Brett Lovern's Weblog

Reason to Rejoice!

blovern — Mon, 23 Jun 2008 23:07:31 +0000

Praise Jesus! Judah does not have biliary atresia, so he won’t need surgery! His liver and bile ducts are working fine according to what they found in the liver biopsy.

The docs said they now will look into some other things to determine what is wrong with Judah’s direct bilirubin count. They are going to involve some hematologists (blood docs) to look at a possible connection between his low blood counts and his high bilirubin counts. They will also look more into viral causes, which had previously been dismissed (for good reason).

We are so thankful that God answered our prayers this way. Thank you all for praying and thinking about Judah. Please continue to pray for the docs that He would give them wisdom in finding the problem.

One of the interesting things about this, that they told us a while back, is that there are about 30% of these cases that just go away without them ever knowing why. I’m sure the Great Physician, Jesus, has a whole lot to do with that! We give Him all the praise for our news today, and we know that He has the power to put our little boy in that category. Do it Lord, we are praying!

Judah’s biopsy

blovern — Mon, 23 Jun 2008 14:58:05 +0000

Judah had his biopsy about half an hour ago at Children’s Hopsital of Philadelphia. The docs said he was a good boy during the procedure; he didn’t hardly cry at all! They’re taking the sample to the lab and hoping that the results can be done before the end of the day. He’s been a really good boy all day, even though he had 3 needle sticks. The thing he seemed to like the least was the ultrasound gel.

Please pray there is no biliary atresia, but that they do find something conclusive that is easily treatable.

Finally Home!

blovern — Fri, 13 Jun 2008 17:07:37 +0000

After 50 days in the NICU, Judah is finally home! He’s up to 5 lbs, 1 oz and he hasn’t had an alarm since last Friday. He’s been eating really well from Mommy and with formula, and he’s getting more and more feisty all the time.

Judah still has a liver issue that the docs are trying to figure out. He will have a HIDA scan on Monday, which is some test that they do to see what’s happening in the liver. It could take up to 24 hours, so who knows what that will be like. Then Tuesday he has his first pediatrician appointment. Then Wednesday we meet with the gastrointestinal specialist and he will tell us the results of the HIDA scan and the genetic mutation test they did last week. Please pray that these tests will give the docs the answers they need to help his liver get better.

Please pray for us these next couple of days, too. Other parents tell us that they can be pretty sleepless nights, so we’ll need extra energy and help with our attitudes which are generally not good when we’re tired.

We’re so glad to have him here at home and are so thankful to everyone who has prayed and supported us, everyone in the NICU who took such great care of him, and especially to Jesus for his help and comfort and care for us during this crazy ordeal.

The Good and the Bad

blovern — Tue, 03 Jun 2008 02:12:45 +0000

The good: Judah had a really great week. They took his breathing tube out of his nose. He’s been taking all his feeds by mouth, so they took his feeding tube out. HE’S TUBELESS! He also has been maintaining his temperature very well, so they moved him out of his isolet into a regular crib. The docs and nurses said he would probably turn the corner, and it seems he has. On Saturday they were saying he might come home Tuesday (tomorrow) because he hadn’t had any heart rate alarms since last Tuesday, but then he had a few alarms the last couple of days. So he won’t be coming home until at least next Tuesday, but things are looking up.

Also, they were saying that Judah might need a blood transfusion because his red blood cell count was low. This is normal for babies because their bone marrow doesn’t start producing the stuff needed to make red blood cells for about 6 weeks. So I tried to give my blood for the transfusion but they refused me because apparently there’s a risk for me to have malaria because I went to Oaxaca, Mexico in January to visit Jamie’s parents. But after another blood test today, his blood count went up and they said his bone marrow started working! HALLELUJAH! No transfusion at this point for him!

The bad: As for his liver, the gastrointestinal specialist came in and examined him and recommended that he get a DNA test to see if he has a genetic disposition for Alpha-1 Antitrypsin deficiency, which is a problem that can affect the liver and lungs. He ordered the test last week, but the hospital made a mistake and ran the same test on him they had already run before, so they’re sending that test away on Wednesday, so we should have results Monday, I guess.

