A HAPPY UPDATE!

We'll just let the pictures give the update today! = )

New PICTURES!

Update - September 24th

At 8:35am, on Friday the 21st, the doctors took the ventilator out and Tyler is doing so well that it is surprising everyone! ! !

His PICC line was removed this morning and he started his first bolus feed at 2pm. He gets 2.25 ounces of breastmilk fortified with additional calories over a span of 2 hours thru his g-tube.

At 6:45pm tonight, he was discharged from the PICU and moved up to the cardiac floor. Let's all pray that he doesn't wind up in PICU the remainder of this hospital stay.

He is also starting to make some sound when he cries, so the doctors will be ordering a swallow study to be done later this week. IF it shows that he is swallowing liquid properly to the stomach, Mommy just might be able to start nursing him once or twice a day! The doctors say they want him to be close to 18 pounds by his 6 month Glenn surgery, so we'll still use the g-tube for the majority of his meals to ensure he is getting adequate caloric intake. And he's got a long ways to go considering (as of today) he's lost over a pound and a half since birth.

Moving to the floor has made it one step closer to being able to come home. Will keep posting updates when we can. But as always, remember, no news is good news!

Update after fundo and g-tube surgeries

Tyler was back in his PICU room by 3:15pm yesterday. His surgeon, Dr. Sharp, said it went smooth and that Tyler is a strong little guy. He told us before surgery that the most critical time is surgery itself and that recovery should be fairly easy if the nurses keep on top of his pain. He'll be able to start feeds thru his g-tube sometime on Friday. We know that this is the most safest way to feed him, but seeing him with the g-tube was admittedly hard to see. However, he's already been thru one major surgery to save his life, why not take the extra procaution to prevent aspirating (which was the purpose of today's surgeries).

There is talk of trying to remove the ventilator again sometime soon, but we're pushing to wait until Saturday for that. We just want to give Tyler as much time as possible to get strong and ready for this last time off the ventilator. If he can't breathe on his own after this try, the trach will become more of a necessity than ever.

Thanks for all the wonderful messages of support. We truly are blessed with the friends and family we are surrounded with!

Some brief updates

Here are the latest Tyler updates for everyone.

On Monday, September 17th, the following was done:

-He had his chest drain tube and the staples removed.
-He had a repeat echo done. It showed slight improvement of his one-sided heart function compared to the Friday echo.
-He had a chest x-ray done, and it showed his lungs were really wet, so they cultured the mucus and it is growing some bacteria. He's been put on antibiotics to clear it up.
-He had a repeat floroscopy done, and it showed that his diaphragm is working properly and that it is not the cause for why he doesn't do well without the ventilator.

Tuesday, September 18th:

Tyler had a very nice, calm day yesterday. Mommy brought him a special present - a crib mobile! - and hung it for him to see. The brain stimulation will be so great for him to be exposed to. He's starting to open his eyes more and more now, and was very content.

Today, Wednesday, September 19th:

-His g-tube and fundo surgeries were supposed to happen early this morning, but were slightly delayed because his heparin drip wasn't stopped early enough during the night nurse's shift. So they have to wait until the next lab to make sure his blood isn't too thin. Heparin thins the blood so there were clotting concerns with him going in at the morning surgery. They are talking about it being rescheduled for 11am today. If he doesn't get in then it will be around 3:30pm. Either way, this surgical procedure will be happening today, we are told.


Stay tuned for updates on today's events. Thanks for keeping us in your prayers. We feel them!

Another small step backward

Tyler is back on the ventilator now. Turns out he wants to put us through a rollercoaster!

We also got some bad news a few nights ago. When Tyler was intibated this week, one of his vocal chords was injured and is now paralyzed. We're still learning a lot about what this means, but basically, he won't be able to eat/drink through his mouth for quite a while - at least a year, anyway. That being said, he will have a feeding tube surgically inserted soon, so that he can begin to get nutrients. This was quite a brick for Mommy to be hit with, as she was very much looking forward to the day that she could finally nurse and bond with that beautiful baby boy. On the bright side, we're excited to see how he does when he begins taking nutrients through the tube, and Mommy has plenty of milk stored away to provide to that baby when the time comes! The other obstacle we may face is the high possibility of a trach being inserted to keep Tyler's airway open now that his vocal chord is causing some issues. Either way, we trust that God will take care of him through everything, and we continue to have strong faith.

