update

So there is a different infectious disease doc on now and he says we count the negative gram stains, not just the cultures. So we are really on day 2 of 14. Sigh.

Day 4 of 14

So far all the cultures are negative (except the first 2). The positive results from the gram stains must have been dead bacteria because they are not growing. So today is day 4 of 14. After day 14 Kian will get his new shunt placed. Kate and Lily are at my brother's house in Logan and having a great time. It's nice to be able to focus our energy on Kian.

pictures

Kian's hospital entertainment.

The EVD

Sunday's going to church outfit, before the surgery.

Still infected

We are still here, hanging out. We are having a hard time clearing the infection. Kian is doing well and feeling pretty good, but the tests keep coming back positive. If todays culture turns up positive, he will have to have his EVD replaced. Yesterday we were a bit more hopeful because the culture was negative, but today's preliminary test was positive, so we sit and wait for the culture, planning for the worst and hoping for the best.

Surgery again

On Monday Kian was fussy and had a slight fever and swelling around his shunt tubing, so we spent 7 hours in the ER at Primary's. They did some tests and sent us home. Tuesday morning the neurosurgeons called and said that something was growing in his CSF and we had to come in for surgery. So Tuesday around 1pm he had surgery to remove his shunt and they put in an external ventricular drain (EVD). It drains his CSF to an external collection system. Basically he has a tube sticking out of his head. He will have that until the infection in his CSF clears up and they can put in another shunt. So it looks like we will be here for a couple of weeks. So that's the bad news. The good news is that it was caught pretty early, and he is doing pretty well. And we already know all the doctors. And we have a private room.

He's 3 weeks old-- or would be

Kian has been doing really well. His last weight was 7-3. He is eating and growing and doing what a baby should. He's a good boy. And cute to boot.


Our cute girls ready for church last week. I french braided Lily's hair. That is a huge accomplishment for me. And her for standing still for so long.


I told Chris it was time for some portraits of Kian. And this is what we got. Not bad for a spur of the moment "hey let's take picture's" endeavor. You can see Kian's overriding sutures on the bottom picture. His shunt is on the other side.

Before and After

Here is Kian right before going into surgery for a venticuloperitoneal (VP) shunt. Do you like the ginormous gown? It stayed on for about a minute and a half.

The left picture is the day before surgery. His head circumference was around 41 cm. On the right is the day we brought him home. Head circumference about 38 cm. His circumference has stayed the same all week. Yea shunt!