Youngster in critical condition

[TheTruth]

He's in my prayers. Terrible thing to happen to a child. Glad to hear he's breathing over the respirator.

[MajorMike]

The MRI came back and apparently it looked good enough to justify extebating Aidan. They did that at 3:15 PM Eastern.

About 30 minutes later, Erin and I go back to see Aidan. His breathing was "rattled" (i.e., lots of noise from secretions) and his vitals were sky-high. We tried to comfort him, but it didn't work. The nurses also gave him Ropinol to help dry up those secretions. Even after several coughs, he was still bad. Dr. Black assessed him and determined it was best to re-intebate him. This was after 2 hours.

Fast forward 30 minutes again. My brother-in-law and I went back to see Aidan and he was no better: vitals still sky-high and respiration still high. Matt (the brother-in-law) left immediately. I stuck around and watched him as he continued to struggle. The nurse came in and informed me that a baby a couple of rooms down ws going south, so they were working on him at that moment. I stuck around a little longer then came back to the room. Erin then proceeded to tell me that she was taking Evan to urgent care.

[RashoFan]

I am glad to hear that the MRI came back with positive(good) findings. Aidan may need to stay intubated for a while longer until he can get alittle better, stronger, and gets past the frothy secretions. Please pass on my well wishes to the family. I pray they continue to have strength for themselves and Aidan. In my dealing with Health Care providers that specialize in Neonatal and Pediatric Care are the most dediacted, knowledgeable people. Those people will give Aidan THE ABSOLUTE BEST CARE THEY CAN!!! I respect those guys immensely!!!!!

[MajorMike]

Aidan has been put back on the Fentanyl (the anti-seizure medicine) as well as another medication (can't remember the name). This has got Aidan's vitals back to normal and he is resting comfortably. He also had a fever of 104, but they were able to get that controlled. They also have taken various cultures from his bodily fluids to see if anything in those caused that to happen.

[Spuradicator]

sorry guys prayer does not help, havent you researched any of the scientific studies on prayer? It's bull . Religion is bull , god is bull . You might as well believe in the tooth fairy too. But in any case i hope the little one pulls through. But if believing in the invisible man helps you get through life..

Athiest Thread, now shut the up, you weak ass troll.

[MajorMike]

Today was a horrible day and really wasn't what we were expecting. I think, well, I KNOW, that I had an unrealistic image of what was going to happen and today those ideas got knocked down a rung or 10.

I want Aidan to be better NOW, even though I know it is going to take baby steps. Seeing him like he was today, struggling and agitated, just took a toll on all of us.

What I know is this- Aidan is a very strong(physically), very determined, strong-willed, little boy. He's hard headed and adorable all at the same time. He has the best and the worst of both Russell and I. He's fighting this right now, and he just needs more time.

Tomorrow is another day, and we'll see how it goes. The doctor told me we're looking at about another week in the hospital. That was before all the drama unfolded. So, we're probably looking at a little longer unless he starts responding better. Also, when he is released from the hospital, he won't be coming home right away. He will most likely go to a rehab facility for 6 weeks to 2 months (this was the Dr.'s initial though-not written in stone).

This is what I meant by my visions of what was going to happen got knocked down several rungs on the ladder to recovery. I knew that Aidan would need rehab when he came out of the hospital, I guess I just assumed that we'd be bringing him home and I'd be taking him every day to rehab. I know it's for the best, but I'm the control freak and it breaks my heart to be away from him.

I have cried about this almost all evening, I've worried about it, and I've prayed about it. I'm going to just trust that GOD is going to take care of Aidan and that he's going to come home to us. As my friend's little girl said, she had a dream about Aidan and Jesus told her that Aidan was going to be okay. That's the wisdom of a 3 year old.

I don't know why this had to happen to our little boy. I don't know why anyone has to endure this kind of tragedy. If anyone can be made more aware of how to keep their children safe around water then something good can come of our pain.

Russell and I both greatly appreciate all of the prayers and cards that have been sent. I know that I say this every time I write something but I'll never be able to thank you all enough. They bring me hope and help to renew my failing faith when things look bleak. Thank you all!

[LakerMagic]

Dude, what a horrible story

[MajorMike]

I know that Russell said he was going to take a break from posting for a few days, so I thought I'd just give you all a little update. There isn't much to tell, though. Since last night, Aidan has been sedated and his vitals look good. He's calm and resting. I was at home most of the day with Evan as he is sick with the flu, pink eye and an ear infection, so I wasn't able to talk to the doctors today. Russell did speak with the neurologist and from what he told me, they are planning to run another MRI in 4-5 days and they are going to do another EEG tomorrow.

I'm praying that everything looks okay tomorrow and that there are no further signs of seizures of damage. I'm worried about the toll of the stress from yesterday on his body, especially his heart and brain. I realize that we had to try to take him off the ventilator to see how he would react to it. I'm just hoping that giving him some more time to heal will allow him to stay off it for good next time without all of the stress on his body.

