The Christopher Jacob Watch Blog

Christopher Jacob passed away Tuesday @ 12:30

2010-05-11T17:10:00.003-05:00

It's hard to put a closing on a story that was unfolding over the last 7 weeks and 2 days. It may never be closed to me, yet I will forever have this blog, and it reads almost as if I was writing a story, but unfortunately I could not control the ending. Christopher had gotten his seizures under control Monday and was doing really well. When I left him Monday night things were looking up and his vent settings were so low it was very promising that we would be coming off the ventilator again Tuesday. Around 11:00pm Monday night they found blood in his stool and started trying to figure out where it came from. Hoping it was from an irritation his feedings were stopped and he was put back on the fluids they had just removed him from earlier that day. Early Tuesday morning when I saw him, he had a fever and his bleeding and aspirating through his feeding tube were getting worse. As test and x-rays were done, our worse fears became true. The one thing he had stayed away from, the one thing that a premie can not beat, apparently a side effect of the steroids, a slight tear in his intestine was found. Immediately he was scheduled for surgery and was to be transported to Childrens Hospital in Birmingham, AL. However the fear of the intenstinal tear is bile getting out into his blood stream. Unfortunately this had happened sooner than we had hoped. Once it got out his blood stream became poisoned and it reached his heart. A little more than 12 hours after the bleeding was first noticed, he died from heart failure and blood poisoning. He had beaten everything else. His lungs, were the best they had ever been that morning when I saw the x-ray. He would have come off the vent and I believe been a healthy baby very soon, if this has not happened. I stayed with him all morning, brushing his hair and talking to him. He just lay there looking at me as if he was asking me to help him. I had 7 weeks and 2 days with Christopher. I know he heard me, I know he saw me, I know he loved me.. I was his mom. God Bless you "little buddy".

Happy Mothers Day

2010-05-09T00:10:00.000-05:00

This is not really the first Mother's Day I had envisioned, however we are still holding on for a brighter future. Christopher has stablized but they think his phenabarb level (seizure medication) had gotten to low for his status (born with brain bleeding). So his seizures started up again and was putting a strain on his system. Sometimes you can't really see them and I think that was the case here. Either way, last couple days were rough, but I felt a little better by the end of Saturday and I hope Sunday, Mother's Day, will bring a positive day. Happy Mothers Day to all mothers out there and keep the prayers going. I will post a picture from Sunday here later today.

The Roller Coaster is back

2010-05-08T00:53:00.000-05:00

They tell us it's up and down. We had a wonderful week of so many new things and good surprises. Yet the downhill is always around the corner with premies it seems. Friday was not a good day for Christopher as he had been moved out of the critical care NICU on Thursday but had to move back today. They retubed him, thus put him back on the dreaded ventilator. We're not sure what happened other than he seemed to have just gotten tired. However Friday night he was fighting the tube and the vent so much he kept having episodes that caused his oxygen levels to go down and he just seemed to be frustrated. I think he didn't want the tube back and I hope they will try to get that back out this weekend. Another possible issue was another seizure so they gave him some medicine for that tonight in hopes it will calm him and stop these episodes. If he would calm down I think he would be ok, but I don't know. Either way, please keep the prayers coming for an improved weekend.

Wednesday brings consistency

2010-05-05T21:59:00.000-05:00

Today brought a very consistant calm. Sure he had his "poopy" and "stretching" breakdowns, but otherwise he "sated" extremely well all day. Staying off the ventilator and increased his feedings back to the full 15cc. He definately has my metabolism as he still lost a few grams, but that is because he is working harder without the ventilator breathing for him. Above I am combing his hair, it helps keep him calm when he starts squirming around. He seems to have found a comfortable way to lay also. Keep up the prayers!

Amazing jumps in the last few days

2010-05-05T00:59:00.000-05:00

It seems every day brings something new. Sunday he had his tube removed, Monday I got to hold him and today they turned the ventilator off! See the screen above says "Not Ventilating!" That was a huge surprise when I came in from my first day back to work. Of course he could go back on it, but right now he only has the nasal tubes pushing air in, however the amount is nearly at the level of what is considered "room air", which means he is definately breathing on his own. Pretty good for a baby that is not even suppose to be here for another couple months. I hope tomorrow holds more wonders!!

