Hayden's Hope

Friday, May 13, 2011

CO2 Monitor and Early Birthday Presents

I have a love hate relationship with the CO2 monitor in Hayden's room. This is the machine I look at right before I go to sleep, in the middle of the night when I wake up and in the morning when I get up - all to see what number is on it. It can change my mood from happy to sad in a heart beat. I've learned that sometimes the number is correct and sometime as the nurses tell me the machine is just used for "trending" either up or down. The way I know when it is correct is when the nurses draw Hayden's blood at 4am to check his CO2 level and we get the most accurate reading for Hayden. I hate the monitor when it is showing anything above 80. I hate it when it randomly flashes any number over 100. I hate the monitor when it is trending upwards and I really feel like throwing the monitor out the window when all night it shows a CO2 of 75 and the blood draw shows a CO2 of 105!

The other thing to note is that doctors and nurses like to call the CO2 reading the "Entitle". They say "Oh, his Entitles look great". Sometimes it sounds like they are saying "His End Titles look great" or "His entrails look great." which I could see as an appropriate comment if we were in surgery. I've asked several nurses and doctors what this word "entitle" has to do with CO2 and no one seems to know....interesting. Entitles, Entrails, End Titles, Titleist...hmm maybe Tiger Wood knows?

Anyway, I digress. There are times when I love the CO2 monitor. I love it when it is trending downward, when it shows any number below 80 and especially tonight when it flashed for the first time a 49! Wow! Can't wait to see what his "blood gas", as they call it, shows for the real CO2. As of this writing it is flashing in the mid 50's - 60.

Hayden's birthday is Sunday and he has started getting some special birthday gifts. You all know what a Giants fan he is and on Wednesday night Bobby from the Marketing Dept at the Giants stopped by with a gift for Hayden. First was a special birthday video of Buster Posey and Pablo Sandoval giving Hayden a pep talk, telling him to get better soon, wishing him happy birthday and they both told him that they would be playing Sunday's game in honor of Hayden. How cool is that? Then Bobby pulled out of a bag a real Giants Jersey signed by Buster Posey. Well that kid was so excited!! He has been using the Jersey as a blanket. Thank you so much Giants!







He also got another birthday gift from Amy Trapp and her daughter. Many of you may not know, but Amy's company Jane Hammond Events caters all of the fabulous food for Hayden's Hope Fundriasers. Anyway, they came by the other night. Amy brought her daughter because she and Hayden went to preschool together. They gave Hayden the cutest stuffy. A replica of Loni the dog, complete with dog collar that says LONI on one side and I Belong To Hayden on the other. So sweet!! So now Loni will always be with Hayden.

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