Other than that, it was a quiet day. He's resting and for now that is okay. Thank you for all the prayers!

Erin

[MoSpur]

I'll keep praying for him and his parents. I know God will pull him through.

[Ed Helicopter Jones]

sorry guys prayer does not help, havent you researched any of the scientific studies on prayer? It's bull . Religion is bull , god is bull . You might as well believe in the tooth fairy too. But in any case i hope the little one pulls through. But if believing in the invisible man helps you get through life..

You're an idiot. Post this crap in one of the numerous non-believer club member threads but leave it out of here.

[Ed Helicopter Jones]

We'll continue to pray for this little guy.

[Soul_Patch]

Sad story, i wish the best for him and his family.

[Ballcox]

Man, this kind of thing just breaks my heart. My thoughts and prayers are with this child and his family. I hope that he can make a full recovery and be a healthy kid having fun again.

[MajorMike]

Dr. Black met with me and then Erin this morning. He pretty much said the same thing to both of us:

Another EEG is scheduled for today. Hopefully there will be some improvement from the previous one. Another MRI will happen later this week. Pneumonia is pretty much gone according to the chest x-rays, though they keep getting cultures from his lungs just in case. He will be on antibiotics for another few days (10 days total, so most likely this Wednesday), then taken off. They also removed his Foley catheter and the arterial line they were using primarily for BP checks. The central line will be removed in the near future. Leaving these lines in result in infection.

They are looking to extebate again later this week or maybe even wait until next Monday. If all goes well, great. If not, Aidan will end up getting a tracheostomy as well as a gastric tube, which means two simultaneous surgeries. If that were to happen, he would have those for several months.

Rehab is looking at 8-12 weeks now. He has recommended we look for in-patient pediatric rehab centers that specialize in children with head/brain trauma. Cities he gave: Atlanta, Baltimore, Cincy, or Denver. This means moving the family to that area, staying most likely at a Ronald McDonald house, and me finding a job in the city we choose to move to. Does this mean a permanent move to that city? I have no idea. We also have no idea how we will be able to pay for it. Someone suggested we check with March of Dimes or some of the other charities that specialize in helping families with children. So now, my Internet searches will consist of finding jobs in those areas, as well as finding out about the various rehab centers.

Drs. Casseras (intensivist) and Farerras (neurologist) are taking over starting tomorrow. We'll see where things go from here with them in charge.

[MoSpur]

Wow. I pray that God do a miracle that if in fact the family needs to move, that God will open doors for them in a major way. I will continue to pray for this family. Thanks for the update.

[MajorMike]

I don't know for sure what is going on, but I do know they had a prayer vigil in his room tonite.

[RashoFan]

Do update us when you can. Get well soon Aidan!

[MajorMike]

The latest I have heard hasn't said anything about his condition. I think things are not going well and Russ has lost his job and, well and just things aren't very good in general.

emotion, memories, regret, soul, tragedy

Some of you may have seen or heard this phrase from me over the past week and a half and wonder what I mean by it. Allow me this opportunity to explain.

Many people equate the soul with feelings or emotions. Think of all the songs that mention the soul in this manner. For some reason, thinking of the soul makes the lyrics of the Billy Joel song "It's All About Soul" immediately come to mind:

It's all about soul
It's all about faith and a deeper devotion
It's all about soul
'Cause under the love is a stronger emotion
She's got to be strong
'Cause so many things gettin' out of control
Should drive her away
So why does she stay?
It's all about soul

Now, consider what happened that fateful Saturday, February 16. There are a million different emotions that are now forever associated with that sequence of events: anger, fear, hopelessness, distress, sadness, and likely many many more I have yet to discover. Consider how you felt when the worst moment of your life occurred. Now, multiply that by a significant number. How significant? I don't know ... maybe a googolplex? That is most likely how you would feel if your child ... your first-born ... your own personal miracle ... were suddenly in your arms and when you looked down, you saw death.

However, there's an interesting thing about emotions -- your soul, even. It can be suppressed. You can push aside those horrible feelings and focus on the positives happening amongst the tragedy (i.e., paramedics brought him back to life, vital signs are stable, reacts to stimuli, etc.).

Fast forward to this past Saturday. I was sitting alone in Aidan's room when the memories of that day started running through my head. Unfortunately, you cannot stop replaying the sequence of events when they start playing in your mind. As I relived diving in the water and flipping his lifeless body over to see lifeless eyes and ice blue lips, I couldn't hold back the tears.

So, go ahead and burn a memory into my soul ... I'll take a million and one of those over replaying that sequence of events in my mind's eye ever again. The sad thing is that it will always replay in those quiet moments when I look at my son and ask that dreaded question: "What If ...?".