Also, after swelling up like Will Smith in the movie, “Hitch,” and a trip to the emergency room on Friday, we found out that Jamie is allergic to soy milk. The docs told Jamie to refrain from dairy in her diet because they thought Judah might be allergic to the milk protein in her breast milk. So she had a soy milk latte on Friday and half an hour later we were in the emergency room. What a mom has to go through for her son! She’s okay now, but won’t be having any soy milk soon.

So that’s the latest. Thanks for your continued prayers and support!

Judah update

blovern — Mon, 26 May 2008 03:26:14 +0000

It’s been a while since I posted, but a lot has happened in the last 4 weeks. Judah has been in the NICU and has had some great care. He’s had some ups: he had his oxygen support removed, he moved from his heated crib to an unheated one, he began nursing. He’s also had some downs: he had to put his oxygen back on, he went back to his heated crib, he has to take a break from nursing.
He’ll be in the NICU for a while it seems. He has to meet 6 goals before he can get out: 1) 35 gestational weeks; 2) 4 pounds; 3) gaining weight; 4) taking all feeds by mouth; 5) keeping temperature out in an open crib; 6) no alarms for 7 days. He reached goals 1 & 2 this week, but he has some work to do on the others.
The docs are keeping an eye on 2 issues: first, he has some issue with his liver. It is causing a form of jaundice for him. According to his doc, the number of possible causes is over 100, but they are testing for some genetic condition that has been in Jamie’s dad’s family.
Second, they found a really small trace of blood in his stool today. They are going to feed him formula for a week or so and Jamie can’t have any dairy because they think it may be allergy related.
So, he’s got his issues, but we are still trusting the Lord in all this. While we would like it to be different, we realize there are a lot of families who have it much worse than us. We’re thankful for the good care at Women & Babies, for God’s providence in providing our house so close to the hospital, and for how our church, friends, and family have supported us.
Please keep praying; we’re sure it has made a huge difference so far!

First Days of Fatherhood

blovern — Mon, 05 May 2008 03:38:54 +0000

I wrote something about a week ago, but never got to post it. Here it is, even tho it was writen last Monday. I’ll try to update more ASAP.

Today was a very exciting day for us! Just to catch you up, Judah came into the world on Thursday evening at 6:31 pm. He weighed 2 lbs. 14 ozs. They put him in the NICU (Neonatal Intenstive Care Unit) because he came so early. He’s been there since then and has been on a CPAP machine (not a respirator, praise the Lord!) and has had 2 IV lines running into his umbilical cord. He also has been under two phototherapy lights because of jaundice.
Today, we visited him and saw the doctor as well. He told us that Judah is doing well and that they would be taking away one of the phototherapy lights because his bilirubin went down, increasing his feedings (which means his stomach is getting stronger), taking him off CPAP and putting him on a lesser supply of oxygen (his breathing is getting better), and that he could have one of his IV tubes removed. So we watched them remove that tube and replace his breathing apparatus. They took his little hat off so now we can see his whole head. He’s a cutie!
They also let Jamie hold him for a couple minutes while they prepped him for all that, and she cried like a baby! I smiled from ear to ear! It was wonderful for her since that was her first time holding him (I got to hold him as soon as he was born in the operating room).
This afternoon we went back and Jamie got to hold him for about half an hour. That was awesome! We sang some songs together and had our first family worship time!
Things are looking really good for him right now, but please keep praying that his breathing will steadily get stronger. He had a couple lapses in his heartbeat today, which is normal, but the less they happen, the better.
Jamie is supposed to be discharged today, but it seems like her blood pressure is not cooperating yet. We are supposed to see the neurologist sometime this evening, and then she should get out. Please keep praying that her blood pressure would decrease.
God is good and we’re trusting him through all this! He is worthy and faithful!

