An Update About Bobo

Bobo took a turn for the worse last Wednesday and had to be started on oxygen.

His breathing was laboured and he had a dry hacking cough. Our Paediatrician was glad that he was all ready being covered with an antibiotic.

To her consternation and mine, though, no amount of oxygen would raise Bobo's pulse oxygen levels (measured across his skin's surface up to normal levels.The balance of gasses in his blood suggested a long standing problem that was keeping his oxygen levels low.

Despite covering as many bases as we could, Bobo remained lethargic over the next few days.I was concerned on Friday, to notice a very variable heart rate. More bedside tests showed another problem - Bobo had low calcium levels and his body was trying but not successfully compensating, by making his blood more alkaline. Under alkaline conditions, calcium is leached from the blood, into the bloodstream, where it is needed to help control heart rhythm and other vital processes in our organs.

Despite giving calcium and vitamin supplements at the highest doses, Bobo has gone on to develop muscle tremors - another sign of calcium deficiency. We have added in a magnesium supplement, to see if this will help Bobo to absorb the calcium in his diet.

Today, he looks much better and is behaving more like himself -looking around, cooing and cooing in his bumbo. He has an abundance of very facial expressions that we were treated to this after noon. What I really want is a smile,I haven't seen one of those from him in several months.