We have a plan, for now.

TODAY WE WERE TOLD THAT ELI WILL REMAIN ON THE BREATHING MACHINE UNTIL HIS NEXT SURGERY. THIS SURGERY IS CALLED THE GLEN. IT IS THE 2ND SURGERY OF THE 3 THAT REQUIRES ELI TO LIVE HIS LIFE. THEIR ARE PROS AND CONS TO THIS DECISION. 

PROS.. 

ELI REMAINS WHERE HE NEEDS TO BE. AT CINCINNATI CHILDRENS, CICU FLOOR. 

 KEEPING THE TUBE IN UNTIL THE GLEN PREVENTS FURTHER EPISODES OF REINTUBATION AND EXTUBATION. 

HE IS ABLE TO BE FED BY FEEDING TUBE AT FULL FEEDS, WITH TPN/LIPIDS, MAKING HIM AS STRONG AS POSSIBLE. 

CONS.. 

ELI WILL NOT GO HOME WITH US ANYTIME SOON. 

WE WILL NOT BE ABLE TO HOLD ELI AGAIN UNTIL HE IS EXTUBATED AFTER HIS GLEN SURGERY. 

WE DO NOT HAVE A DATE SET FOR THIS SURGERY YET. 

 THE GLEN SURGERY REQUIRES THESE BABIES TO BE AT CERTAIN CRITERIA. THEY HAVE TO BE ATLEAST 5 KILOS AND/OR 3/6M OF AGE. ELI IS VERY CLOSE TO THE 5 KILO MARK, WEIGHING IN TODAY AT 4.8 KILOS. HE IS JUST 10 WEEKS OLD TOMORROW SO THAT PUTS HIM AT AN EARLY AGE FOR THE GLEN IF WE WERE TO DO IT SOON. ITS LOOKING LIKE THE GLEN WILL BE SOMETIME IN OCTOBER BUT WE ARE UNSURE AT THIS POINT. 

OVERALL, HE IS DOING WELL. ALERT, FEEDING, AND CONTINUING TO GROW AS BEST AS HE CAN. I WANT NOTHING MORE THAN TO BE HOME WITH MY CHILDREN. AS A FAMILY. BUT WE KNOW THAT JUST ISNT POSSIBLE YET. 

ITS HARD TO FATHOM SOMETIMES. I GET CHOKED UP SEEING OTHER BABIS BEING CUDDLED, AND NORMAL, THAT ARE ELI'S AGE. IT BREAKS MY HEART. AS A MOTHER, ITS ONE OF THE HARDEST THINGS I HAVE EVER EXPERIENCED. THERE IS NO BOND BETWEEN US. IM JUST A VOICE HE HEARS. MY TOUCH IS PROBABLY NO DIFFERENT TO HIM FROM THE NURSES THAT TAKE CARE OF HIM DAY IN AND DAY OUT. I AM NOT ABLE TO GIVE HIM THE LOVE AND COMFORT HE NEEDS. 

NOT YET ANYWAYS. 

SO THATS THE PLAN FOR NOW. KEEP HIM INTUBATED UNTIL HIS GLEN SURGERY. WHENEVER THAT MAY BE!