~More Zach~

Okay, so I last left off with Dr. Falco giving us an update on Zachary's condition when we first reached the hospital.

Along with finding out that Zach's PH level was extremely and deadly low, we also learned that his right leg (where the other hospital had put an IV) had swelled from the calf down and turned an awful shade of purple.  Dr. Falco also informed us that there was a possibilty of Zach having a blood clot in the vein that drains from his brain.  He wasn't too sure on it, but looking at the CTScan from the hospital in Modesto, it kinda looked like it.

After we talked with Dr. Falco, he let us come into the room, briefly, to see Zachary.  How awful my Little Man looked.  And when Dr. Falco said that Zach's foot had swollen up and turned purple, he wasn't kidding.  The foot was at least 3 times bigger and this gawd-awful dark purple... It looked like it was going to fall off, that is how purple it was.

Seeing my Little Man fight was devestating.  At that time, I felt like I had done something wrong... That I should have somehow convinced his doctor that something was wrong with him... That it was my fault that he was in the shape he was...

I have come to terms that none of this is my fault... But still, at that time, it is how I felt.

Sometime during the early morning hours - think around 1 or 2am- the doctor came in and informed us that his heart had converted and his heart beat was around 150bpm.  We were exteremly happy... Also, Zach's PH level had risen to 7.2.  Just knowing those two things, practically made our night.

Also around that time, we finally got to meet with Dr. Manohar, Zachary's cardiologist.

He informed us that in fact Zachary does have SVT and that the medication he was on at that time, Amiodorone (sp?), was a strong drug and that it could possibly come back to haunt us later on.  He did have some good news though.  He told us that 80% of the children that have SVT usually grow out of it by the age of 1 year.  Hearing that gave us great hope...

Dr. Manohar also informed us that because Zachary's heart was working overtime so much, that the valves had started to dialate... Meaning open up more, letting more blood in that should be... He said that hopefully in the next day or two, while his heart has time to recoupe, that they would start to close up (they have in fact!!).

Around 3am that morning, we decided that it was an okay time to head to our hotel room to get some rest.  We felt that Zachary was in capable hands and now pretty much "out of the woods".

Friday did bring on some suprises of its own.  For a while, Zachary would be doing good.  He'd go a few hours and then all of the sudden- usually when he was being messed with- he would slip into his SVT episodes.  Luckily, the doctors had found a medicine that would bring him out of it, along with being shocked, but still, it was horrible to see what would go on.

Watching my little boy being shocked... Seeing his limp little body react to the electricity being jolted through his body... Ah, I can't even explain it.  At one point, I went over to him right after they had done it and managed to get him out of the SVT... I can't explain what I saw.  Zachary was being sedated and had some meds on bored to pretty much knock him out...

But when I walked over there, I leaned down and talked to him.  I told him he was okay and that he was a fighter... Then at that same time, he managed to open his eyes and look at me.  In his eyes, I saw him questioning me, saying, "why is this happening to me?"  I broke down right then and there... In fact, just remembering this is making me cry, but hey, crying is good sometimes, right??

We stayed at the hospital until about 8pm that night.  We had only gotten a few hours of sleep the night before and were just dead on our feet.  We also know that if they needed us there, they'd call us and we could be there in no time at all.

When we returned to the hospital that next morning, we learned that Zachary had a horrible night.  In fact, he had 10 episodes that night!!  In fact, he had been shocked each and every time too!  But I guess Zach finally started to not like being shocked, because around 4 am on Saturday morning, he started to convert out of the SVT with just the meds!  He didn't have to be shocked!  That was great news...

Each day following, Zachary got healthier and stronger.  At sometime on Sunday, Zachary actually started to convert out of the SVT's WITH OUT the extra dose of medication.  His body was getting strong enough (along with the heart meds already on board) to fight it on his own.  Zachary was also fighting everything that was being done to him...

The nurses would give him meds to calm him down and he'd just fight them.  He didn't want to be messed with and wanted to get off the ventilator.  The poor baby, he'd suck away on the tube that was in his mouth so hard that finally, they decided he was doing okay to finally get fed via NG tube.

When he started to get fed, Zachary started to get even better.  His electrolites (sp?) finally started to get straighten out and his demeanor changed also.  He seemed more calm and he was so alert all the time... Even being on all those meds and machines!

Okay... I know I'm really close to the end of this story, but I have to get going on my day... Plus, Little Man wants some loving!!

So, until later...

::HUGS and LOVE::