The Journey of James Weston

Sunday, December 26th, 2021 Saturday night Dad sleeps downstairs to give Mom a break for 12 hours. Typically between 10pm Saturday until 10am Sunday. 😴 It all started when Mom was taking a shower 🚿 around 11:30pm Saturday night and Dad yelled for help several times. He didn't know she was in the shower and Mom couldn't hear him. Eventually she heard her name, immediately turned off the shower, grabbed a towel, and ran down the stairs soaked but expecting the worse. Dad let her know that James was not doing well. He had been inconsolable for about an hour. Dad was currently venting James with a syringe and had about 40cc of gastric juice come up. He was unable to suction him while he was venting. Mom quickly suctioned James and he had a lot of secretions blocking his airway. However that didn't make James feel any better. His respiratory rate was still very high, and his heart rate and oxygen levels were not reading. So Mom changed out the pulse ox sticker but her hands we...

Saturday, December 25th, 2021 We finally made a trip upstairs with James!  So we rent a 2 story townhouse in Tampa. Moved here right before the pandemic while we sold our house in Clearwater. Upstairs is the master bedroom, his nursery, and an open loft which is where our TV and couches are setup. We gave James a tour of his amazing woodland themed nursery that he never got to see. 👶🏻 Now we are watching our first Christmas movie as a family together in the TV room! 🎄📺 It took 3 trips between the two of us worth of equipment including the ventilator, suction machine, humidification chamber, and extended the oxygen tubing to 75 feet with a connector. Oh and plate of cookies 🍪 😂 but we did it! It's the little things! 🥰 So grateful to be able to relax at home with James while he naps on his first couch! Thank you everyone for the love. Family is everything. ❤️❤️❤️ Excuse the mess. 🤣 Merry Christmas! 🎄 P.S. James' 1st Birthday is coming up! Wouldn't it be fun for Jame...

Friday, December 24th, 2021 Today our family suffered a devastating loss. James' Aunt Vangie, a devoted wife and loving mother of 2 young boys 13 & 17. Aunt Vangie received her wings on Christmas Eve and left a legacy behind that touched many people. We will all do our part to embody her strength and moral courage as she attacked her battle with cancer like a champion. She never retreated. She never complained. Most importantly, she never lost her faith. Just one week ago, the last thing we heard her say over the phone was, "Oh James has such beautiful eyes". She was always so loving with an infectious laugh. We'd like to think that she is meeting James now and looking over all of us. Our hearts break for her family. We have both experienced the loss of a parent as a young adult and we know there is nothing worse that the gut wrenching feeling of missing your mom or dad. The feeling that "it just doesn't make any sense" while you are looking for ans...

Thursday, December 23rd, 2021 James had a little photoshoot with Teddy from Cocomelon. No nursing today. Not much to report. James is getting more and more active everyday. Daily routine including the following: 1 hour of eye patching Sitting up or floor time whenever awake, including using the bouncer, a boppy, or pack and play mat 3 naps a day (30 minutes to 1.5 hours) Being held for at least 1 hour a day We've been adding in games and oral stimulation as well. Meds are given 5 times a day and feeds are every 4 hours. P.S. James' 1st Birthday is coming up! Wouldn't it be fun for James to read an email from you when he is older? What a treasure! His email is JamesWestonAbramowitz@gmail.com. How awesome to get his reply back in like 10 years...

Wednesday, December 22nd, 2021 James wore his new red Burt's Bees onesie that Aunt Robin cricuted with, "Dont I look cute in Red?" Mom tried to nap in the morning once the nurse came. However with the vent and pulse alarms going off constantly it's quite literally impossible. James had physical therapy in the afternoon. We tried something new and disconnected his J-tube and G-tube extensions from his GJ button. This immediately allowed James to tolerate tummy time, so that must have really been hurting him. It is a good ½ inch of plastic pushing into an already sore area of the stomach. 😥 Mom made phone calls handling supply orders and getting medications refilled. To give you an example of the competence of some of the DME people "handling" our insurance denials...one stated, "I know the trach is being denied because it's custom, since it's made out of different custom materials". 🤯🤦🏻‍♀️ No, it's a custom length. This just validate...

Tuesday, December 21st, 2021 James had a busy morning of physical therapy, eye patching, and playing piano. In the afternoon someone who Dad works with came by to meet James since he was in town. He was fast asleep in our nurse's arms. 🥰 After a lot of chit chat James woke up just in time to say goodbye to our guest. In the evening we saw a new side to James. He was angry! He did not like that we put him in his bouncer so he banged his toys very aggressively making a lot of noise. James would not smile, even for Cocomelon. He was pissed we we're making him sit up all day. James would much rather lie down, because that is what he is used to.  James trying to explain to us why he should lay down instead. P.S. James' 1st Birthday is coming up! Wouldn't it be fun for James to read an email from you when he is older? What a treasure! His email is JamesWestonAbramowitz@gmail.com. How awesome to get his reply back in like 10 years...