A New Adventure

2010-05-03T21:58:00.001-05:00

Under the watchful eyes of Dr. Choi and the NICU nurses I got to hold Christopher for the first time ever tonight. He has done very well on his cpap so far and he was holding his sat's high, so they offered my first chance and of course I took it!! It was difficult moving all his tubes and wires around with him but I at least got to hold him for about 10 minutes. He seemed to take it well, holding his own the whole time. I think even Dr. Choi was surprised as he came by twice just to see how he did. Usually they would never let a baby on cpap vent and also so small be held, but I've been a "pedestal" in there. I think they all wanted to give me that chance. Thank you to the NICU staff, Sandy and Dr. Choi for all they have done.

Looks like another steroid push!

2010-05-02T10:19:00.000-05:00

Pawpaw (my dad) would be proud! His first little toy gives Christopher something to look at while in his bed of tubes and wires. He seems to find the colors and sort of lock onto them, at least I'm hoping that is what he is doing. He could just be trying to poop. Anyway, he got a single dose of steroids last night in hopes it will help him get his ventilator readings down and maybe, just maybe get him off the ventilator soon!! Keep the prayers coming I really do believe they are working.

A good week!!

2010-05-01T00:04:00.001-05:00

This week saw a lot of first. For one thing Christopher seems to be getting stronger, still without steroids. He pulled out his feeding tube Thursday afternoon and was holding it in his hand as if to say... hey...feed me. He also got his first pacifier as you see above. He was so content and happy he had to hold onto his hair or his ear when he was sucking on it. He even seemed to hold onto the paci with his hand to keep it in his mouth. He eyes got so big and alert while he was sucking on it. We will be using the paci a lot more in the near future. The Dr's are thinking about another round of steroids to try and wing him off of his ventilator and onto a cpap machine. That will be a big step but maybe will happen next week. Until then, I hope good days continue to turn into good weeks. Go paci!!!

Wednesday is another good day!

2010-04-28T19:02:00.001-05:00

He was very strong this week, getting his first bed toy as you see above. His first "teddy bear" which was actually a syringe, but it kept him from holding on to his tube. He continued to sat well and hold his own. Still not good enough to come off his ventilator but he might get more steroids later this week or next and maybe he will be able to do it then.

Tuesday still strong!

2010-04-27T22:04:00.000-05:00

Hey world. Christopher peeks out from under his "tent" as he is watched over by his nurse. He seems attentive, but it's hard to tell sometimes. He does not have control over his eyes or any movement yet, however I do think he can hear me and look my way at times. Maybe I'm just hoping but maybe I'm right.

He is strong today, taking in 16cc of my milk and some extra calorie packs through his feeding tube. They think he lost a little weight from yesterday but I'm not sure if that was only fluid or not. We hope that is the case because as much milk as he is taking he should be starting to gain weight again. He has grown to 14.25 inches, so that is an increase of 2.25 inches from birth. I believe the prayers are working, so please continue to keep us in your prayers. This is a long haul for us as I will also be going back to work next week and that will be very difficult for all of us.

Good Monday

2010-04-26T21:32:00.000-05:00

Christopher is getting a little stronger as he tried to turn his own head over today, of course with the tube he could not. He has been holding onto things more and more, so the nurse gave him a syringe to hold onto as his current "teddy bear". Although he seems to beat himself in the head with it from time to time. As you see he has finally moved over to his tummy now instead of his back and he seems to like it. Notice his little diaper and his "#8" just in time for Talladega 500 weekend(for NASCAR fans only). Kidding, they just happen to number the diapers. All in all this is good news as the Dr. says he is staying pretty strong and digesting his feedings. This should help him to keep growing. He will remain on his ventilator for another week or so if things keep going as they are now and possibly go to the cpap next week, but we will see. Prayers continue.

