Saturday, October 27, 2007 - Happy Birthday Little One

We only spent about 30 minutes up at the hospital with Olivia today. When we arrived, she was sleeping so peacefully and she was saturating very nicely at 21% (room air.) This was after they turned her vent settings down to 17/5 with a rate of 13. It seems that she loves it in isolation. She needs the rest and we didn’t want to bother her. Of course, we wanted to wake her up and talk to her and see her, but that’s not what is best for her. We did whisper a little happy birthday song to her before we left. It breaks my heart because I don’t want her to think that we didn’t come to see her. It’s been so hard not getting to hold her. Ryan and I both miss it so much. She even gained another 40 grams last night which puts her very close to 2 lbs 12 oz. Like we’ve said before, we believe the isolation is just a precaution. All of her cultures have come back negative thus far and we’re hoping that she is moved out by Monday. She’ll be rested and ready for CPAP!! Please continue to keep her in your prayers.

You know, people take about having a weight on your shoulders. I’ve been physically feeling this weight and have a huge knot in my shoulders that I’m having a hard time getting rid of. Last night, it caused me to have the worst headache. I received a daily devotional yesterday from Mary and Ed and it illustrated my point so nicely. I will post a portion of that:

If I recall correctly, Ian Thomas illustrates this point by telling the story of a man walking down a dusty rural road on a hot, humid day. The man is loaded down with a heavy backpack and carries a duffle bag in each hand. A pick-up truck comes along, and the driver offers the walking man a ride, telling him to hop in the back. The driver heads down the road, but when he looks in the rear-view mirror he sees that his new passenger is standing in the bed of the truck – still holding both duffle bags, still wearing the over-packed backpack on his back. The thing is: We stand in the truck of faith, still carrying our burdens, thinking they are independent of the ride we’re taking. Perhaps we think God can carry us, but not our burdens, that we have to keep bearing them ourselves.

I am guilty sometimes of accepting the ride, but standing in the bed of the truck while still holding on to my burdens. Lately my burdens have been too much for me and I’ve been praying for the ability to give them completely to God. One of my favorite songs (from my records I listened to so long ago) is:

I cast all my cares upon you
I lay all of my burdens down at your feet.
And anytime I don’t know what to do.
I will cast all my cares upon you.

Friday, October 26, 2007 - Update

I wish I had more good news to report today. When I went to visit Olivia today, I found that she wasn’t there. She had been moved to the isolation room. They found that Olivia had a blister on her shoulder and they don’t know what caused it. It could have been caused by something that rubbed up against her. They have started her on antibiotics in case the culture from it comes back showing a virus, etc. For the time being, she must be in isolation. This means that we have to wear the full gown and gloves when we go in to see her and we cannot do skin to skin. We can’t even bring in her book to read to her. The culture from her eye did show some growth today, so she did have a slight infection. She is already on a topical antibiotic and the antibiotics that she is now on should take care of it. On top of all this, she had to have her 2 month vaccinations today. Four shots in her little thighs. . .she has just had a rough day. Then, she didn’t even get to be held mom and dad. All we could do is really look at her tonight, but she had her eyes open and she kept smiling at us. She is just so precious. Her stomach is also looking a tad bit distended, so they are keeping an eye on that. I realize that we can’t expect every day to be great while in the NICU, but after all we’ve been through (with infertility, Logan) I don’t know how much I can take. Please just pray for Olivia. We hope all of this is simply a precaution and that she’ll get moved out of isolation by Monday so that we can hold her again.

I went out to Logan’s grave today and brought him a little pumpkin and a scarecrow. It looks really nice for him. I’ve felt awful because I haven’t been able to get out there much. We just haven’t had time because we’re at the hospital with Olivia. I sometimes don’t feel that I’ve had the chance to mourn for him because we have Olivia to think about. In a sense that’s probably a good thing because she keeps our mind on the things to come instead of dwelling on the past. Why is it that when you have a little girl, you become obsessed with the color pink? I see anything pink and I think, “Oh, I have to get that for Olivia!”

Please pray that we get through this little bump in the road and that the isolation room just provides Olivia with a little peace and quiet. Don’t forget that she’ll be 2 months old tomorrow!!!

