Click on any date to read the journal entry for that day.
May 31, 2001
Gage got to move into an isolette (incubator) on Monday to help him hold his temperature. For those of you who don't
know, Gage has developed a staph infection. This is different from the last time we thought he had one. Last time the
MRSA (the name of the staph infection) was just colonized. This means that he had the germ that causes the staph
infection, not an actual infection. This time it is a full blown infection. His left arm and right leg are showing
signs of infection the most, although the infection is throughout his bloodstream. They are red, swollen, and stiff.
He frowns and cries when they have to be touched. It is obvious that he doesn't feel well. He barely moves and sleeps
most of the time, only opening his eyes occasionally. He was on an antibiotic called Vancomycin, but infection control
came in and added two more antibiotics to try and get this infection under control. Because of the MRSA, Gage is in
isolation, and will remain there until he gets to come home. MRSA is spread through physical contact, and is resistant
to antibiotics. In order to protect the other babies, he has to be isolated. He does have a partner in crime who also
has MRSA, so he's not all alone!! They also removed all of his lines (IV catheters) because of the MRSA infection.
Lines tend to aggravate the growth of the infection, so they had to be removed. Once the infection is cleared up, they
will re-insert his lines. He is not gaining much weight because his body is working so hard to fight the infection.
He has been on and off of insulin each day, and he is currently on dopamine for low blood pressure. He is also receiving
platelets because his count is low. His vent settings vary from day to day, but they are giving him more oxygen so he
won't have to work so hard to breathe, since he needs all of his energy to fight the infection. I know all of this
sounds pretty negative, but all in all he's stable, and following a very typical course for a 24 weeker. He will be one
month old on Saturday...Praise the Lord!! Please keep him in your prayers, as this infection is a stubborn little
sucker!! Stay posted for the next update!! |
June 2, 2001
Gage is 1 month old today!!!! We took him a new Winnie the Pooh blanket to put on top of his isolette, so that when he is
awake he will have something bright and cheery to look at. It also helps to keep the light out when he is sleeping. He
started feedings yesterday and is tolerating them well this time!!! He only gets 4cc of breastmilk, which is about a
tablespoon, every 4 hours. He is fed through a small tube that goes directly into his stomach. Now we're just waiting
for a poopy diaper! His arm looks quite a bit better today. The swelling has gone down some, and it is not near as red.
He doesn't frown and cry when it is touched, so I hope that is a sign that this infection is on it's way to clearing up.
I also forgot to mention in my previous update that he has reached 2 lbs.!!! He is getting to be quite the big boy!!
He is having some problems with bradycardia (his heartrate drops below 100 bpm). This is a normal sign of stress, and
it has only been occurring since he has had the infection. I talked to one of Gage's primary nurses, Dottie, about
starting kangaroo care. Kangaroo care is when they place an infant, wearing only a diaper, on your bare chest so that
the baby can smell you, feel your warmth, and hear your heartbeat. Kangaroo care is very beneficial to preemies like
Gage because it reminds them very much of the womb. She said that Gage cannot do kangaroo care until he has gone 24 hrs.
without a bradycardia, so let us pray for that day!! We also got to see his ENTIRE face today with no tape!! He's
absolutely adorable, and reminds me very much of his big sister Hailee. Well, that's about all the news for today. He's
doing much better today, so keep the prayers coming!! |
June 4, 2001
Well, some good news today!! Gage is getting 8.5 cc of breastmilk every 4 hours,through his tube now. He is still tolerating
his feedings and is beginning to produce some pretty good stools. Today, he was at about 34% oxygen and was high
satting!! (High satting means he has high saturation of oxygen in his blood stream.) The best news right now is that
the preliminary report form his blood culture yesterday is negative for infection. Keep in mind that it takes at least
72 hrs. to get a final report from a culture, so it COULD still start to grow. But, for now it's good news. They will
continue to take cultures each day, and Gage will remain on antibiotics for a few weeks depending on how his other tests
come back. They are planning to do an MRI either this afternoon or tomorrow to make sure the infection is not in his
bones. Eventually they will also do a spinal tap to make sure it has not gotten into his spinal cord or the fluid in
his brain. Gage would not tolerate the spinal tap right now without having a bradycardia, so they plan to wait until he
is a little more stable, as far as his sensitivity is concerned. If the infection has spread into the bones or spinal
fluid, he will remain on the same antibiotics he's on, only for a longer period of time. He weighs 2 lbs., 1 oz and
looks bigger and better every day!! Keep up the prayers!! |
June 6, 2001
GREAT NEWS!!! I got to hold Gage last night and do kangaroo care (skin to skin contact)!! The nurse practitioner
thought it would be beneficial for both Gage and me, so we did it. He tolerated the move from the isolette to my chest
just beautifully. Matt got to be the one to move him. He was VERY nervous. Once we got Gage onto my chest, Matt got to
hold his feed while it went into the tube. The skin to skin contact while feeding is important because that is how Gage
will learn to asssociate "mom" with "milk." Yesterday he was getting 10cc of breastmilk, and today he is getting 12cc.
