Thanks for all of your messages, prayers and support. We love you all and knowing that you are all with Anthony in thought and prayer feels so good.

I wanted to update this page every day, but the hours just slip by. So here is what's going on. They took his breathing tube out on Monday and he is breathing with nose tubes/oxgyen assistance and is doing good. He is more awake and alert and very angry that he keeps getting poked (every hour for blood sugar around the clock and Neuro checks). His blood pressure is high, but they say it could be a side effect of the steroids they are giving him for the swelling and hopefully not a brain defect from surgery.

As of Monday, they are giving him I.V. feeding and his blood sugars were high so they started him on insulin through the I.V. as well. The speech therapist has been by every day to evaluate him for swallowing, but we have been unsuccessful so far. She has given me exercises for him to help regain the sucking and swallowing reflex and it is still too soon to tell if that part of his brain is permanently damaged. She wants to do a barium swallow study when he is able to handle it that will tell her if he is swallowing or aspirating or not, etc., etc.

The neurosurgeon put a shunt that drains brain/spinal fluid in his head after the surgery to reduce swelling and also hoping that it would bring his pressure down and help him breathe on his own. Tomorrow he will do a CT scan to see if the shunt can be removed and if so then we will finally be able to hold him. This morning they put a feeding tube through his nose into his tummy and gave him Pedialyte and formula and we will be going for another round of breastmilk in a little while. So far he hasn't spit up. Will update again soon.

With love,
Lisa

P.S. Also pathology test results have not come back yet but should be in by the end of the week. Anthony went back to work yesterday. Anthony's parents flew in on Friday and left on Monday and Olivia went back with them to Pennsylvania for a vacation and she is having a wonderful time. She will probably be there for two weeks or more and next weekend (23/24) they are going to go to NJ/NY to visit Annette and John and the kids, and Irene and George and the girls.

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Photo by Eddie Bonfigli