Today Was a Good Day
We've had a whirlwind of a few days over here. Well, I should say Vance and his amazing medical team have had a busy few days—while we’ve been riding a rollercoaster of emotions.
Thursday was a relatively steady, uneventful day. Vance’s fever had subsided, but his stats were a bit all over the place. Nothing alarming, but enough to keep us on edge.
By early Friday morning, Vance’s primary nurse noticed something wasn’t quite right. He wasn’t being his usual self—he seemed touchy, restless, and unable to get comfortable. His stats were drifting, and as the morning progressed, his oxygen needs steadily climbed, eventually hitting 85–100%. For context, Vance typically sits comfortably in the 45–55% oxygen range, so this was a clear signal to the team that something was off.
Since he’d just had a fever Wednesday evening, the team decided to act quickly. They drew labs, started a new set of blood and urine cultures, and ordered an X-ray. The X-ray revealed what we feared: another pneumothorax. This happens when air leaks into the chest from one of his pneumatoceles bursting.
As always, Vance’s team jumped into action. They inserted a tiny needle into his chest to draw out the air, removing over an ounce. But it wasn’t enough—there was still more air trapped, and the team realized his existing chest tube was blocked. Without missing a beat, they replaced the chest tube with a new one. The follow-up X-ray showed the air had been successfully removed, though his lungs were still very dense. Questions lingered: Is there another pneumatocele? Will the leaked air return?
Throughout the afternoon and night, Vance underwent multiple X-rays, and the results finally brought some much-needed relief. The pneumatoceles were gone. While we never want these air-filled cysts to burst, we are so grateful the team acted quickly to evacuate the air and handle the situation. It was truly an answered prayer.
Given how off he seemed before the pneumatocele rupture, the doctors started him on antibiotics as a precaution. They also suspect he might have pneumonia, so they’re treating him for that as well.
In other exciting news, Vance has officially joined the 2-pound club! This morning, he weighed in at 2 pounds 5 ounces. While some of that might be a little fluid retention, we’re celebrating this milestone—he’s worked so hard to get here.
As of today, Saturday, his X-rays show no signs of any more pneumatoceles or pneumothorax, but they will continue to monitor him for them. And the best news of all? Mom finally got to hold Vance in her arms for two precious hours. It’s been three long weeks since the last time she held him, and it was a moment they both desperately needed.
With the air-filled cysts behind us, we’re hopeful we can now focus on clearing up his lungs and continuing to move forward.
It’s been a bumpy and scary few days, but today felt like a victory. We’re so proud of Vance’s strength and resilience and so thankful for the incredible care he’s receiving. Please keep our little fighter in your thoughts and prayers as he continues this journey. Your support means everything to us. ❤️
Thank you, as always, for being part of Vance’s story. We’ll keep you updated on his progress.
