Dear Friends, 

Our Alison has been riding a small roller-coaster the last few days—three steps forward and one step back.  The Lord has mercifully continued to bless our daughter with His healing and protection.  Praise be to God!  Your willingness to stand in the gap for our Alison continues to be honored by the Great Physician.  Thank you for continuing to remember Alison and our family in your conversations with the Heavenly Father.

Thursday, Alison’s feeding schedule was changed from a 20-minute feed (bolus feed every three hours) back to an hour-feed (she is still being fed by a stomach tube).  Alison’s stomach was having difficulty handling her feeds at such a quick rate—her breathing was labored after her meals and she was spitting-up a good amount of her feeds.  Her attending neonatologist decided to back up a little and let Alison work more slowly toward bolus feeds.  Alison’s spit-ups started to decrease and she seemed more comfortable during and after her meals.

Stephanie was able to have her first day of Kangaroo Care with her daughter (Alison’s skin placed next to Stephanie’s skin under an oversized shirt).  Both mom and daughter looked truly happy during this time—plus Alison was able to take a good nap. 

Alison also had her first bath in a tub of water.  Up until then, she was being sponge-bathed due to the ventilator tube and IV’s that invaded her small body.  She fussed a good bit while her chest was being scrubbed, but seemed to love it when her back and head were scrubbed (Alison was able to enjoy an extended head massage).

Friday, Alison began breathing treatments (an inhaled medication) in an attempt to ease her labored breathing.  She continued to breathe on her own, but each breath seemed like such work for her (like she had just finished jogging).  The doctors also quit medicating Alison’s hand (where it had been chemically burned) and uncovered the wound to let it breathe.  Her hand is healing quite nicely.  Thank you, Lord!  Please pray that the Lord would provide His healing touch to Alison’s hand to prevent any scarring or damage to her nerves, blood vessels and tendons.

Saturday, Alison was working even harder to breathe.  Her little chest was animated with each breath, and she began to require additional oxygen to help keep her blood saturation in a safe range.  Her blood gasses were continuing to dip a little more each day.  Alison was also having problems keeping her nasal passages cleared of mucus, which in turn made it difficult for the oxygen and pressure support (from the high-flow nasal canula) to reach her trachea.  Her attending neonatologist decided to move Alison from a high-flow nasal canula to a vent hood to see if it would help with her sinuses.  Alison seemed to grow stronger under the vent hood—which surprised her doctors (since she didn’t have any pressure support while breathing).  Since the doctors realized that Alison did not seem to miss the pressure support, they dropped her status at Woman’s Hospital from Critical Care to Level II Care.  Praise be to the Lord!  In addition, Alison’s attending neonatologist started her on a medicine to help minimize any potential reflux from her feeds (she was worried that the culprit to her daily spit-ups was an inability to keep her feeds down).

Sunday, Alison developed a heat rash from being under the vent hood.  The medical air that is supplied to the vent hood with the oxygen is heated and there isn’t a way to control the air temperature.  Alison began sweating during the early hours of the morning, and began to grow increasingly uncomfortable. 

She also had a pretty bad spit-up, and the doctors think some of the spit-up might have gone down her trachea (causing her to aspirate).  In an attempt to make Alison more comfortable, her attending neonatologist decided to remove her from the vent hood to a low-flow nasal canula (which only provides oxygen).  This was made possible because Alison did not have any pressure support during her time under the vent hood and her oxygen saturation levels stayed in a safe range.  Clinically, Alison seemed to be doing better overall, but her breathing was still labored.

Monday, a chest x-ray was taken.  It showed that Alison’s lungs were once again hazy, but the doctors thought it was possible that Alison’s two aspiration episodes could be the culprit.  She had another bad spit-up Monday morning, of which some of the spit-up could have made its’ way down her trachea as well.  Alison’s breathing was becoming increasingly labored, and her skin was losing its’ beautiful pink hue during the day.  Her face was becoming increasingly white, and the blood vessels in her face were becoming a more pronounced blue.

The doctors did not seem overly concerned (they said clinically she was doing well and some labored breathing is expected after being on the ventilator so long), but Stephanie and I were becoming increasingly concerned.  We met with her doctors and they decided to adjust Alison’s treatment to help lessen the strain on her lungs and her mom and dad’s concerns.  The doctors ordered three-days of diuretics to help her shed some of the fluid in her body (and around her lungs) and returned her to a high-flow nasal canula (to provide pressure support, but the pressure support is minimal).  Alison’s breathing treatments were also increased from six-hour intervals to four-hour intervals.  Within a few hours after the adjustments were made, Alison became visibly less agitated and drifted off to a better night’s sleep.

Tuesday, Stephanie and I traded off being by our daughter’s side.  Stephanie spent the morning with Alison and I spent the afternoon with her.  Her demeanor was greatly improved from Sunday and Monday and her cheeks were turning their deep pink hue as the day wore on.  Her breathing also became noticeably less labored and her blood gasses began to improve.  Stephanie’s parents were able to give their granddaughter their first bath.  I think they truly enjoyed it.  Afterwards, Alison put on her Halloween costume (my mom gave Alison the witches’ hat with purple hair, one of Stephanie’s aunts gave her the cat outfit, and Stephanie’s mom gave her the matching socks) and she celebrated her first Halloween with her mom and dad.  She could only dream of learning about candy in the years ahead.