Fund Note and Good Day

2010-04-24T09:03:00.002-05:00

Christopher had a pretty good Friday, he seemed pretty strong when I left Friday night, holding his own with a little more strength than he had last time he came off his steroids. On Saturday he went up to 15cc of milk every 3 hours, peeing and pooping, yah! As long as he continues that there is hope. As you see above on Saturday morning he was holding my hand and even pointing to my finger. LOL, so cute. Thank you again for all your prayers. Also I've had some questions about the Christopher Jacob Fund that was started at our bank and some locals saying it was difficult for them to pull it up or locate it. I've created a "Donate" button on this blog that makes it very easy to just click and donate if you wish to do that. It goes into my old KPM Agency account that is easily transferred into the Christopher Jacob Fund at the same bank so that will work out just fine. I wanted you guys to know. Thank you again and continue your prayers!

Not holding his stamina

2010-04-23T01:57:00.000-05:00

His 2 day dose of steroids is over and he is holding onto the ventilator but unable to move to the cpap like the Dr. wanted. He continues to desat just about everytime he stretches or moves around too much, which means his oxygen levels just can't stay up where they need to be. He is recoving a little better than last time so maybe some progress has been made. They continue to increase his feedings, up to 12 cc every 3 hours now so he is a little piglet. He has lost a little more fluid weight so maybe we will start to see a true weight very soon. He is around 1 pound 14 onces we think, however some of that is fluid. It seemed this morning he was having a bad day and I was pretty sad, but as the day went along I found a strength in watching him fight back and try to open his eyes, battling through a sedation drug for his seizures that should have most anything his size flat as a board. He is a fighter and I hope that pulls him through.

Tuesday a Better Day

2010-04-20T20:12:00.000-05:00

Christopher started really bad seizures Monday morning and they had to sedate him even more. It became evident that the steroid option was really the only thing he responded to positively so Dr. Godoy decided on another 2 day dose. With this dose Christopher immediately came off the oscillator again and went back to the conventional ventilator which will do wonders for clearing up his fluids. Hopefully he can stay on the vent. long enough to clear his fluids and take the pressure off his body to stop the seizures.

Under the watchful eye of Dr. Godoy we had our pastor from Forest Lake United Methodist Church, Dr. Chris Denson baptize Christopher. This is not a last rights for Methodist, this is presenting Christopher to God and bring God's presence to Christopher and those around him. We hope this will strengthen the will and passion of those around him and bring strength to Christopher and his nurses as we continue our vigil to bring Christopher home one day. Thank you for all your prayers and thoughts.

Sunday was no improvement

2010-04-19T10:56:00.000-05:00

Christophers' day Sunday was not very good as his fluids increased again. He has a lot of fluid in his lungs now and that is not helping him with his breathing. He is still eating, peeing, pooping ok but he just can't get rid of the fluids fast enough. He was pretty stable by the end of the day however he is still fighting for his life each hour it seems. We are hoping Monday will be a better day. Thank you for your prayers!

Game Day

2010-04-17T18:28:00.000-05:00

As bad as I wanted to put a Bama cap on him or some Bama footies I just couldn't do it, in honor of our annual A-Day spring football game ending spring practice for the Alabama Crimson Tide. They have over 91,000 people there. Crazy huh, for a practice game. But I wanted to get Christopher in the mood, but just wasn't to be this year, hopefully next year. He was looking around a lot today, up and down still on his oxygen, but he is eating very well and still peeing and pooping. Not much improvement on his fluids, so he is still a bit puffy. Continue the prayers, we need them for all of us. Have a great weekend.

Keep looking around!!

2010-04-15T09:05:00.001-05:00

He's trying to keep his eyes open. He looks at me when I talk to him, but I'm not sure if he really sees me yet or if I'm just a big blurr of light. He was pretty active with his pooping and peeing, getting his fluid back off of him most of Wednesday. He is off his steroids now though so we will see how he progresses throughout Thursday. I hope and prays he continues to look at me when I'm telling him stories. I would like to thank Forest Lake United Methodist Church for the food, prayers, visits, cards and everything they have done to help us through this trying time. Continue the prayers!

I see you!!

2010-04-13T12:29:00.002-05:00

He is doing a little better today but they had to put him back on steroids and that is not what we wanted. They are working though for a couple of days and we hope it will give him a jolt. He is peeing again so maybe that will get that fluid off his body and get him back down to normal size/weight again. He had gained about 5 ounces, but now his fluid is causing a false reading. He did have some good news tonight as he opened his eyes for the first time and saw the world around him. Well it was probably just a blurr of light, but at least I know he has eyes, although very small and underdeveloped. But at least he is trying and this is a step in the right direction. Thank you so much for your continued prayers!

