day 7 is a beautiful day!

Thomas is doing wonderfully today! His oxygen has been turned all the way down to 30% (room air is 21% so he is almost there). The pressure and breaths per minute on his vent have also been adjusted down. He is getting very good sats and blood gasses with these changes. Maybe in a couple of days he can get off the ventilator entirely. Also, the suction on his chest tube was turned off and if he does well with that, he can have that out in a day or two. His bilirubin was down to 9 and he will have just one bili-light instead of two now. We are very pleased that he is starting to lose some of his "hardware." Feedings will also hopefully start in a couple of days- very gradually at first, perhaps a few mLs of milk fed by tube. We're told we can take him out of the isolette and hold him once he has his umbilical lines removed, that will be a few days more yet, but we are excited that even the possibility is being discussed.

In terms of the failed spinal taps, they're not going to try it again but have decided to extend his antibiotics to a full 14 days which should cover anything that might be going on. Honestly I am kind of relieved that they are taking this approach, it would be good to know for sure what is going on, but I'm not sure I could really handle him having to go through that again.