[BacktoBasics]

I can't believe he lost his job. How unbelievably insensitive and disgusting.

[SpursWoman]

What a heart-wrenching story. I pray the little boy pulls through.


Why did he lose his job? This would definitely fall under FMLA, they'd have to hold it for 12 weeks...

[MajorMike]

Today, they tried again to back off Aidan's sedation. Erin said that he opened his eyes and even squeezed her and Mamaw Sinclair's hands. Unfortunately, he started getting agitated and ended up having several "episodes" before they decided to put him back on sedation.

We met with Dr. Cacerras (sorry, spelled his name wrong earlier) and asked him about the episodes. He said these were caused by his brain trying to wake up. More specifically, his autonomic nervous system was firing off and causing what equates to a sensory overload. He said that he has seen episodes like this before, but usually in older children rather than toddlers.

At this point, Dr. Cacerras is researching a drug to use the next time they start weaning the sedation that will help subside these episodes. The tentative date for this is later this week at the earliest, but could be as late as the end of next week. A lot depends on his response. Obviously, this is a very slow process.

On the rehab front, they have started to bring in occupational therapists to work on Aidan's arms/legs/feet/hands. They asked us to bring tennis shoes to put on his feet so they will not drop. Also, our social worker is looking into the rehab centers for us, though we have done a little research on some ourselves and we have also had recommendations for other centers (Memphis and OKC) from some of our friends.

My phone interview went well today. I will know about a second interview by the end of the week. I also got a call a little while ago for a face-to-face interview tomorrow at 2:30PM. This position is a short-term contract, but could run longer. Also, the pay is presumably better than I made at my last job ... a lot better. We'll see how that goes tomorrow.

[MajorMike]

We were heading home today from the hospital and, as I stated previously, we have started to listen to the local Contemporary Christian radio station in the area. On the way, I heard two songs that gave me a sense of hope amidst all of the chaos that has been occurring.

The first song is a praise and worship song sung by the group Tree63. The song "Blessed Be The Name" talks about how in both good times and bad, we should continually praise God for what we have. Granted, there have been times it has been hard to praise Him; however, I am beginning to understand this more and more. Below are the lyrics:

Blessed be your name
In the land that is plentiful
Where the streams of abundance flow
Blessed be your name

Blessed be your name
When I'm found in the desert place
Though I walk through the wilderness
Blessed be your name

Every blessing you pour out,
I turn back to praise
When the darkness closes in, Lord
Still I will say...
Blessed be the name of the Lord
Blessed be your name
Blessed be the name of the Lord
Blessed be your glorious name

Blessed be your name
When the sun's shining down on me
When the world's all as it should be
Blessed be your name

Blessed be your name
On the road marked with suffering
Though there's pain in the offering
Blessed be your name

Every blessing you pour out,
I turn back to praise
When the darkness closes in, Lord
Still I will say...
Blessed be the name of the Lord
Blessed be your name
Blessed be the name of the Lord
Blessed be your glorious name

You give and take away
You give and take away
My heart will choose to say
Lord, Blessed be your name

The second song I head is by Mark Schultz. Now, I don't know why it is that his music seems to speak to me just when I need a message from God. Previously, his song "He's My Son" gave me assurance that he was watching over Aidan when I felt discouraged about his prognosis. It didn't hurt that Erin and I both heard it three times within a 24-hour period.

Maybe it is because he is a Tulsa, OK native and I pay attention more to music when I know the artist is from my home state (gives me that connection to OK when I am way out here in NC). Maybe it is because he presents his messages in such a beautiful manner with his lyrics. Whatever the case may be, I heard another of his songs tonight that gave me hope. The song is called "He Will Carry Me" and it is a very powerful song if you ever get the chance to hear it. It speaks of how when you are at your deepest point of despair and/or loneliness, you can call out to Him and he will be there for you.

I call, You hear me
I’ve lost it all
And it’s more than I can bear
I feel so empty

You’re strong
I’m weary
I’m holdin’ on
But I feel like givin’ in
But still You’re with me

chorus:
And even though I’m walkin’ through
The valley of the shadow
I will hold tight to the hand of Him
Whose love will comfort me
And when all hope is gone
And I’ve been wounded in the battle
He is all the strength that I will
Ever need
And He will carry me

I know I’m broken
But You alone
Can mend this heart of mine
You’re always with me

chorus

And even though I feel so lonely
Like I’ve never been before
You never said it would be easy
But You said you’d see me through
The storm

chorus

I can now with complete confidence and assurance say that I know God is with me and my family and that He will take care of us. We have to remain faithful to Him and continue praying that God will heal Aidan.

[Flea]

My prayers are with that family.

[spurfan81]

CaptMike - any updates?

[jcrod]

Wow, first time i read this. My prayers are with them.