"I can do everything through Christ who strengthens me" - Philippians 4:13

Thursday, October 25, 2007 - Update

I’m the proud mother of a 2 lb 10oz little girl! She gained over 40 grams last night and we were so excited. Her eye cultures have come back negative for any type of infection. Not a whole lot more to report on her. . .she’s just getting stronger (she’s starting to develop quite a bit of muscle tone) and bigger. We couldn’t be happier about that. Please always think of my Olivia and pray for her every day.

I’ve noticed that some days I do a lot better than others. Some days I feel so angry and bitter and I hope that doesn’t reflect too much in my writing because that’s not the kind of person that I am. It’s hard not to feel those emotions, however, when I feel like I’ve had to fight so very hard for my children. It’s hard not to constantly ask, “Why me?” When I feel like that, I’m just reminded of all the things that I have to be thankful for. I’m then reminded that God is a merciful God. I was by myself at home in the morning on the day that Logan and Olivia were born. What would have happened if I’d given birth to them alone at home? God made sure I was at the hospital with my family so that Logan and Olivia could get the proper medical treatment immediately. For reasons I will never understand, God had to take my Logan from me. But, he also gave me my beautiful daughter. God gave me a husband who loves me no matter what and who will always love his children unconditionally regardless of any obstacle that they face. God gave Ryan and I parents who showed us what it means to be wonderful parents. I have the most amazing family and friends and neighbors. If anyone needs a good chiropractor, I can’t say enough wonderful things about Dopps Chiropractic (Dr. Ian and Dr. Kamra Dopps) in Maize, KS. They have gone above and beyond in supporting us throughout this whole ordeal. Stress does not do nice things to your body. Neither does eating dinner at 11:00 pm, however, I think we’ll be eating by 9:30 pm tonight. Anyway, I just hope that everybody tries to look for the good in their life. It’s there even when it seems there is only heartache. It’s a peace that only exists when you accept Jesus as your personal savior. It’s a peace that I hope all of you have.

Wednesday, October 24, 2007 - Pictures

Wednesday, October 24, 2007 - Update

We had a good visit with Olivia tonight. Daddy got to hold her. She was a little cold in her isolette and sometimes they don’t let you do skin to skin if their body temp isn’t warm enough. But, we always warm her up very well and daddy brought it up one whole degree! She was very relaxed and snuggly tonight. We’ve learned how to tell when she is assisting the ventilator and when she’s just letting it do the work for her. Ryan was able to take deeper, more frequent breaths to encourage her to take more breaths of her own. It was pretty amazing!

She did have to have another transfusion today. I guess the last transfusion didn’t quite bring her numbers up to where they wanted them to be. Hopefully, she won’t have many more. She also has had some discharge from her eyes that they cultured to make sure she doesn’t have an infection. It is probably just a clogged tear duct. We’re hoping that it’s nothing big. Poor thing tries to open her eyes and she can’t because her eyelids are stuck together. Olivia has continued to gain weight the last two nights, so we hope that continues. There is still the possibility that she’ll be home by Christmas. I found out tonight that she has a Christmas dress that matches her older cousins. Olivia continues to amaze and inspire us. To be born 17 weeks early and doing so well. . .it’s just a miracle. She’s our little miracle and we thank God for her every day.

Wednesday, October 24, 2007 - A Poem For Logan

I wrote a poem for Logan last night. I’ve been writing poetry since junior high. As I’ve gotten older, I don’t write it very often. I also don’t share it very much. But, I’ve shared everything else on here, so why not? Anyway, here is my poem. . . .dedicated to my wonderful son, Logan William.


Playing in Heaven Instead
By Jodi Glunt

You were the perfect little boy
Of whom we always dreamed.
Did you know we had your name picked out?
All along or so it seemed.

You even had your daddy’s hands
So miniature in size.
In life we never got to hold you
Or even see your opened eyes.

We had so many plans for you.
Did you know you are a twin?
I wanted you to grow up together.
What a pair you would have been!

I wanted to take you to the park
And push you on the swing.
I wanted to teach you how to walk,
And read and write and sing.

I wanted to show you a fire truck
And let you ride upon a horse.
I wanted to take you to the zoo
To see the giraffes, of course.

I wanted you to watch cartoons
And play video games with dad.
And you and I would take a nap
Oh, the times we would have had.

But, your mommy’s plans were not to be.
“I have other plans,” God said.
“Instead of playing in life’s playground
You’ll be playing in heaven instead.”

And someday when I see you again
I’ll walk down a road paved in gold.
I’ll run to be right by your side
And in my arms I’ll finally hold!