The Roller Coaster

2010-04-12T00:44:00.000-05:00

We got a call late Sunday night saying Chris had gone down to 9 on his oxygen levels with 90+ being normal. Our roller coaster is on the down swing again it seems. Please pray for us a lot right now as we need both strength for him and for ourselves!

A Long Road

2010-04-10T23:38:00.002-05:00

Even Christopher says enough of this, get me out of here already ya'll are driving me nuts! Look at the image close enough and you will see what I mean!! I couldn't resist taking this picture on my phone. It made me laugh and brings some brightness to a cloudy future. We've had some positive days and even some positive remarks from the pediatric neurosurgeon that has been keeping up with him concerning the bleeding on his brain. He is about 1.8 pound now, so he has gained a little weight and is taking 7cc every 3 hours of mommies milk!!! So he is starting to be a growing boy and that is a miracle in itself. Keep up the prayers and I will do my best to keep you posted. God Bless!!!

Miracle's Do Happen

2010-04-07T09:20:00.002-05:00

(Getting to feed Christopher)

We continue to pray that a miracle can and will happen with Christopher, he has gotten good stat's the last few days and good reports. Although they keep telling us what a roller coaster ride this will be, with good days and bad days, so we just never know. He is still on his ventillator and still taking my milk and pooping properly. He even got a little diaper yesterday for the first time, although it's still too big for him. He does have some major bleeding on his brain and that is probably the biggest concern long term because we don't know what that means. Immediately we are most concerned about infection and they are working hard to keep him from getting anything. So continue to pray and keep us all in your prayers. Thank you so much and God Bless.

Update on Christopher

2010-04-05T16:09:00.001-05:00

Christopher hangs on and continues his fight. His brothers Andrew and Brandon have gone on to Heaven but Christopher had a really good report today and continues to improve. It will be a long journey as he will be in the NICU for 4-6 months. It was very hard coming back home yesterday having gone through what we've been through and seemingly nothing to show for it. An emtpy nursery, no crying, no messes, just quiet. You can see how small Christopher is by the photo I posted here with Darren. Please pray for our strength and Christophers health as our journey has just begun! This truly changes your life forever, as I'm the mother of triplets, that will never change. From here we honor the son's we've lost and gain strength and momentum for the son that is fighting for his life.

Prayers Needed

2010-04-01T02:13:00.000-05:00

More sad news as my second son, Brandon passed away last night at 8:30pm due to complications of a premature birth. He fought hard and lived 10 days, but was just not strong enough to survive the hardship of artificial ventilation. He was so precious and so perfect. I look forward to seeing him in heaven. Please pray for Christopher as he is our last hope and we want to take him home with us so bad. Thank you for all the prayers we have received.
God Bless,
Kristi

Sad News

2010-03-27T19:08:00.001-05:00

I'm not sure if anyone comes across my blog anymore as it stayed hacked for a long time. But I wanted to let anyone know that follows me or knows me to pray for my family and I. On March 21, 2010 I gave birth prematurely (23 weeks) to 3 boys. Andew was still born and the other two, Brandon and Christopher were taken from me and put in intensive care nursery. They are holding on to life as I speak and I can only ask that anyone who reads this please pray for them as they will need a miracle to come home with me. No ones know what happened or why, I think it was just too much for my body to handle and I went into labor and there was no way to stop it. Thanks again for all those who have sent me your prayers and are still thinking about me and my boys. Thank you so much and please continue to pray for us! God Bless!!
Kristi

A Letter To Share!!!

2009-11-27T21:08:00.000-06:00

This venerable and much honored WW II vet is well known in Hawaii for his seventy-plus years of service to patriotic organizations and causes all over the country.

A humble man without a political bone in his body, he has never spoken out before about a government official, until now. He dictated this letter to a friend, signed it and mailed it to the president.

Dear President Obama,

My name is Harold Estes, approaching 95 on December 13 of this year. People meeting me for the first time don't believe my age because I remain wrinkle free and pretty much mentally alert.

