Marcos' First Stuffed Toy/Primer Peluche de Marcos

English (Espanol abajo)

Aida insists (and wins) on purchasing Marcos' first stuffed toy to give him some company during the long nights. We are not quite sure what Marcos thinks of his new friend at his bedside 24-7, but seems to be quite content.

I am continually amazed at all the gadgetry hooked up to Marcos. It includes the following:

• Artery line for saline solutions and meds (like an intravenous line but inserted into the artery rather than a vein).


• Red light tied around his foot or hand - this is to measure his blood oxygen levels (saturation)


• Intravenous line into his belly button/umbilicial cord - this is the conduit for feeding him the "Total Parental Nutrition" which includes lipids, proteins, glucose, and electrolytes


• Yellow line coming from a pad on his stomach that measures his body temperature


• several wires leading to pads on his chest which measure his heart rate and respiration


• tube (gavosh) running down to his stomach for feeding milk and burping


• respiration tube into his lungs

This is the life support system that keeps our boy going, next to your prayers. A special prayer request is related to Marcos' challenge to digest breastmilk. Today the breastmilk feeding program was stopped because his digestive system was not working and his stomach was swelling. Another attempt at feeding breastmilk may be made tomorrow.

Espanol

Aida insistio (y consiguio) que compramos el primer peluche para Marcos para acompanarlo durante la noche. No sabemos todavia que piensa Marcos de su companero de cama, pero parece que esta contento.

Estoy maravillado por todo la maquinaria conectada a Marcos y incluye los siguiente:

• cateter arterial para soluciones salinas y medicamentos (como intravenosa pero insertado a una arteria en vez de una vena)


• luz roja armada alrededor a su brazo, mano o pie que mide el nivel de oxigeno en su sangre


• intravenosa conectado a su ombligo para alimentarlo con suero que tiene proteina, grasa, azucar y electrolitos


• un cable amarillio conectado a un parche a su estomago que mide su temperatura


• varios cables conectados a tres parches en su pecho para medir respiracion y ritmo cardiaco


• tubito bajando a su estomago para alimentarlo con leche y sacar los gases


• tubito bajando a sus pulmones para ayudarle a respirar

Eso es el sistema que mantiene a Marcos vivo, junto con sus oraciones. Un pedido especial de oracion relacionado con la dificultades que Marcos ha tenido para digerir la leche materna. El dia de hoy detuvieron el sistema de alimentacion con la leche materna debido a que el estomago de Marcos no estaba funcionando bien y ademas estaba inflamado. Manana van an intentar de nuevo a alimentarlo con la leche materna para ver si funciona.