the most progression we have seen

 13th April: After the successful surgery and having all the stress and anxiety, Oliver seemed to be doing well, although there were a few minor things to consider.


1) He had developed an infection that had the nurses concerned.

2) His pda duct hadn't shut as expected (rather common in preterm babies)

3) He was on double insulin for his glucose levels, and other levels of his bloods showed inconsistencies.


Going back to the aforementioned number 1) concern, it was found that an infection was growing and progressing around his surgery wound. As it progressed, he had to be put on the highest strength antibiotics available.

After this, they said if the infection doesn’t respond to the antibiotics, they may have to go back in for further surgery. I remember just thinking, how much more can this boy take… turns out a lot as you will soon see!!


More about concern number 2). After receiving medication to assist in the closure of his Pda duct, updates showed that the meds didn't work. It was going to be arranged for him to go to either London or Southampton. The surgery to solve this would take only a few hours, and whatever hospital he went to, he would be back in Brighton after a few short days.

Just the thought of him having to have surgery again was devastating and traumatic, especially now this one was going to be on his heart…
He had only just come out of having bowl surgery, I thought, “he really is fighting this”. After speaking to the nurse and doing some research, the pda operation was a routine and a considerably safe operation but knowing this didn’t do much to quell the panic I was feeling.
I couldn't help but think how much can his body go through; he had so many wires, tubes, machines and medications all working to keep him going.

Still, he was going strong and he was fighting so much.


In the back of my mind, him going to London or Southampton seemed so daunting. We had only just got him to Brighton, and the thought of travelling to more hospitals and the subsequent expenses of this just got to me. At this moment in time, I was so focused on just trying to be positive and I wasn't focusing on myself at all. It was if I was seeing it through someone else's eyes. I can't describe the feeling, but it's as if I was a zombie. I was doing what I thought I should do; in reality I didn't have a clue.

The positive news and the only main progression we had seen was that Oliver had been taken of his ventilator.
Oliver was given what they call ‘bubble cpap’.
He managed this for 12 hours, but eventually he had to be ventilated again.
The nurses said this is very common, and it's normal to go back and forth with this.

14h still recovering.

Next .... "Ethan can you come up to the ward with me, they want to speek to us both"

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