Aug 3rd 2008

Yesterday evening it was determined that Janna’s condition had stabilised enough that she no longer needed to be in the critical care wing of the I.C.U.  She is now in intermediate care and now has her own room which is quite nice and much better suited for visiting and spending time with her.
In talking with the clinical nurses, we gained a better understanding of her present condition with regard to her medication and it’s effects.  When Janna had the initial seizure back at Chilliwack General, she was administered phenobarbitol, which is a medication with narcotic-like effects and is used to halt seizures.  This initial shot of phenobarbitol din’t stop the seizures, so a dose of dylantin was given in hopes that the dylantin would stop the seizures, as a double dose of phenobarbitol in an infant could result in stopping her breathing.  Dylantin isn’t as strong as pheno.
However the Dylantin didn’t stop the seizures, so it was decided that a second dose of phenobarbitol be given, which once administered did successfully stop the seizures, but on the other hand gave little Janna an unusually strong dosage of anti-seizure drugs.
However even with all those drugs in her system, she was ale to breathe on her own and her vital signs remained stable.  With infants especially as young as Janna, it takes a considerable amount of time for her body to be able to metabolise and get rid of the drugs in her system, so she has remained in a somewhat lethargic and sleepy state.
She is unable at this time to be able to feed naturally, so a small feeding tube has been inserted through her nose and into her stomach and is being given donor milk as Jenn wsn’t abel to express enough milk at the time.  Now that she is being fed, her body should be able to metabolize the drugs more quickly, but it will still take some time.
Due to the long weekend we still haven’t gotten the results back from the day 3 MRI, so we may not know until Monday or Tuesday with that information.  Janna is also being given anti-biotics as it is possible that the seizure may have been caused through an infection of some sort at C.G.H., but the bloodwork tests so far have all come up clean.
Jenn was discharged from the hospital this morning and is now staying at an aunt’s place about 40 blocks south in south Vancouver.

 

1. Darren Bell Said,

August 3, 2008 @ 8:24 pm

I’ve been following your blog Tim, and sure good to hear your little one is out of critical care. Hoping all these problems resolve and you two can take her home soon. Best wishes and hang in there.

 

1. Lynn Said,

August 3, 2008 @ 10:36 pm

We lit three incense sticks on the mountain and sent out prayers and good thoughts to your new family. It was nice to come home to a notice of progress.

 

1. Janna Version 1.0 Said,

August 4, 2008 @ 1:49 pm

Hi little Janna!

You take care of your pretty young self, and your lovely ma ‘n pa. Can’t wait to meet you… two days or less!

I think of you with all those handsome doctors wound around your little fingers and it makes me smile… pick out a nice one and save him for me :)

Much love and warmest thoughts,

Your great-aunty Jansy

Grandma and the gang said,

August 4, 2008 @ 10:14 pm

oh my gosh ! whata beautiful little angel, we are all thinking of you and loving you all from a long ways away but a short distance to our hearts.
CONGRATULATIONS!!!!! we are so proud of you, prayers and so much love always Aunt Carol,Uncle John,Grandma
Dorothy,Aunt Dianne,Adrianne and all the clan.