Tuesday 3/1 Update

Today was a little bit of a roller coaster ride. Riley had her epidural removed in order to prevent possible infections, and seems to be comfortable without much pain medication. She also had the bandage removed from her incision, which is healed already. She continues to do well taking Mommy's milk through her NG tube and the doctors plan to keep raising the flow rate until she is close to what she would normally be taking in from Sandy.

The doctors noticed an elevated white blood cell count in this mornings blood tests. After taking some additional cultures and a chest x-ray, the preliminary conclusion was that she has a minor infection in her chest. Apparently, this is not uncommon in babies that are intubated. So, Riley has been on antibiotics and slightly higher vent settings today. Her vitals and blood gases looked better tonight, so hopefully the drugs are doing their job and she is turning the (small) corner. As one doctor said, we're running a marathon not a sprint.

We continue to receive much appreciated support from family, friends and CHB staff. More updates to come as Riley's journey continues.