Love,
The Breuer Family

Another Ventilator Update

As of about 830pm last night (Tuesday night), Tyler has been off of the ventilator and doing EXCELLENT! His one hour oxygen checks all came back perfectly! He'll have another oxygen check around 4 am today, and as long as that one comes back within normal range, he'll be on the road to recovery withOUT the ventilator doing his breathing!

Thanks for all the prayers and continued love and support. Keep it comin' - it ain't over yet!

= )

Ventilator Update

At 230 this morning, the hospital called and decided to take the ventiltor out of Tyler's chest. They said that he seemed to be doing well-enough to give it a try.

After an hour or two, they called again, saying that the Doctor's weren't seeing enough deep breaths from Tyler, so to stay on the safe side, they put the ventilator back in. They said they'll try again when he's a little more awake, allowing more time for the sedation to wear off.

One step forward, two steps back, sometimes!

Tyler's Chest is now closed!

The surgeons decided to close Tyler's chest yesterday afternoon - a few days before they had originally thought it would happen! They said he was doing excellent, and his swelling had subsided enough to go ahead and close his chest. Let the healing begin! Now he's being weaned off of the sedation and hopefully will be taken off of the ventilator within a few days. Will continue to keep you updated!

God is good. We believe in the power of prayer!

Tyler's Update - almost 2 days post-op

Just a quick update to let everyone know that Tyler is doing WONDERFULLY! There is even talk that the doctors may *possibly* be closing up his chest today or tomorrow. They've started him on lasix to encourage him to pass urine and help draw any excess fluids out of his body.

We promise to keep everyone informed.

Thanks so much for all the love and support. We couldn't get through any of this without it!

Surgery Update #4

Andrew and Kathleen have checked into their room at the Ronald McDonald house so that they can be as close to Tyler through the night as they possibly can, *just in case.* As of right now, Tyler has been in his new room in the PICU for about an hour. Although it was quite hard on Kathleen to see her baby after such a big operation, she is sounding very high spirited and ready for the next step. Jarrett is missing Mommy and Daddy very much, but he's had a fun day at his friend, Cooper's, house, and knows Mommy and Daddy needed to be with Tyler today.

I will continue to update as I get them!

Andrew and Kathleen's friend,
Trish

{{{{ HUGE HUGE HUGS, MY FRIEND, HUGE HUGE HUGS! }}}}

Surgery Update #3

The Surgeon is out of the operating room, and beemed with smiles as he updated Mommy and Daddy! Tyler will be back in his room in about 45 minutes.

The Surgeon said Tyler was one of the best candidates for this surgery that he has ever operated on - meaning - his outlook is very good now! He said Tyler's heart is completely on schedule, except for his left ventricle. Everything else is RIGHT on target for Tyler's stage of development. Overall, he is extrememly pleased with today's operation and also said Tyler came off of the bypass machine just beautifully - nothing to report.

= )

Surgery Update #2

The important part of the surgery is now complete, and Tyler will soon be taken off of the bypass machine and as soon as he's stable, they'll get him set up back in the room in the PICU unit.

Thank the Lord! He's made it through the biggest part so far!

updates will follow . . .

Surgery Day Updates

Tyler's incision was made about 30 minutes ago, so surgery is well underway! Stay tuned for current updates throughout the day.

TYLER'S SURGERY

Just an update to inform everyone that Tyler's First Open-Heart surgery will be performed sometime tomorrow in the late morning. We greatly appreciate all the love and support that we have been showered with, and hope everyone will continute to lift up Tyler in prayers and healing wishes.

We pray that our baby does well during his surgery so he may join his family at home where he can be held and cuddled and kissed. We also pray for Tyler's big brother, Jarrett, who is struggling to understand all that is happening to his baby brother and family. And we pray for strength to push forward and be strong for Tyler tomorrow.

Love You All,

The Breuer Family

Jeremiah 30:17 "For I will restore health unto you, and I will heal you of your wounds, saith the Lord."

P.S. The surgeon's nurse came in today and said baby Tyler should be allowed to be held! So, after speaking with her, Tyler's nurses got him ready and Mommy and Daddy were able to hold him for much of the day. Thank the Lord for nurses who care and love - we need them!