I enlisted in the U.S. Navy in 1934 and served proudly before, during and after WW II retiring as a Master Chief Bos'n Mate. Now I live in a "rest home" located on the western end of Pearl Harbor , allowing me to keep alive the memories of 23 years of service to my country.

One of the benefits of my age, perhaps the only one, is to speak my mind, blunt and direct even to the head man. So here goes.

I am amazed, angry and determined not to see my country die before I do, but you seem hell bent not to grant me that wish. I can't figure out what country you are the president of. You fly around the world telling our friends and enemies despicable lies like:

"We're no longer a Christian nation" " America is arrogant" - (Your wife even announced to the world," America is mean-spirited. " Please tell her to try preaching that nonsense to 23 generations of our war dead buried all over the globe who died for no other reason than to free a whole lot of strangers from tyranny and hopelessness.)

I'd say shame on the both of you, but I don't think you like America, nor do I see an ounce of gratefulness in anything you do, for the obvious gifts this country has given you. To be without shame or gratefulness is a dangerous thing for a man sitting in the White House.

After 9/11 you said," America hasn't lived up to her ideals." Which ones did you mean? Was it the notion of personal liberty that 11,000 farmers and shopkeepers died for to win independence from the British? Or maybe the ideal that no man should be a slave to another man, that 500,000 men died for in the Civil War? I hope you didn't mean the ideal 470,000 fathers, brothers, husbands, and a lot of fellas I knew personally died for in WWII, because we felt real strongly about not letting any nation push us around, because we stand for freedom. I don't think you mean the ideal that says equality is better than discrimination. You know the one that a whole lot of white people understood when they helped to get you elected.

Take a little advice from a very old geezer, young man. Shape up and start acting like an American. If you don't, I'll do what I can to see you get shipped out of that fancy rental on Pennsylvania Avenue . You were elected to lead not to bow, apologize and kiss the hands of murderers and corrupt leaders who still treat their people like slaves.

And just who do you think you are telling the American people not to jump to conclusions and condemn that Muslim major who killed 13 of his fellow soldiers and wounded dozens more. You mean you don't want us to do what you did when that white cop used force to subdue that black college professor in Massachusetts , who was putting up a fight? You don't mind offending the police calling them stupid but you don't want us to offend Muslim fanatics by calling them what they are; terrorists.

One more thing. I realize you never served in the military and never had to defend your country with your life, but you're the Commander-in-Chief now, son. Do your job. When your battle-hardened field General asks you for 40,000 more troops to complete the mission, give them to him. But if you're not in this fight to win, then get out. The life of one American soldier is not worth the best political strategy you're thinking of.

You could be our greatest president because you face the greatest challenge ever presented to any president. You're not going to restore American greatness by bringing back our bloated economy. That's not our greatest threat. Losing the heart and soul of who we are as Americans is our big fight now.

And I sure as hell don't want to think my president is the enemy in this final battle.

Sincerely,

Harold B. Estes

When a 95 year old hero of the "the Greatest Generation" stands up and speaks out like this, I think we owe it to him to send his words to as many Americans as we can. Please pass it on..
Kristi

American Debt

2009-09-29T23:28:00.001-05:00

The second in a series of editorials sent to the Tuscaloosa News for publishing - 9/29/2009

"I am one of those who do not believe that a national debt is a national blessing, but rather a curse to a republic; inasmuch as it is calculated to raise around the administration a moneyed aristocracy dangerous to the liberties of the country." --President Andrew Jackson (1767-1845)

The national debt is $11,838,821,622,477 (9/17/09) or about $38,570 for each citizen. Excessive spending is going to bankrupt this country. What kind of legacy are you leaving for your family?

Healthcare needs to be reformed but the Baucus bill is not the answer. It “pays for itself” over 10 years by offloading the majority of the cost to the states through expanded Medicaid coverage. Medicaid spending is, on average, the second largest component in state budgets behind education. Currently 48 states have shortfalls in their 2010 budgets. How can anyone believe that this “change” will not be associated with large tax increases?

Let’s try a different approach—tort reform and increased competition by allowing us to buy insurance across state lines (think auto insurance). Healthcare makes up 15% of the US economy; we need to spend time getting the bill right.

