Gavin David Ross

We had our baby. . . finally. He came Sunday, at 6:58 pm. 8 lbs 10 oz of adorableness, Gavin David Ross. Dark brown hair, 20 inches long. Hooray!

Things looked good, I am feeling well and he was doing well. Monday just before noon we were planning on both of us being discharged and going home. However, Monday afternoon he was not eating at all or having any bowel movements. Nurses started getting worried, and so he was wheeled down to the nursery and had an x-ray taken. He had lots of air in his intestines.

The gastro-intestinal doctor looked at the x-rays and after having a tube stuck into his stomach, letting air and other fluids out, he was still not doing much better. Next day, Tuesday, he still was not passing all the air after some large bowel movements.

They decided that the level 3 NICU at another hospital would be better for him. There is a better infant radiologist and they can see more things in x-rays. Finally around 3, he was on his way to the other hospital.The next morning (Wednesday) he had an x-ray with a barium enema and things were better seen.

This is what they transfered him over in, in the back of the ambulence! Craig would be so jealous.

It appears to be Hirschsprung’s disease. For more details, look at these websites http://www.childrenshospital.org/az/Site1040/mainpageS1040P0.html or http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/hirschsprungs-disease/DS00825 or http://digestive.niddk.nih.gov/ddiseases/pubs/hirschsprungs_ez/index.htm

Basically, part of his intestines need to be cut out and it will solve the problem of him not being able to keep food down and better go to the bathroom. He has not eaten since 11 pm on Sunday. Poor boy. And it will probably be quite a while still (next week after the surgery).

Last night (wednesday), they put a catheter through the umbilical cord into him to provide nutrients. Today(Thursday) they took the sample of his skin from the area that the nerves are not working and test it to make sure the nerves are not working. This will take several business days and then after the results are back, we will plan the surgery. Then, it will be a couple more days before he can take food (let his intestines heal and re-introduce food). That is the plan for now.