Day 16 - 2

This morning the doctors came in with a new plan. They are starting him on a medication called Octreotide that is supposed to help stop the chest tube drainage. While he is on the Octreotide he can't have any food in his stomach, so he'll be back on the TPN. I suppose that's fine since he couldn't seem to tolerate the formula anyway. They said once he's off the Octreotide (in 5 -7 days) if the drainage is stopped, they will put him back on breastmilk. I am surprised at that because I thought it was important not to give them any fat for 4-6 weeks to make sure it was completely healed. So while I would love for him to go back on breastmilk because I think it would help him, I am also concerned. I did ask the one doctor about this and she said it's because he couldn't tolerate the formula and that it should be fine once the drainage is stopped. I still plan to revisit this with the other doctors.


I just hope the Octreotide works. If it doesn't, he will have to have pleurodesis, which is a procedure that causes the membranes around the lung to stick together to prevent the buildup of fluid in the space between the membranes. It would require him to have to go under general anesthesia.


And in good news, his first tooth just popped through this morning!!