Three Months of Vance
Vance is three months old today! Can you believe it? And the little man has officially joined the 5 lb club! As of today, he is weighing in at 5 lbs 6 oz—growing bigger and stronger every day. How is that even possible? We don’t know either, but we are so incredibly proud of him!
He has been loving his new room on the third floor, and we can tell he enjoys the peace and quiet. It’s been such a blessing having our own space with a window, a couch, and more privacy. Vance has been soaking up all the extra snuggles, and being on the RAM cannula has made holding him even easier. It’s been such a joy seeing his sweet little face without the bulky NIPPV mask, and we’ve been giving him somany kisses on that perfect little head. He just melts our hearts every single day!
Vance continues to do well on the RAM, which is essentially the same as the NIPPV, but instead of a full mask, it’s just two little prongs in his nose that provide pressure to help keep his lungs open and give him a few extra "helper breaths." While his oxygen needs have been a bit higher on the RAM, the doctors assured us that this is completely expected. The prongs don’t create as tight of a seal as the mask did, and he is still fighting through chronic lung disease, which makes breathing more of a challenge.
With chronic lung disease, preemies like Vance tend to retain extra fluid, which can make him look a little puffy and also cause some breathing difficulties. When his oxygen needs start creeping up, he has been getting periodic doses of Lasix to help flush out inflammation in his lungs, and we’ve noticed a big difference in how much easier it is for him to breathe afterward. The doctors are being cautious with how often they give it, as it also flushes out important electrolytes, but so far, it has helped him when he needs the extra support.
As for his eyes, he had his exam last Thursday, and thankfully he did not need injections at that time! However, we know that it’s still very likely he will need them, and his next exam is this Thursday. If the doctors see progression in his eye disease, they will go ahead and treat him the same day with injections. While it’s never easy hearing that he needs another procedure, we are incredibly grateful that he will be able to have it done right here in his room, rather than being transferred to another hospital for the week.
Vance continues to amaze us every single day, and we are so proud of how far he has come. It is surreal to think about how tiny and fragile he was just a few months ago, and now he is growing, getting stronger, and showing us all just how much of a fighter he truly is. Please keep the prayers and good vibes coming for our sweet, strong boy! 💙