The nurse practitioner also said that he is very strong. She said most babies' vent settings get really bad when they
have such a bad infection, but Gage's settings were still very good when he was sick. She said they were shocked that
he handled the infection so well to be so small, and that we should be encouraged by that. And I am!!! He's tough and
feisty, and he's gonna be just fine!! He also had his bone scan yesterday. They decided to do a bone scan instead of
an MRI. He had to be transported downstairs to do the procedure, but he was a good boy, and tolerated it very well. He
also had to have a catheter while they did the procedure, and he handled that really well too!! He MUST be tough!! His
cultures are still coming back negative and they have discontinued one of his three antibiotics. He's on the road to
recovery!! Matt gets his turn for kangaroo care tonight, and I'll be sure to get pictures, and post them. If you want
to see the Polaroids the nurses took last night of us doing kangaroo care, see Gage's NICU Photos. |
June 11, 2001
Sorry, it's taken so long to get an update posted!! It's been pretty busy around here! Gage is doing great. His past
three blood cultures have come back negative, and they have discontinued another of his three antibiotics. Now, he is
just on Vancomycin, and will they probably continue that for another 2 or 3 weeks. He is up to 17 cc of breastmilk plus
a fortifier, every 3 hrs. Regular breastmilk is 20 calories, but they are adding fortifier to make it 24 calories. He
weighs 2 lbs., 3 oz. and is off of IV fluids. Since he is beginning to gain weight, there is talk of starting steroids
for his lungs this week, which would show large improvements in his ventilator settings. They WOULD have started them
earlier, but couldn't because he was so sick. His bone scan came back normal, so we are very thankful for that. Matt and
I are LOVING kangaroo care, and Gage seems to enjoy it as well! He looks better everyday, and is finally getting his energy
back. He is very alert these days, and is getting to be quite the little wiggle worm! I'll try to do better at keeping you
guys posted. I'm also adding a guest book on his home page, so you guys can write any comments to me, Matt, or Gage without
writing a separate email. So please don't forget to sign in, and send us a note every once in awhile! |
June 13, 2001
Great news!! Gage is up to 2 lbs., 6 oz...almost a pound more than his birth weight!! What an accomplishment, especially for the
road he's traveled with this MRSA. He is up to 18 cc of 24 calorie breastmilk, every 3 hrs, and is still handling it well. They
have a TINY pacifier that they give him to suck on while he gets his tube feeding. This teaches him to learn to associate the sucking
with the "full" feeling in his tummy. He had another neurosonogram (head sonongram) to make sure that he hasn't developed any bleeds
in his brain. The results are not in yet, but his previous ones have come back normal. He is getting so active, now that he feels
better!! He puts his feet down and pushes his bottom and back up in the air, and this morning he rolled himself onto his side! He may
be tiny, but he is TOUGH!! That's really all the news for today. Hope you all are doing well! |
June 15, 2001
Well, some bad news....Homestead, the provider of this FREE website is gonna start charging, so I'm not sure what will happen to this
site. I may try to make a new one on another FREE provider, or I might even pay to keep this one. I don't know. BUT, if I move the site,
I will definitely let you know where the new site will be. Anyway, about Gage. I'm not sure what his weight is THIS morning, but
yesterday he was 2 lbs., 5 1/2 oz. His weight fluctuates from day to day because he gets a dieuretic every other day. He was up to 20cc
of breastmilk with 24 calorie fortifier yesterday, but that may go up today. This is kind-of a "premature" update, as I have not called up
there this morning, because they are "closed" from 6:00am-8:00am. So, I don't have the LATEST details, but I figured everyone would be anxious
for an update anyway! He is doing great on the ventilator. Last night his vent settings were on 26% oxygen at a rate of 20 breaths per minute.
The steroids have really helped, but now we have to wait and see if they made temporary or permanent progress. They will wait a week before
they decide whether or not to give another round. He looks so good!! His skin just amazes me. It looks so different from when he was born,
and even more different than it did last week. He is growing and changing so fast! I may update this again soon with more current details, but
if I do, you WILL receive the mail-out letting you know! Thanks to all of you who continue to take interest in Gage. We appreciate all your
support! |
June 18, 2001
Well, Gage continues to grow!! He is up to 2 lbs. 7 1/2 oz.!! He looks so good. I can't explain to you all how much he changes from day to day.
