Lucas Camilo

Lucas is doing better, and he’s scheduled for discharge tomorrow.  But that’s only if we can get out of the hospital and drive the short distance home.  The blizzard was indeed serious, and with over 100,000 people in the DC region without power we actually found ourselves being happy to be snowed into the hospital.  Our view from the third floor was incredible — we watched as the snow started, as the winds picked up, and as the many snow plows dedicated to the hospital perimeter tried in vain to keep the roadways cleared.  Fortunately the snow stopped last night and this morning Krista and Burke got out for a walk in the glorious winter wonderland.  Lucas isn’t much of a cold-weather fan, so he was fine with seeing the pictures when we got back.

Lucas’s electrolyte levels seem to be balancing out, but there is still no convincing explanation for how his sodium got so low.  What is reassuring is that he’s maintaining normal levels by getting a little salt added to his milk.  The tests so far so that Lucas’s are kidneys function well, so if he does have a problem retaining sodium then his kidneys should help him make the decline a very slow one.  In the months to come we’ll get his sodium tested regularly and see what happens over time.

It has been wonderful to have our wide-eyed Lucas back.  His nurse noticed that he was looking expectantly overhead (missing his flying monkeys at home) and she found some black and white stuffed birds to hang from the lamp above him.  Yesterday he was still pretty lethargic, but today he’s been awake and gazing lovingly at the birds… and at his parents.  We’re thrilled.

The reservoir outside Children's