Tuesday, October 23, 2007 - Mommy and Olivia

Mommy holding Olivia.
Olivia is wrapped up in her pretty giraffe blanket.

Tuesday, October 23, 2007 - Update

Well, kind of a mixed bag today. I’ll start with the good news. Olivia had her eye exam and they don’t see any signs of ROP! Her eyes were just a bit hazy, which I hear is pretty common for babies her age. Now, I don’t know the chances of her still developing ROP. I hear that her chances are low since she showed no signs this time. . .maybe some other preemie moms can help me out with that? So, before I get too excited I would like to learn some additional information about it. They did have to turn her vent settings up to 18/5 with a rate of 16 and that was a little surprising because she had been doing so well. Olivia also gained a little bit of weight last night and she now weighs about 2 lbs 7.5 oz. We hope that weight gain continues as she hasn’t been able to get over 2 lbs 9 oz. Overall, she is doing well. . .I think Ryan and I just weren’t in the best of moods today. I wish that the NICU parents didn’t take the same elevators as the parents taking their babies home. It’s hard sometimes to go up to see Olivia and watch people with balloons and flowers and their babies leaving to go home. I’m not saying that they don’t deserve to take them home. . everybody does. But, I’ll never get to take Logan home and it will still be a long time before I get to come home with my precious Olivia. I’m also a little apprehensive today because one of the visitors in the NICU had a bad cough. I’m just concerned about Olivia and all of the other babies in the NICU. That’s the last thing any baby needs when they are dealing with so many other problems.

Anyway, Ryan and I made an appointment at our doctor’s office today. We both got our flu shots. Neither one of us has ever had a flu shot before, but because of Olivia we decided that it would be a good idea. We’re just trying to remain healthy so that we can be there for our little girl.

I am so thankful that Olivia’s eye exam went well. Like I mentioned before, if anybody has any input about ROP, please let us know. Should we be ecstatic about this or just cautiously optimistic? Please continue praying for Olivia. . .she is one tough girl!!

Monday, October 22, 2007 - Update

Ryan was able to speak with one of the doctors this morning. They are starting Olivia on a fortifier to increase her weight gain. Because this can sometimes cause extra gas in the tummy, they are holding off on CPAP (it too can cause gas in the tummy.) Now, this is as long as she doesn’t pull the ventilator tube out herself. She extubated herself last time (when she had the bigger tube put in) and she’s coming close to doing it again. That girl is more tenacious and stubborn than her daddy! Olivia’s eye exam is tomorrow, not today. Her chart had down 10-22-07, but I guess it just meant the week of the 22nd and they usually do the exams on Tuesday. That was an interesting comment about weather changes/barometric pressure. We sure did have a cold front blow in yesterday.

I’m having a rougher day again today. I’m not sure why. I went to the grocery store and everybody there just seemed to be going about their merry way. I wanted to say, “Don’t you know that the world is missing someone very special? Don’t you know that my daughter is in the NICU?” Olivia is 8 weeks today!! I can’t believe that I’ve been doing this for 8 weeks. . .and we’re not even halfway on our journey to bring her home. Some may think that Ryan and I are being overly protective as we are very strict about who can see Olivia and when they can, etc. Please understand that this is just our way of protecting her. I need to do this as I feel I was unable to protect them before. I was unable to keep them safe and warm as a mother is supposed to do and they came into this world too early. I can’t help but think. . what if? What if I would have quit work sooner, what if I would have gone on bedrest sooner? One thing I’ve always struggled with is that I’m not assertive enough. I knew that something was wrong and yet I let them send me home from the hospital when I initially went in (one week before their birth.) As Ryan has pointed out before, if they had admitted me into the hospital, I would have been very stressed. I was not as stressed at home on bedrest and maybe that helped us gain that extra week. The drugs that they were going to start me on to prevent labor can also be very hard on the mother. I don’t know. . .I’ll always wonder. I just need to know that I’m doing everything that I possibly can to help my daughter have the best chance in life. That’s why I’m still providing breastmilk, that’s why we read to her, that’s why we sing her songs and why we hold her every night. Please don’t ever go a day without saying a prayer for Olivia. She is a wonderful little girl!!

