The switch in “parent watch” occured today when Rolf passed the baton off to me in the hospital parking lot as the family headed home to SB. Rolf and Wilson had a great couple of days with Rudy over the weekend…Gpa Dick, Gma Jo, Max, Olivia and I made the trek down this morning for a little “family” time. Rudy was a bit unsettled when we arrived. Rolf was holding him and trying to calm him down. As he has several times in the past couple of weeks, Rudy got increasingly agitated. Rolf handed Rudy off to Gma Jo and he calmed down for a bit but soon started to get fussy again. Rolf took the children to our favorite skate park in L.A. for a little outdoor fun and while they were gone, Rudy’s heart rate spiked to 234 and his breathing got to 100 bpm…I’ve never seen those numbers that high. And as usually happens, he spiked a high fever and ultimately needed a couple of rescue doses of meds to get him calmed down. He finally fell asleep after working quite hard for a couple of hours and he has been asleep ever since. His fever broke after a dose of Tylenol and lying on a bed of ice for a good bit. Hopefully, he’ll sleep soundly…Rudy is scheduled for a full day tomorrow.
They have stopped the feeds to his stomach again as it seems he’s unable to tolerate them…They started the feeds very slow and yet he vomited a few times since Rolf’s last post. The plan for tomorrow is to do a test where they put contrast in his stomach to see if there is anything blocking the stomach’s ability to function properly. Most likely, they will also go ahead and put in a NJ tube that goes from his nose, through his stomach directly to the intestines…allowing his feeds to bypass the stomach for now and go straight to his intestines. Dr. Rick warned me of the possiblity of this last week and described it as temporary. Because we were told at the very beginning that HLHS kids often have longterm digestive issues, I’m praying fervently that that won’t be Rudy’s reality and that his intolerance to feeds is temporary. NO INTOLERANCE ALLOWED on MLK Day or any day, for that matter!!!
Although the focus has shifted to Rudy’s stomach, it is important to mention that everyone we talked to today is encouraged by Rudy’s lungs…the x-ray is looking good and Rudy doesn’t need the ipv treatments (to prevent the collapsing of the lungs) for now. This is good news and we are grateful. We praise God for the answers to prayer along the way in this journey of ours…thank you, thank you for prayerfully walking this long road with us.
Rudy's Beat 
It is great to see the pictures and we are thinking of you. We are also praying for all of you and especially for Rudy’s continued progress
Lookin’ good Grandma Jo…you, too, Grandpa Dick! Glad you got to visit with and hold Rudy! Love you!
Oh my gosh! In that top picture you can see how much Rudy’s eyes look like Wilson’s. You all continue to be in our prayers in snowy CT. Hang in there 🙂
We just love seeing Rudy in all your arms! He is getting so big I cant believe it. We are always thinking of you all and praying for Rudy to get stronger everyday. WE LOVE RUDY!!! Go Rudy Go!!!
We will keep praying with you and for you.
Just wanted you to know that we are thinking of you and Rudy often. You, Rudy and your family are on our hearts each day. I wish there was something tangible that we could do for you from here. Please let us know if there is anything you need or want. I can’t barely imagine how difficult this journey continues to be for your family. Praying God’s strength will carry you and be close.
What great photos! Wilson looks very happy to be holding his little brother. You are all in my prayers. Love, Kelly
What a wonderful picture with Grandma Jo and Grandpa Dick! We miss you both terribly, but seeing you with Rudy is truly, truly a blessing. We love you!!
hannes