[Enzo] Day 54 report - Speak into my LEFT EAR, sonny!

From: "Kelly Groves" <kelly@xxxxxxxxx>
To: <enzo@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
Date: Wed, 4 Jun 2014 22:27:02 -0700
Day 54

Doctor: Jamie Jones

Nurses: Leah (night), James (day)

RT: Charles (night), Pauline/Amy (day)

Gestational age: 36 4/7 weeks

Weight: 2390 g or 5 lbs. 4.3 oz.

Length: 45 cm (6/1/14)

FiO2: 21% (room air)

Flow: 1 LPM on NC

Feeding: 47 ml Q 3 hr. (24 cal breast milk) through NG tube. PO multivitamin 
with iron (0.25 mg q 12 hr). Bottle every feeding, gavage QS (amount nippled: 
47 ml @ 2000 (right after bath), 39 ml @ 2300, 22 ml @ 0200, 10 ml @ 0500, 47 
ml @ 0800, 47  ml @ 1100, 47 ml @ 1400, 47 ml @ 1700). 

New orders: wean to 1 LPM flow as tolerates

Other issues: ongoing A/B/D, mostly self-resolved. Last apnea with stim 6/1 
early morning. No episodes in over 36 hours.

 

Enzo was back to his old self today and had another good day. 



Leah started out the shift by giving him a bath to try to wash off all the 
smelly aftermath of his mega-diaper. She also weighed him. Maybe  because of 
the huge “output”, he was down 17 grams from yesterday. We’ll have to see 
tomorrow.

 

After the exertions of his bath, Enzo was pretty pooped but took his whole 
bottle at 8 p.m. He did well at 11 p.m., but didn’t have it in him to take all 
his milk during the early morning nippling. As ordered, Leah gavaged the rest. 

 

Enzo continues to soldier onward with just “Room Air” supplementation (21% 
oxygen). Since he has been tolerating the lower oxygen percentage so well, it 
was decided that his flow would be reduced today by 1/3. Enzo went from 1.5 
liters per minute of flow to 1 liter per minute. After the change, we didn’t 
notice any significant difference in his blood O2 saturation. Assuming that he 
remains stable on 1 liter per minute, the next step will be to reduce the flow 
to ½ a liter per minute. The next step after reaching .5 LPM of flow is…. (drum 
roll) NO MORE SUPPLEMENTAL O2! 

 

Kathy and Pat dropped by the hospital to visit. Kathy was wearing one of the 
brightest shirts I have ever seen; it actually seemed to be illuminated from 
within! Enzo also took notice of Kathy’s shirt as soon she was holding him. He 
must not have minded, as he fell asleep in Kathy’s arms soon thereafter.

 



 

Shortly after noon, we received word that Phillip’s mother Linda had landed at 
Palm Springs (KPSP). The airport is less than a 10 minutes’ drive from the 
hospital, so Kelly and Phillip left Enzo to Gogo and G-Dat’s expert care and 
headed out to fetch Linda. Half an hour later, she was getting to know her 
grandson. After about half an hour of snuggling, we all went out for lunch, 
followed by more snuggle time for Linda and Enzo. Our little guy was super 
alert and awake in the beginning since he had just recently finished his 
bottle. “My, what big eyes you have, young man!”

 



 

Just before his 5 p.m. meal, while sleeping in his Abuela Linda’s arms, Enzo 
got his requisite hearing test. This is given to every baby in California 
before they leave the hospital. It yielded mixed results. His left ear passed. 
The right was close, but no cigar. He’ll have to study harder next time! Dr. 
Jamie says failing one or both ears is totally normal for preemies who have 
been on oxygen (due to fluid retention). They will order a retest again just 
before discharge. Martha, the tech, suggested we gently massage the area just 
outside the ear to help.

 



 

Overall, we were happy to have a happy, hungry Enzo back again!
[Enzo] Day 54 report - Speak into my LEFT EAR, sonny!

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