An update on Owen

Well, we haven't had time to really inform everyone of the events that have taken place since Owen's birth. When the pediatrician made rounds the morning after his birth, he found fluid in his lungs and noted that Owen was having to breath too hard to get enough oxygen. Since our hospital is very limited in neonatal provisions, he needed to be transferred to the neonatal ICU at East Tennessee Children's Hospital to be treated as necessary. Upon arrival at the hospital, he appeared to be breathing fine on his own and things looked great. However, after he was fed, he had fluid in his lungs again which had to be removed and he needed an oxygen hood to stabilize him. This continued until they decided to put him on an IV and stopped feeding him bottles. He's doing fine now on the IV with an oxygen hood and his breathing is fine. The doctor thinks he may have a fistula (a small opening) between his esophagus and trachea or somewhere in this area. They will perform a radiological trace on Monday to look for this. He also has "something" in one of his lungs that appears to be either an under developed portion of his lung or an infection, so he is on antibiotics just in case. Please keep him in your prayers as the doctors try to determine what is wrong and then what needs to be done to make him better.

It has been difficult on everyone having a newborn in the NICU. I am now home and will be able to spend more time with him. It was strange being in the hospital without my baby, though they were great to give me a pass each day I was in the hospital so I could visit Owen. Kate finally got to see him for the first time today through the window at the NICU, but she doesn't understand what's going on. James will be glad to have one less place to drive to as he was making rounds between Farragut, West Knoxville, and downtown to check on each of us.

I will try to keep this blog updated with the latest news as I have time. In the meantime, here are a few more photos.