This week has been an experience. Tuesday the R.M.H. called and said they had a room for us at an overflow hotel, so Tuesday & Wednesday night I stayed there. Thursday they had me move to another hotel. Shawn came down and we both stayed there for Thursday & Friday night. Saturday morning we got the call letting us know that a room had opened at the R.M.H. so we will be here from now until Kennedy is able to come home. It's a nice place with very kind people and they also have Sleep Number beds, so after years of wondering I finally get to find out my "number" LOL.
There has also been some excitement besides the musical hotels experience. As I wrote last weekend Kennedy gave us a scare during an E.T. tube replacement, well this week she decided to up the ante. Thursday was crazy I was holding her and during that time her saturation levels went really low but because her levels were already set at 100% oxygen we had to put her back in her isolete and try some different methods to get her stable but nothing seemed to work. it was at this time that they had to switch her to a high frequency ventilator, called an oscillator. They did lung, urine, and blood cultures and it turned out that she has Pneumonia. A manageable level is in the .oo1 to .003 range, our little girl has a level 9 (not .oo9) which needless to say is a very serious infection! It was rough being here alone and waiting for Shawn to get off work so I could let him know. They started her on some super strong antibiotics. The low point of the week was was Friday afternoon when the nurse practitioner came in to discuss the situation and tell us the course of action. Well she didn't have the most loving bedside manner and I sure could have used a little sugar-coating at that moment because she informed us that there was a possibility our little girl might not make it. To hear a doctor tell you that your child could die is surely the worse experience I have ever faced in my life. I wouldn't wish it on my worst enemy. Needless to say I lost is. I managed to keep it together until we reached the hallway where I pretty much collapsed into Shawn's arms. He had to take me into the restroom and get me to calm down so we could get out to the car and hotel. The good news is that she is doing a lot better. It will probably take a 14 day course of antibiotics before we see the pneumonia bug clear up. So far today (Saturday) she is a lot more alert and active with a much better looking chest x-ray.
Tomorrow (Father's Day) she will be 5 weeks old! It will be Shawn's 1st ever Father's Day.
Here's hoping for all the best.
Well it's Sunday and after typing all this in for Katie I've decided to write a little bit about my first Father's day. I never imagined I could love someone so much. Being a parent is something you just can't prepare for and with the situation we've found ourselves in sometimes I feel I'm in over my head. But that feeling never lasts long because Katie, Kennedy and I are going to come out of this stronger and with a different concept of family then most people ever get to experience. When we arrived at her room today Katie surprised me with a card from Kennedy that had her hand prints in it. I Loved it SOOOOOO much. Katie is such a great wife. It was hard today because they were doing some procedures, and I always have a hard time watching cause I am a big softy. But our Nurse Practitioner came in and said that things were much better and that the antibiotics have started working. Her oscillator settings were down very low and Gail our nurse was saying she was getting back to her feisty self. After I had left and driven home Katie called with great news, they put her back on the other ventilator because she didn't need the high powered one anymore. This means her lungs are working better and she is doing more of the breathing work herself. There is a minor thing with her stomach acting up again, but with preemies you take small steps forward and try not to let the setbacks phase you. I LOVE my daughter so much I could cry, and I probably will. As for now though I am smiling!
1 comment:
I'm glad Kennedy is doing better. Our girls seemed to stay on antibiotics forever. They often never knew exactly what kind of infection they had, but they just kept giving antibiotics.
Shawn, I hope you have been able to hold Kennedy. My husband first held Natalie and Abby last Father's Day weekend. It was very special.
I'm also so happy you were able to get a room at RMH. I hope it takes away some of the stress.
Johelen
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