Don't worry about anything; instead, pray about everything. Tell God what you need, and thank him for all he has done.
Philippians 4:6 NLT

Sunday, October 21, 2007 - Update and Prayer Request

Olivia is not doing quite as good today. It’s not that she’s doing badly. . .I think we’ve just come to expect progress from her each and everyday. Her oxygen requirements were a little higher today and she didn’t seem to enjoy being held as much. She was very squirmy and seemed pretty restless. Usually she snuggles in next to me, her oxygen stabilizes and she drifts off to sleep. Tonight she was consistently setting off the ventilator alarm. She also hasn’t been gaining weight like she should on strictly breastmilk. What you have to remember is that a premature baby expends so much energy on things like simply breathing and they usually need some supplementation. I just hope that she is able to tolerate it well.

You know, before I was pregnant and while I was pregnant, I was the epitome of healthy eating. I barely drank any caffeine, I ate my fruits and vegetables and vitamins, stayed away from fast food and trans fat. . .well, not anymore. I mean, when you don’t get out of the hospital until almost 9:00 pm and you haven’t had dinner, you don’t want to cook once you get home. We just don’t have time. We’ve discovered that you can find almost every fast food restaurant on West St. and it’s on the way home from the hospital. Someday we’ll start eating healthy again.

Please be in prayer about Olivia. We would love to see her off of the ventilator this week with lower oxygen requirements. Please pray that her eye exam goes well tomorrow and that she continues to grow stronger and bigger and healthier each day.

…I focus on this one thing: Forgetting the past and looking forward to what lies ahead,...
Philippians 3:13

We are all so excited about Olivia's beautiful future. What an amazing day it will be when Ryan and Jodi take their Olivia home.

Saturday, October 20, 2007 - Update

Yesterday Olivia got her first phone call. It took daddy by surprise. He had to say, “Olivia is my daughter. . .who was premature. . .she’s in the NICU.” The phone call was from a nurse assigned to her by our health insurance company. It was kinda strange. Before we know it, however, I’m sure she’ll be getting calls from boys.

She continues to do very well. They weaned her vent settings down again today. She is now 16/5 with a rate of 14 and is doing fabulous! They increased her feeds to 24 cc, but she is still not gaining weight like she should. They will probably be adding the fortifier to my milk sometime next week. She’s got a big week ahead of her as she also has her eye exam and the possible start of CPAP. Please continue to keep her in your prayers!

Saturday, October 20, 2007 - The Pictures Say It All

"Dad, I said no more pictures!"
"Oh, alright, how about this pose?"

"Or, do you like this one?"
"How about a full body shot?"

"Hmmm... what else can I do to pass the time?"

"If I had a barbell, I'd show you just how strong I am"

"Aaaah! Just practicing my scream for Daddy. I hear it's almost Halloween!"

"Ha! I fooled you!! I'm holding it in my other hand!"

Friday, October 19, 2007 - Afternoon Update

Olivia continues to do so well. They weaned her vent settings down again to 18/5 with a rate of 14!! And. . . .they may try her on CPAP this weekend. This is a huge step for her and we are so proud. Olivia is quite the popular baby in the NICU. I believe that the nurses actually fight over who gets to take care of her. I love her feistiness and her fighting spirit. Pretty soon you may be able to purchase her new aerobics video that she’s training for. She is going to be thrilled to get off the ventilator as she gets so mad when it tries to give her breaths. It’s like she’s saying, “Stop! I can do it myself!” Please pray for her success on CPAP.

They may have to add some fortifier to my milk because she is not gaining weight like they would like her to. It seems that she’s kind of stuck at 2 lbs 9 oz. Please pray that she will tolerate that okay. Olivia continues to love being held (almost as much as we love holding her.) As you can tell, I’m just so proud of my daughter today.

Thursday, October 18, 2007 - Update

Olivia is doing great today. I am always so very proud of her. Her vent settings were weaned down to 18/5 with a rate of 16 and her oxygen requirements remain really low. She was on 22% last night and was satting very nicely at 92%. She also is making her first little noises. . .kind of a cooing/crying. But, she seems fairly happy when she makes the noises. Ryan and I have been taking turns holding her each night for a week now and she does extremely well. We put up curtains around her isolette while we hold her and spend time together as a family. We read our stories, sing our songs and just talk about our future together. Ryan and I can hardly remember what we did in the evenings before we had Logan and Olivia. I am constantly in awe of my husband. He wakes up around 6:30 a.m., works all day and then spends all evening at the hospital. I can’t even imagine working right now on top of everything else that we’re dealing with.

