NO BRAIN BLEEDING!!!!

Today was an excellent day for Austin!! As soon as we got to the hospital this morning we were told that he did not have any bleeding in his brain!!! This means that several concerns such as brain damage and cerebal palsey are not as much of a concern as they once were. In addition to an ultrasound of his head, Austin also had an echocardiogram due to a slight murmur Dr. G. was hearing. We were told that this could be because of a valve called a PDA (again, I cannot remember what it stands for, sorry!!) which connects the right part of the heart to the left. It is open while babies are in utero and is supposed to close before they are born but with a preemie Austin's size it has not had the chance to close up yet. Sometimes they close up after a few days outside the womb on its own but other times it can stay open and can cause backflow into the lungs. This can be treated with medicine but if it is still not closing, the baby has to go to Riley (immediately) and have surgery to correct this. Dr. G. and the nurses were waiting to get the results from the echo back before giving him his first dose of medicine but when the results came back it showed that Austin's PDA valve had actually closed up!! So based on the results of the echo Austin has just a regular heart murmur that will close up on its own as he gets bigger!!

Oh it was so nice to hear all these things today!! After a scary day on Saturday it was so good to hear how well he's doing. He's gained a little more weight, so he's right around 2 pounds now. (it's normal for all babies to lose weight after they're born, it's just that preemies don't exactly have a whole lot to lose in the first place!) Austin has also gotten longer, he was 14 inches when he was born and grew 3/4 of an inch in just a week!! His blood results also came back and they were able to confirm that he does not have an infection. His intestines continue to look good which is another huge blessing!! (Just another surgery he is able to avoid.) His lungs are a little hazy in his X-Rays so they are giving him breathing treatments to help improve them.

As with most of the good news we've received, we are also given more to think about regarding setbacks. Premature babies his size and age are at risk for blindness and other problems. There is a possibility of retinal detachment but should he show any signs of that, he can have laser corrective surgery that will be done in his room and he won't have to be moved at all. He will probably have some degree of lung disease, but Dr. G. and his nurses are doing everything to minimize these problems. We were told today that if Austin continues to do well the only challenges he may face are asthma and glasses. And even asthma could be temporary so to speak. Lung tissue will regenerate itself somewhat around the age of 7 or 8 so it's possible if he has asthma that he will be able to outgrow it. Hopefully Austin will not have severe lung disease and will be able to outgrow it somewhat and be able to enjoy a normal life.

Ryan and I have much to be thankful for with Austin's progress. It is not with medicine and technology alone that Austin has been doing this well. God has been very good to our son and to us. Ryan and I pray for our tiny boy daily and we appreciate your consistent prayers as well. Please continue to pray for Austin's healthy growth and development as he still has such a long ways to go.