviving, IF he does survive, he has a 50% chance of having one of the following disabilities: mental retardation, cerebral palsy, blindness or deafness.

While we were visiting with Kyle today, the nurse brought us a gift from another set of parents with a baby in the NICU. It was a plaque they kept with them that says "Con Dios todas las cosas son posibles." Mateo 19:26. The couple did not speak English, so a nurse translated the conversation for us...Apparently, the couple was in the NICU with their baby last night when Kyle was brought in and seeing so many doctors and nurses scrambling to save his life touched their hearts. The couple's baby was once much smaller and has come so far. They felt that we could use the plaque now, which translated means "With God all things are possible." They reminded us that despite the hurdles that lie ahead, anything is possible with God. Right now, Joe and I are focusing on our faith in the Lord, above anything else, to get us through each hour.

Once again, thank you all for your thoughts and prayers. Please keep praying!!!

In Christ,

Jennifer, Joe and Madison