Monthly Archives: August 2006

By the time we got to the hospital this morning, they had already moved Douglas out of the ICU to our new home on the floor.  It’s a major transition, but it’s great.  We’re feeding Douglas, we’re getting him to … Continue reading →

I just talked to the nurse, and Douglas Finney has his moving orders.  He’ll be out of the ICU onto the main floor today, with timing depending only on when a room is ready for him.  He’s healthy enough to … Continue reading →

After the extubation, the next goal is to teach Douglas how to eat.  Jenny’s very eager to start feeding him directly, but we instead have to take baby steps. He’s been getting Jenny’s milk through a feeding tube for a … Continue reading →

The extubation happened this morning at about 9, and it seems to have gone off without a hitch.  We’ve been in, and we’ve both been able to hold him!  It feels so great to have him in our arms. He’s … Continue reading →

It’s interesting all the new words you learn after hanging around a hospital a while.  The big word of the day is extubation. Extubation: The process of removing a tube from a hollow organ or passageway, often from the airway. … Continue reading →

I’ve added a bunch of picture to Douglas’s Shutterfly page.  Some pictures were taken by Douglas’s Uncle Casey and Aunt Emily before birth, after birth, and in the NICU before the arterial switch.  Some were taken since his chest was … Continue reading →

Douglas had another great night.  They removed his second chest tube (I forgot yesterday to mention that they had removed the other one) that helped drain blood and fluids from his internal wounds, and they removed the pacing wires from … Continue reading →

With Douglas doing well, I decided to go back to class today.  I’m working on a Master’s Degree in Computer Science at the University of Missouri – St. Louis (UMSL).  My class this semester is the last class I have … Continue reading →

As I mentioned briefly before, Douglas’s closure procedure went well this morning.  We heard from both doctors and nurses that he did great during the procedure, and we all saw that he did well afterwards.  He looks much better, so … Continue reading →

The procedure to close Douglas’s heart finished around noon, and it went very well.  He’s been mostly groggy all day as the paralytics and sedatives have worn off, but he’s looking good and all his signs are good. More later.