Tree of Life

Declan had an eventful night last night. Sometime around 1:00 AM or so his "numbers" changed a bit: sat levels, blood pressure, etc started moving around. The biggest, was a large spike in heart rate. After trying various methods of reduction, they were able to get it back down to a "normal" level. Thankfully, Tammy and I missed it because we had opted for the "sleep room" last night. It was a difficult enough afternoon and evening and we were eager to attempt some peaceful rest. For what seemed like hours yesterday, there had been doctors in and out and we where trying to process and interpret everything. We were on the edge of our chairs and suffering from over-stimulation. We were overcome with emotion and exhaustion.  We slept the best we could. By the time I returned to the room at about 5:00 AM, he was stable and doing much better. The surgeons keep telling us it is par for the course, but I must be a much less experienced golfer than he is.

I'm grateful for modern medicine. I stare in amazement at his "tree of life" - his IV tower with various lines and pumps all feeding his little body with minute amounts of drugs to assist his little body in recovery.  Although he doesn't look good to the naked eye, it's amazing to think how much he has improved over the last 20 hours. His heart and stomach drainage have improved and his vitals appear stable.  We're starting to see some twitches in his body and get excited when he responds to our touch. He's our fighter and we appreciate everybody rooting for him!