Another Step Back

I wish that I had some good news to post but I don't. Yesterday when he wasn't sleeping from the meds he was ill (upset). He had a brief hour or so period last night when he wanted us to read to him and was actually acting a bit like himself, but it didn't last long. Overnight and today have been the same as yesterday. We've taken him off the morphine and he is on Lortab, which makes him sleepy but he's still not feeling any better and still doesn't want to eat or drink.

The NS ordered a CT scan today and it showed that his ventricles were a little bigger than before the surgery, but we don't know exactly what that means. If there is more pressure or just that the surgery went well. We will be bringing Jackson down for yet another surgery in the next hour or as soon as they fit us in. They will be putting in another ICP monitor to watch the CSF pressure. Brandon is much better at explaining how things work but basically they will screw a bolt into the top of his head. One side of the bolt has a catheter that will be placed in the ventricle, the other side has valve and a tube that drains into a bag. When the pressure gets high or above a certain # they will open the valve and drain the fluid down to a lower or normal pressure #. This is what he had done on day 2 of our stay here. The surgery only takes about 20 mins and after that we will be moved back to the PICU. I'm guessing that they will watch that pressure this weekend and have a plan on Mon. At least we hope so. There is a greater risk of infection each time they have to go in and do something and this will be the fourth time since we've been here that they've gone in. Please pray that that doesn't happen.

Brandon and I are doing okay. We just want Jackson healthy again so we can all go home. Thanks for all your love and support and just keep praying for Jackson to get well.