A stitch in time

Charlie had a very good night. He steadily improved as his doctors had hoped and by morning he was weened off the Epinephrine. During the day, his lactic acid level fell below 2.0 for the first time and this evening is holding steady at 2.0, right where his doctors want him. The edema in his chest and legs continues to become less noticeable, a result of the dialysis and improved urine production. Charlie is now consistently producing more than 10 cc's of urine an hour. His fluid levels have dropped enough that the doctors finally scaled back his dialysis. His heart rate and blood pressure have also improved since being stabilized last night. In summary, everything the nurses and doctors have been monitoring improved today!

Now on to the most important next step, the chest closure. His surgeon has decided to move cautiously and gradually close his chest over a period of several days. Each day the surgeon will add a couple of stitches then monitor Charlie's vital signs to make sure they never put him in a situation with too much to handle. While moving slowly with the chest close has its obvious benefits it also carries a major risk. Each time the surgeon opens Charlie's chest they expose him to an increased risk of infection. Charlie's nurses and doctors have been very attentive to the risk of infection during the entire process and always take extra precautions to maintain a sterile environment. Tonight's prayer is that over the next few days Charlie will be surrounded with God's protection.

We never cease to be amazed by all the love and support. We feel it with us everyday and it has meant the world to us. Thank you all so very much!

Mina and Josh