The usual cycle

As usual, by bragging about how well Eliza has been doing, we've given her an open invitation to prove us wrong. (One such previous iteration here - also on a Monday; what is it with Mondays?)

Over the last couple of days, we'd been a bit concerned because Eliza's temperature and heart rate had been drifting gradually upward. By Saturday morning, she was getting too warm when wearing clothes and swaddled, so she had to be swaddled in just her diaper. Her heart rate should be going down as she gets bigger, but over a week it went from 160s to 170s to 180s and up. Neither of these are problematic in and of themselves, but something we were keeping an eye on - it might not even be related to her current issue, I don't know.

She has also been sleeping a lot - nothing but eating and sleeping, without really spending any time awake in between. This too may be a non-issue (or even a good thing, since maybe it's been helping her gain weight?) but it too was a change for Eliza.

This afternoon and evening, though, she has definitely been feeling sick. She's been pale and lethargic, her heart rate was up in the 210s (alternating with bradycardic episodes, which is also concerning and NOT typical for her), she was overheating even when simply swaddled, and was just plain looking ill. Worrying!

No one seems to be quite sure yet exactly what's going on with her. They've done a number of labs so far (several blood tests and a chest x-ray), which have showed a few borderline results but nothing that shouts "Eureka!" They're going to do more of them (urinalysis and a blood culture) so we'll see what those results come back as. The attending fellow suspects either a UTI or a virus of some sort, so he'll be starting Eliza on antibiotics tonight just in case.

Further bulletins as events warrant...