Today, Alison awoke well-rested after a good night’s sleep.  Her carbon dioxide blood gas was much improved (66) and she was able to spend some of the day with her Grand-mere (Stephanie’s mom).  Her attending neonatologist increased her feeds to help her with weight gain.  All the labored breathing was burning quite a bit of calories, which slowed her weight gain.  Once again, our Alison is gaining strength.  Thank you, Lord!  In addition, thank you for the continued love, attention and care by the healthcare professionals at Woman’s Hospital.

Alison has some exciting challenges ahead that we request you begin praying for.  She needs to be able to accept bolus feeds so that the therapists can begin working with her toward learning how to be bottle fed.  This is important because her natural instinct has been interrupted by the ventilator tube, so Alison must learn how to suck on a bottle, swallow the milk, and breathe at the same time.  We have been told some babies are able to quickly adapt, and some take a while to redevelop this natural instinct.  Alison will also need to be transitioned from the Portegen milk she is on to her mother’s milk.  Finally, Alison's cardiologist and neonatologists are beginning to watch her blood pressure because it is staying elevated (this is expected due to her pulmonary hypertension at birth).  Please pray that the Lord would bless Alison with a quick ability to learn how to eat bolus feeds from a bottle.  Please pray that the Lord would prepare and strengthen Alison’s body for the transition from Portegen milk to her mother’s milk.  Please pray that the Lord would strengthen Alison’s lungs where they can fully stand on their own.  Please pray that the Lord would protect Alison's heart and lower her blood pressure to its' natural range.  Please pray that the Lord would grant Alison’s doctors, nurses, and therapists His wisdom and understanding of Alison’s body.  Please pray that the Lord would protect Alison from the evil one.  And finally, please praise the Lord with us for all that He has made possible!

Our daughter continues to gain strength.  Her little personality is amazing to watch—she has such a sweet and peaceful personality.  She rarely cries; but when she does, she lets it rip.  Her pain threshold from her treatment must be incredible. 

Her interaction with her grandparents, with her aunts and uncles, with Stephanie and me, her increasing behavior like a healthy baby, her vocal cries, and the continued reduction of medical assistance that she requires is truly a blessing from Heaven above!  Praise be to our Lord! 

Our Alison is a miracle from God when you realize how quickly (Monday, at 2:21 PM, was 12-weeks) she has recovered from a truly sick and precarious beginning.  Some of her doctors and nurses have shared with us how they did not expect her to live; and then if she did, they did not expect her to be physically or mentally whole. 

With each passing day, Stephanie and I are blessed to see the Lord's promise continue to unfold before our eyes that our Alison is going to be whole.  Praise be to God!  We are awed by His unending mercy to our daughter and our family.  Why He has chosen to bless our family with such a miracle, Alison, is something only He knows.  All we can do is offer up our thanksgiving and praise (it truly is inadequate).  In addition, thank you for continuing to stand in the gap for our daughter and our family.  The Lord continues to smile upon our collective petitions to Him for Alison.  Praise be to our Heavenly Father!

Blessings to you,

Langston and Stephanie

11/2/06 6:30 PM Update

Alison was just moved back to Pod 2 (her original pod from birth) from her Isolation Room (that we had been blessed with for approximately 10 weeks).  The NICU at Woman's Hospital is at full compacity (approximately 95 babies) and a very sick baby needed Alison's home—so a trip was in order.  The only downside is that Stephanie and I will become limited with how much time we can spend with Alison (we have become spoiled).  Please pray that the Lord would protect and bless Alison from the increased noise (five other babies, their medical equipment, their parents and visitors, and three additional nurses are in Alison's new home) and would grant her needed rest.  Please pray that the Lord would prepare Stephanie and me to be faithful witnesses for the Lord Jesus Christ to those around us who may not know Him.  Once again, thank you for standing in the gap for our Alison.  May our Lord's will be done!

11/5/06 5:30 PM Update

Alison is scheduled to receive a MRI tomorrow (unsure of the time) to see the health of her brain tissue.  Please pray that the Lord would grant Alison healthy brain tissue.  Alison nippled her first bottle Saturday morning.  She was able to to eat 15 cc's of Portegen on her own (she is fed 70 cc's every three hours).  This morning, she was able to eat 27 cc's on her own.  Praise be to God!  Starting today, Alison will attempt to nipple a bottle twice a day (her morning and evening feeds).  Please pray that the Lord would grant Alison the instinct and mechanics to receive her feedings by bottle.  Alison's CO2 blood gas continues to improve with each day.  Praise be to God!  Langston's parents were able to see their granddaughter this weekend fully alert—and how proud they were.  Alison shared her first social (responsive) smile with her grandmother (Langston's mom) this morning.  Praise be to God!  Finally, our Alison enjoys, and sometimes demands (loudly fussing until she is picked up—yeah!), to be rocked and sung to by Stephanie, Stephanie's parents, and me.  Our Alison continues to strengthen!  It is truly exciting to behold.  Praise be to God!

11/5/06 10:30 PM Update

Alison was able to eat all 70 cc's of Portegen (in 25 minutes) by bottle during her 9:00 PM feed.  Praise be to God!   She also has not had a spit-up in over 24 hours.  Praise be to God!

11/6/06 6:30 PM Update

Praise be to our Heavenly Father—from Whom all blessings flow!  We just received the preliminary results back from Alison's MRI (the full results should be back Wednesday).  The MRI showed that Alison's brain tissue is normal!  Praise be to God!  In addition, Alison was able to eat two additional feeds (all 70 cc's) by bottle (her 12:00 AM and 9:00 AM feeds)!  She was unable to nipple today because she was given some medicine to keep her still during the MRI (she has been sleeping most of the day).  Thank you for continuing to stand in the gap for our daughter.  Please continue to join us in praising our Lord for His unending mercy to Alison!