Next week Olivia has her first eye exam to begin testing for ROP (retinopathy of prematurity.) It is an abnormal growth of the blood vessels in a premature infant’s eye. The smallest and youngest of premature babies are the most at risk. I have included a link that explains it in greater detail. We ask that you be in prayer for Olivia as this is another big hurdle.

http://www.nei.nih.gov/health/rop/index.asp

Interesting tidbit: The cause of Stevie Wonder’s blindness is due to ROP. He was a premature infant and back when he was born, they did not have the medical knowledge and technology to help treat it. Please continue to surround my little girl with your love and prayers!

Wednesday, October 17, 2007 - Update

Olivia is doing well today. They have increased her feeds again and weaned her vent settings to 18/5 with a rate of 18. Olivia also has to have a transfusion today because she was slightly anemic. She went about 3 weeks without needing one, so that is great. She enjoyed being held by daddy last night. Olivia is opening her eyes more and more. I tell ya, it makes it so much harder to leave when she just wants to look at you. I think she is starting to enjoy having Ryan and I there more and more. I woke up this morning with an awful headache. Of course, I freaked out thinking I might be getting sick. But, now I think it was just one of my bad headaches. I’m terrified of getting sick and it makes me not want to be around any people. If I get sick, I don’t get to see my baby girl and I can’t bear the thought of missing even one day with her. So, if anyone feels like they are getting sick, please stay far away from Ryan and me. We won’t be offended, I promise.

Thank you all for your posts. Thank you to all of the other moms of 23 weekers who make me realize that I’m not the only one going through this. Shanon, I appreciated your comment about how well Olivia is doing. I truly believe that she is defying all of the odds. She had no IVH, no PVL, her PDA closed without surgery, she’s been on full feeds, etc. She is just an amazing little girl. . .stronger than I’ll ever be. What a weight on those little shoulders. I always had comfort in knowing that Logan and Olivia went through it together. As they got older, they’d each have someone who understood what it was like to be born so early. It breaks my heart that Olivia doesn’t have him anymore. Then, I remember all of the friends that Olivia and I are making who do understand.

Ashton http://ashtonjeffreykaden.blogspot.com/
Kinnick and Carver http://www.kinnickandcarver.blogspot.com/
Olivia and Avery http://www.oliviaandavery.blogspot.com/
Conner, who understands what it’s like to lose a twin http://aboutthelarsons.com/
Serena and Edwin Jr http://my23wktwins.blogspot.com/
Kaitlyn, who also understands what it’s like to lose a twin http://lizmccarthy.blogspot.com/
Lindsey and Sydney http://www.justkima.blogspot.com/

Cooper and Logan http://furloughfamily.blogspot.com/
Cole and Paige, who lost their triplet, Kaylee http://www.chasingbabies.com/
Interesting story about Cole and Paige. . .when I first found out that I was pregnant with triplets, I was searching the Internet for everything “triplets.” I came across their website. Before I ever knew that I would need the information, I learned everything I knew about premature births. I think that was God’s way of preparing me for what was to come. This was also one of the reasons that we chose Paige as Olivia’s middle name.

How many people have that many friends before they are even 2 months old? Plus, that doesn’t count all of the neighborhood kids who pray for Olivia. She also has her cousins: Julia, Alex, Katie, Rebekah, Aidan, Isabelle and one on the way. And, the rest of her family and church and all of our friends and their kids, etc. What a support system! Thank you all so very much. Your comments and words of encouragement are so very appreciated. They help get me through each day.


I have made each of the above websites a clickable link on this page. They are listed under the heading "Friends" - Stacie

Don't worry about anything; instead, pray about everything. Tell God what you need, and thank him for all he has done.

-Philippians 4:6

Tuesday, October 16, 2007 - Update

Well, I thought I would send an update earlier today. We’ve been getting home from the hospital late and then we still have to eat dinner. Ryan and I are both pretty down today. Don’t worry, Olivia is doing fine. When Ryan called for the morning update, he found out that the doctor planned to add the extra fortifier/calories to my milk. We had heard that “may” have been what caused them to stop her feedings before. Ryan spoke with the doctor about it and for now they are going to just increase her to full feeds and monitor her weight gain. We don’t want to second guess any of the doctors as we completely understand the need to increase her caloric intake and fully respect their judgments. Most premature babies need these extra calories for the growth and development of their bodies and brains. This entire NICU experience is so difficult. Nobody should have to suffer with infertility. Nobody should have to suffer through the NICU experience. Nobody should have to deal with the loss of their child. Why have I had to suffer through all three? Most days it is just too much. My heart longs for Logan. I constantly yearn for reassurance about Olivia that no one can give me. She means the world to Ryan and me.

