Gabriel spent the night with his uncle, officially designated last night as his second godfather.
He now has two godfathers and two godmothers: a perfect dream team to support him through this ordeal and then live an incredible life!
The night was stable.
Apparently, he didn’t need a transfusion.
I haven’t yet received any medical feedback or test results, but I choose to take all of this as an encouraging sign.
I’ll keep you updated later.
Update at 8:00 AM
I was writing this message in the hallway when Tatiana, the specialist who has been in charge of the ECMO machine for the past 24 hours, came out.
I asked her if there was any news, and for the first time, she told me there were signs of improvement: in terms of blood and lungs.
For the first time in our 18 days here… I cried. But not from sadness: I cried with joy!
A feeling so powerful, so intoxicating, that it recharged me like never before. Three bars of energy at once to face the day.
I’m keeping my fingers crossed that the doctor will confirm the same thing to me later.
I’ll keep you informed.
Update at 8:00 PM
Unfortunately, we weren’t able to speak directly with a doctor today.
So what I’m sharing here is based on bits of information gathered here and there, test results, feedback from nurses, quick exchanges… and the valuable opinion of a French doctor friend, to whom I send the data every day.
Earlier in the morning, I signed for a new transfusion, this time to correct low hemoglobin.
Here’s what we can note:
- The CRP (inflammation) remains lower than what we’ve seen in the past.
- The lung x-ray seems a bit clearer. Maybe the antibiotic is finally starting to work. This is really the BEST news of the day!
- The platelets have risen to 410,000 (thanks to yesterday’s transfusion), which reduces the risk of hemorrhage.
- The anemia persists (3.1 million red blood cells and 7 g of hemoglobin), but it’s being treated with this morning’s transfusion
Finally, jaundice has been noticed, and tests are underway to assess his liver.
The x-ray didn’t allow for conclusions about the liver’s condition, so we’re waiting for more precise results in the coming days. It could be an effect of the ECMO disrupting the liver’s function and creating bilirubin in excess. This causes the skin to yellow. To be continued!
Nothing is certain, but for the first time in a long while, we may be feeling a slight movement in the right direction.
We consider this day a day of victory!
Well done, Gabriel!
Thank you all. And we continue, with you, and with your support every day!