Congress wants to belittle people who question them. After all, don’t you trust that the 1,600 page bill written by the Service Employees International Union?

It is difficult to get the average American motivated to participate in politics. We are too busy living our lives. I urge you to get involved to protect your children and grandchildren’s future.

Kristi Pugh-Owens

Outrageous!!!

2009-09-24T22:46:00.000-05:00

I have a feeling many people do not see some of the news I see, because it's not mainstream. I saw a video today that I think should be viewed, especially by those with children in our current public school system. There is a link I'm embedding here that will take you to a website with some commentary explaining a little more about it and the youtube video of a kindergarten class singing a song praising Obama. Please note the music they used and see if you see where this is leading. You can form your own opinion.

Kindergarten Indoctrination Video

The Silent Majority

2009-09-16T23:34:00.001-05:00

The first in a series of editorials sent to the Tuscaloosa News for publishing - 9/16/2009.

The Silent Majority

One of the penalties for refusing to participate in politics is that you end up being governed by your inferiors." --Greek philosopher Plato

Americans better wake up to the “changes” that are occurring. I find it horrifying that Obama’s senior advisor David Axelrod said Sunday when asked about the weekend demonstrations by the “tea party” protestors that “I don’t think it’s indicative of the nation’s mood; my message to them is they’re wrong.” It appears that either you agree with the President or you are wrong. Excuse me? I thought that Obama ran on a platform of hope and change. The only change that I see is this feeble Republic quickly heading down the path of socialism. Is this the change that the people voted for? I thought that we lived in a democracy that celebrated differences and allowed dissenting views on issues.

During August we witnessed high-spirited town hall meetings on healthcare. The majority of the attendees weren’t radicals but concerned citizens trying to find the truth. Americans are skeptical of any large changes from Washington given the radical changes over the past year. Just a few years ago who would have imagined that we would be spending trillions of dollars bailing out AIG, Citigroup, General Motors, Chrysler, Bank of America, etc? When did we become a nation of whiners? Capitalism thrives on rewarding success and punishing failure (via bankruptcy). This is heads I win, tails you (the taxpayer) lose. The small amount of trust that we had in government was lost after the bailouts.

Instead of acknowledging that the proposed healthcare changes need to be re-evaluated and time needs to be spent ensuring that we get the bill right (after all healthcare makes up about 15% of the US economy) Congress wants to belittle the people questioning them. After all, don’t you trust that the 1,600 page bill written by the Service Employees International Union (SEIC) was thoroughly ready by your Congressional Representative?

It is difficult to get the average American motivated to participate in political rallies, write letters to Congress and speak out against unwelcome change since most are busy living their lives and not trying to infringe on others. I urge you to get involved if you care about your children and grandchildren. The national debt is $11,838,821,622,477 as of 9/17/09 or about $38,570 for each citizen. How will we ever pay this back? Excessive spending is going to bankrupt this country. What kind of legacy are you leaving for your family?

Don’t rely on the mainstream media outlets—ABC, NBC, CBS, the New York Times to give you accurate coverage. They are not interested in giving you all of the facts; it is in their best interest to tell you what they want you to know. This is the early stage of socialism. Do you really think the German people woke up one morning in the 1930s and decided that burning books was a great idea? It is a slippery slope; you must uncover the truth and protect America from the changes that will destroy our children’s future. This is not a Republican versus Democratic issue—leave the political parties out of it. This is about saving the America established by our Founding Fathers. You must break from being the silent majority. Stand up and make your voice heard!

Kristi Pugh-Owens, CFA

My Blog is Back!!

2009-09-16T22:38:00.000-05:00

My blog is back and I hope I can keep it going. I just have so many things I need to say I can't keep it down. First and foremost I have issues with our current administration that has simply urged me to start a series of editorials to our local newspaper. I will be posting them here for anyone interested. I realize I may be crossing into the political views and opinions world of blogging and everyone will not agree with me. However, that is why we have freedom of speech, at least for now. I need to take advantage of it while I can. If you disagree with me, then simply don't read it. Otherwise, comments are always welcome. Happy Flexing as always!! - Kristi