Judah Wesley is here!

blovern — Sat, 26 Apr 2008 23:17:59 +0000

He came on Thursday, April 24th at 6:31 pm by C-section. He weighed 2 pounds, 14 ounces and is 15 3/4 inches long. Click here to see him!

Jamie is doing well recovering from her c-section. She gets tired easily, but her attitude and spirit is great. She will probably come home Monday. Please pray that her blood pressure numbers would come down.

Thanks for all the prayers and support. We could not have done this without God’s help!

The time approaches…

blovern — Wed, 23 Apr 2008 23:00:05 +0000

The last couple of days have been crazy! Jamie got her blood taken yesterday (Tuesday) and all seemed fine. Then around 4 pm she started feeling a headache and it worsened as the night went on. We took her blood pressure and it was pretty high, although the home blood pressure cuff we use is demon-possessed. You can’t trust that thing. Anyway, we called the doctor and he said she should go to the hospital. We went straight to a special care room and they hooked her up to a bunch of stuff – there were about 5 nurses in our room taking care of her. Then she vomited a bunch of times and was shaking. The doctor said these were all signs that her condition was quickly deteriorating and that we should attempt to induce labor with the IV drug pitosin. He also gave her magnesium sulfate, which is a drug that helps prevent seizures. However, this drug makes you feel really hot and like you have the flu. This wasn’t great because Jamie has already felt super-hot during the whole pregnancy.

We are really thankful for Pastor Jerry, Pastor Chris, and Jim (elders at NewSong) who came in at about 11:30 Tuesday night to pray with us. It is such a blessing to have a church family who cares so much!

So Jamie got moved from the special care room to the delivery room after midnight last night, and then they hooked up the pitosin. Jamie’s mom and I spent the night. Jamie was having contractions through the night, but nothing painful. She has had a relatively uneventful day today. She still felt her headache and a bit nauseous today, so they gave her some medicine for that.

When we saw the doctor today, he said the pitosin was not working to induce her labor, but the magnesium sulfate was regulating her blood pressure well. So that was good news and bad news. The bad news: no baby today – they’re going to keep trying to induce labor with other methods tonight and then back to the pitosin tomorrow. If that doesn’t work, they’ll do a C-section tomorrow night. The good news: no baby today. The longer the baby can stay in Jamie, the better for him.

So that’s the current news. Jamie’s pretty groggy from the medicine but it seems like her pain is gone. I hate to see her like this but I must say, my wife is awesome! I feel more love for her all the time. She has been so good through all this: not complaining, but not hiding her needs from us either.

I also have a new appreciation for Jamie’s family. They have been wonderful to have around and have shown their love so visibly and tangibly. I thank God for them!

Thanks for everyone who has been praying for us! We definitely still need your prayers for Jamie’s and baby’s health and safety. We love you all!

Good Doc visit today

blovern — Mon, 21 Apr 2008 21:07:23 +0000

We went to the doc today (Jamie, her mom, and me). Dr. Eichenlaub said Jamie looked good and her blood pressure was good. So he said she could stay home the next 2 days, but she needs to get her blood tested tomorrow (Tuesday) and she’ll have another appointment on Wednesday. He also seemed to think that she would probably have to be hospitalized by the weekend so they can monitor her closely and alleviate the more serious risks, like siezures. It is a waiting game right now, so we just have to keep praying.

Please keep praying that Jamie’s protein levels will remain steady, that her blood pressure will stay down, and that this baby will stay in her womb as long as possible.

A pleasant surprise!

blovern — Sun, 20 Apr 2008 22:38:15 +0000

Jamie was home this morning while I was at church. She called between services and left a voicemail that said if I was going out to lunch she would be well taken care of. That’s because her parents showed up and surprised her! How cool! They flew up from Mexico yesterday just so they could be here with her. Jamie’s mom doesn’t have to go back until September, so she’ll probably be here to help with the baby. Jamie’s dad hasn’t figured out yet what his exact plans will be. He will probably go back to Mexico at some point, but we don’t know when or for how long.

I married into a quality family! They have been so supportive and they really know how to show their love, especially when someone is hurting. They’re a blessing!