I think back to August 9th. . .oh, what a day that was. I had my sonogram and found out the sexes of my twins. I was ecstatic when we found out that we were having a boy and a girl. Everything was going great. Would you believe that I actually felt guilty? It was just so incredibly perfect. My heart broke for all of the people who couldn’t experience the joy that I was feeling. Because everything was progressing so well, we had already purchased two cribs and a double stroller with two car seats. Now, I have to look at them in the nursery everyday, but I just can’t bear to get rid of Logan’s crib or the stroller.

I wish that I could respond to every comment, every card that we receive, every stuffed animal that was given at Logan’s funeral or that was left on our front porch. Please know how much all of that means to us. Ryan and I look forward to it every day. Thank you all so much for helping us through this difficult time.

Monday, October 15, 2007 - Update and Pictures

Olivia is now in her big girl diapers. :) She has outgrown her newborn diapers.

I got to hold my precious daughter tonight for about 2 hours and 20 minutes. They went up on her feeding today to 15cc. There isn’t a whole lot to report tonight which I consider a good thing. We are just patiently waiting for her to grow healthier each day. Patience. . . .that is something that I have an abundance of. I mean, what else can you learn when it takes you over 2 ½ years to be blessed with children? Now, I ask for patience from all of you. Many might think that once Olivia goes home, she will be similar to a full-term infant. What other mothers of preemies (Olivia is actually considered a micro-preemie) know is that we will be in the midst of RSV (respiratory syncytial virus) season. To us, that might result in cold-like symptoms, but to premature babies it can be extremely serious. From what I’ve read and from conversations with the nurses, Olivia will not be going out much or entertaining many visitors. We will just have to follow our pediatricians recommendations. Please be patient and understand that Ryan and I will do what is in the best interest of Olivia. Thank you all again for keeping Olivia in your prayers.

Sunday, October 14, 2007 - Daddy and Olivia

Sunday, October 14, 2007 - An Update from Daddy

Well, for a change of pace, I thought that I (dad) might write the update today. I got to set the record today for holding Olivia the longest. I held her for 3 hours! She loved every minute of it. Her nurse said that at about 4:15 Oliva knew that it was about time to be held by mom or dad. Jodi and I got to the hospital at 4:45. Olivia was wide awake and ready for us. It didn't take long for her to fall asleep on me after they got her out. It is a wonderful feeling holding my daughter. She's going to be a daddy's girl yet. I'm just amazed at how calm she is while she is out. She gets totally relaxed. Olivia isn't just warm when she's out on me. She get's daddy warm. When she goes back into the isolette she tends to be about 37.1°C. Her normal temperature in her isolette is generally about 36.7°C. She did really well tonight during her transitions from and back to her isolette. She also keeps surprising Jodi and me with how much weight she has been gaining. She gained another 30 grams tonight which brings her to about 2 lbs. 9 oz. They have also increased her feedings again today. She is currently on 11.4cc of breastmilk every 3 hours. Olivia also had another first today. She got to wear her first hat! It was cute seeing her wear it.

I know my postings aren't as good Jodi's, but y'all won't have to worry. She will still be doing the majority of posts.

Saturday, October 13, 2007 - CPAP Information

To describe what CPAP is, first I will explain the four biggest things that the ventilator does.

1) Provides oxygen
2) Rate – The number of breaths given that the baby has to take. (Note: The baby can take extra breaths on her own.)
3) PIP – Peak Inspiratory Pressure which is how much pressure is given to inflate the lung
4) PEEP – Positive End Expiratory Pressure which is how much pressure is applied at the end of expiration. It is basically used to keep the lung partially inflated at all times.

So, when Olivia has a vent setting of 17/5 with a rate of 18: Her PIP is 17, her PEEP is 5 and the ventilator is giving her 18 breaths per minute. When she goes to CPAP, she is no longer given any extra breaths and gets only the PEEP without the PIP, along with oxygen. Instead of a breathing tube down her throat, she will have small tubes that fit through the nostrils. CPAP stands for Continuous Positive Airway Pressure. When the ventilator setting is 16/4 with a rate of 10, it is usually no longer beneficial to be on the ventilator. I sure hope I have explained everything correctly.

If there are any nurses reading this, feel free to add anything that I left out or described incorrectly