Yesterday and today

Yesterday was a crazy day! It is hard to even explain. They decided that they needed to do an MRI of Mason's head to determine if there was an abscess or something specific going on in there that was causing the high WBC count of 20,000. So it was scheduled and they were going to try to do it without extubating. Well, MRI called and said that he couldn't go through their machines with Cpap. So plan 2 was to try to see if Mason could just handle plain nasal canula and oxygen only (remember he had only been extubated on Sunday) and they scheduled the MRI at 4:30. So, I decided to go home and see Corbin for a bit and then I would go back to the hospital to be with Mason during his MRI. Well, I was almost home when I got a call from the hospital...Mason was fine and doing well on nasal canula BUT they had moved up MRI and it was going to be in an hour. Anesthesia would be in there in give him some sedative because the MRI machines are very loud and in order to get a good picture he needed to be still. So I turned around on I-40 and began to make arrangements for Corbin. I got to the hospital, met with anesthesiology, gave permission, and we headed on our LONG way to MRI. Mason did pretty good but through all of the commotion and movement was getting tired. We got to MRI and I signed permission and they came to tell me that they really felt they needed to intubate Mason because he was getting tired on just the canula through all the transport. I said that was fine go ahead and do it and they reassured me he should be able to be extubated by tomorrow morning once he recovered from the sedatives. He would have to have more sedation since he was back on the vent.  So I gave Mason a kiss and headed back to the NICU since I couldn't be in the room during the MRI. Well, about the time I got back to the NICU I hear over the intercom "Code Red, MRI building, first floor." So I go back over there to see fire trucks in front of the MRI building and all the patients in the parking lot but no Mason. Some of the people recognize me and say...oh, they had to take Mason back to the NICU since the building had to be evacuated. Turns out they were getting ready to put him in the MRI when the fire alarm went off. But now he was back in the NICU reintubated for a procedure that he hadn't been able to have.

So, back to the NICU I went and Mason was doing well. We were waiting to hear if they were going to transport him again to MRI since they had been given an all clear on the building. Anesthesia came and said we were going to head back down but this time to a closer MRI in order to save Mason another LONG trip. So we went back down and Mason tolerated everything well and we were able to get the results which showed ventriculitis on the right side of his brain. We waited last night to see if we were going to have to go straight into surgery but how they are going to treat it is to pull the infected fluid off of his brain as needed. If they tried to surgery at this point in time and put in a shunt or reservoir to drain off the infection then the infection would pool and "grab" onto it and then they would have to go back in and pull it (shunt) back out which would be WAY more invasive. So far nothing has grown out yet but our dr.'s said neurosurgery must have pulled out right in the pocket of infection which is why they saw the huge jump in white blood cell numbers. So that is the plan of attack for now. Mason was NOT happy that he had the tube back down his throat and was making it known. He kept moving his head and shaking it as if he was trying to get it out this morning. He was also making upset faces. Here is what he did to show his disgust:

I have to cover my face since you had to put me back on the vent. This is what he did...promise it was not staged and he grabbed his blanket up and did it himself. Oh, and in protest while they were reintubating yesterday he decided to pull out his IV.

While we were there they did go ahead and extubate him and put him on Cpap this time since he had done so well on everything yesterday. He was a much more happier boy after that. Now it seems inevitable that we will never know exactly what has happened with Mason...was it menigitis and ventriculitis? Just ventriculitis? From the ecoli infection? Who knows...but God has Mason in his control and He obviously has a great plan for his little life. And that is all we need to know.

Much happier after I got extubated. Don't have to hide my face now!
(Sidenote: Yes, Mason does have a bald spot on his head where his hair got pulled on from an IV and tape. )