Plan for the Week

It's taken a while to make the determination, but it looks like Madeline will need to have surgery to close her PDA. Short of the ductus closing on its own (which is a long shot), the surgery will go forward later this week. The good news is that Maddy is otherwise doing well, and (amazingly enough) is actually bigger than many of the other babies that have undergone the procedure. The PDA has been a continuing distraction in her progress, so we're hopeful that the surgery will allow her to start making more positive steps in the coming weeks. Otherwise, Maddy is doing well. Her infection has basically cleared up, and her cultures indicate no other signs of infection elsewhere. Pneumonia is a persistent threat, but the doctors don't see any clear sign of it at this time. Other good news: Maddy has just about returned to her birth weight, which is an important milestone that she has reached earlier than expected.

As for our boy... Milo's PDA is slightly open still, but it's much smaller than Madeline's. The doctor is hopeful that it will close without surgery. Milo is still on SiPAP for oxygen, but his mask is a poor fit, and he's had trouble maintaining his levels. He may need to go back on a ventilator in the next few days, but this is a common scenario for preemies like our little guy. The good news is that Milo is also hovering around birthweight. The kid has impressive strength, and isn't afraid to let the world know when he's not happy.