Lucas Camilo

Lucas took another big step forward today: he was disconnected from the ventilator for an extended period for the first time since his tracheostomy surgery!   In fact, as this entry goes to press its been about eight hours since he moved from the CPAP vent to the “trach collar”.  This little device delivers humidified air to the area around Lucas’s trach tube but lacks the pressure, and therefore the complexity, of the CPAP.  It also makes him that much more mobile.

Initially it looked as if Lucas might drop his oxygen saturation or get tired off the ventilator but so far he’s been coasting along  It doesn’t mean he’s done with the vent for good but there’s a good chance that he will be soon… and this makes our prospects for home a lot easier.  That being said, the trach collar and humidifier still represent a hefty piece of equipment, as you can see in these pictures.

Lucas also graduated from his “nest” today.  The nurses usually build a ring around preemie babies to make them feel bundled (as if in the womb) and give them something to push their feet off of.   But guess what: Lucas isn’t really a preemie anymore.  In fact, he’s nearly 8 pounds, sporting regular newborn gear (no more shopping at Preemies-are-us!), and has passed the 40-week gestational age.  So at this point he needs to move around, explore different positions, and just keep wiggling.

One of our favorite night nurses who really loves Lucas is back tonight, and she revealed that Lucas isn’t just popular in the NICU during the day when we’re around; as she put it “he’s got lots of girlfriends”, which is to say that various nurses drop by throughout the night to see how he’s doing.  Maybe they all like him because he doesn’t raise a ruckus like some of the other babies, but we like to think there’s a twinkle in his eye that’s just irresistible.