Family, Friends, Prayer Warriors,
Quick update...Jacob is doing well at home. We are still sorting out his days and nights, and sporadic moments where he doesn't want his bottle (go figure), but overall he is adjusting well to home life. He currently weighs 5 lbs. 9 oz, and takes between two and three ounces per bottle every 4 hours (12, 4, 8, & 12).
Yesterday, Sheri and I had a meeting up at the hospital with the doctor for this month, the cardiologist and the case worker, so we could all get on the same page about Jordan. Sheri and I did a care by parent session to learn how to use the monitor and the workings of her feeding tube, starting last Thursday through last Sunday. Originally, Jordan was to come home last Saturday, but last Tuesday she had 9 brady cardia episodes (where her heart rate dropped), and on some of those episodes Jordan had to be stimulated to breathe. As we found out yesterday, while the brady cardia episodes are still a cause for concern, it is more so the type of brady cardia episodes that are occurring and keeping Jordan from coming home sooner.
Originally, it was laid out that three things needed to happen with Jordan in order for her to be released. 1. Jordan had to have a full seven days without any bradycardia episodes and desats. 2. Jordan had to be on full feeds. 3. Jordan had to be breathing entirely on her own. The feeds and breathing unassisted have always been in Jordan's favor. However, Jordan has not had a full 7 days brady free. With the feeding tube in her stomach to keep her fed until the partial vocal cord paralysis and stridor can be resolved, (frustratingly by growth and maturity [or until she is much older and weighs significantly a lot more]) our little girl has had a lot thrown at her for the first three months of her life. God is definitely watching this little one though, for all of her difficulties, she has continuously thrived.
Our conference also resulted in changing Jordan's blood pressure medicine. One of the secondary effects of propanalol, which Jordan has been on for a little over a month now to help with her blood pressure and lighten the load on her aortic stenosis, also lowers her heart rate. Given the extensive amount of bradycardia episodes she had last Tuesday and the 8 bradycardia episodes she had yesterday, the decision was made to put Jordan on captorpril, a blood pressure medication that works the same as propanalol, but does not lower the heart rate.
So now, we have to wait to see if this new medication produces better results. It was started yesterday at Jordan's 4 pm feed, so far no reported bradycardia episodes. We have a little more external aid to getting Jordan home with her being on the monitor. The monitor is temporary, to ensure that brady episodes are self resolved and alert us when and if they occur. If things continue to track as they are and Jordan continues to be brady free for Monday and Tuesday, we hope to bring our little girl home very soon.
Jordan's weight is currently 5 lbs. 10 oz.
Please pray that this new medicine will meet all of Jordan's needs.
More as it develops! Thank you for all of your love, prayers and thoughts! More progress reports as soon as I get another minute!
Kind regards,
The Cordova Family (Andy, Sheri, Jacob & Jordan)
cell - 281-300-6212
email - maverick2601@hotmail.com
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