I've been taking pictures, but the roll has 40 pictures on it, so it will take awhile before I get it developed. My last roll was ruined because
my battery was going dead, so the pictures turned out blurry!! :( Gage is up to 22 cc of breastmilk. He now receives his feedings on a pump over
30 min. They used to just let it all run into the tube so he got all his food within about 5 min. But now that he is getting so much, it's hard
for his stomach to handle so much food all at once. So now, he gets it over a 30 min. period, which has helped quite a bit. K'Lyn and Hailee (his
two big sisters) finally got to see Gage for the first time last night. They were amazed at how small he was. It's funny, because he is so BIG
compared to how he looked at birth! Gage just looked and looked at them!! It was so sweet. I got pictures and video of the occasion! I'm fairly
certain that he will get another round of Decadron (steroids). He is on about 40%-50% oxygen, which is not nearly as good as he did while he was on
the steroids. But, I guess we'll just have to wait and see what they doctors decide to do. His roommate, James, is going home, so Gage is all alone
now...poor little guy! Well, that's really all the news I have for now. |
June 20, 2001
Gage is up to 2 lbs., 9 3/4 oz.!!! They have upped his feedings to 23cc over the pump. He's getting so big...they grow so fast!! They have
determined that the MRSA HAD settled in the bone on his left arm ( called osteomyelitis). Since the infection was centralized in the elbow
and wrist (where growth plates are located) there is a possibility that his arm could have growth problems. Let's pray that it continues to grow
normally!! They said the chances of that happening are small, but it could happen. Because the infection was in the BONE, they will continue the
Vancomycin for 3-5 more wks....better safe than sorry. They have also come down on some of his pressures on the ventilator. (They are not expanding
his lungs as much...i.e....he has to work a little harder to breathe.) They are slowly trying to wean him off the ventilator without further help from
medications. His roommate James went home Monday night, so we're all alone in isolation!! That little guy was a cutie and we'll sure miss him! We wish
he and his mother lots of luck (she's only 17). That's really all the news I have for today since Gage is doing so well. Thank God for that! We love
you all! |
June 22, 2001
Well, we've got yet another setback. It looks like Gage has pneumonia. The doctors don't act as if it's too terribly serious. He had increased
secretions from his lungs, and those secretions were also thicker. They took a culture from the secretions, and it came back with growth..i.e...infection.
They are not absoulutely certain that it is pneumonia, but he's showing all the symptoms, and they are treating it as if it is pneumonia. They added
another antibiotic to the Vancomycin, called Tobamycin. They will treat for pneumonia for a week, and for the osteomyelitis for 6 wks. Gage is not doing
well on his vent settings because of this new infection. He is at a rate of a whopping 45 breaths per minute (as compared to 20-25 bpm), and on about
40%-80% O2. They've also gone back up on his pressures. He is up to 2 lbs. 10 oz (1190 grams). He lost a little weight Thursday, because he started
getting his Diuril (diuretic) everyday because of some puffiness in his little feet, and is just getting the weight back. He is gaining weight fairly
quickly, because they added Polycose (easily digested sugars added to breastmilk to increase calories) and MCT oil ( also used to increase calories) to
his diet last week. Well, that's all the news for today. Please pray for Gage, and that this pneumonia is gone as quickly as it came. It's time to move
FORWARD, and get closer to coming home!! |
June 25, 2001
WHAT A WONDERFUL DAY!! Gage is off the ventilator!! It sort of happened by accident instead of him "graduating," but he is doing well without it.
He has had an air leak in the ventilator because he has outgrown the tube in his trachea. This makes the ventilator similar to breathing through a
straw, which was causing his oxygen levels to be low. So, last night he started de-satting because of his air leak, so they extubated (took the
ventilator out). They put him on CPAP which stands for Continuous Positive Airway Pressure delivered through nasal prongs.. It is a type of artificial
ventilation where a constant, gentle stream of air is blown into the lungs to help keep the airways and air sacs open, making breathing easier for the
baby. It doesn't breathe FOR him, the air in his throat just REMINDS him to breathe, and keep his lungs slightly open. So he still has to do most of
the work, but the CPAP makes it a little easier. Since he doesn't have a ventilator running between his vocal cords, he can also cry now!! I haven't
heard him cry since the day he was born, until today!! It was the greatest sound I've heard since that day! He is doing very well on the CPAP. Right
now he is on the highest level of CPAP (level 8). He is doing well enough to move down to a 7, but they said they didn't want to push him too fast, which
is fine with me! He'll do it in his own time. After CPAP, the next step will be nasal cannula, which is just oxygen delivered through clear tubes in
the nose. They have also decided that he DOESN'T have pneumonia. His white blood cells are fine, and he doesn't act sick. They have discontinued the
extra antibiotics, but he is still on the Vancomycin. He has started gaining weight again (he stayed at 2 lbs., 10 oz. for a few days), but today he
is 2 lbs., 11 1/2 oz. (1230 grams). Well, that's all the news for today...and it's all good! What a wonderful day!! |
June 26, 2001
Anyone want to ride this ROLLER COASTER with me? After a wonderful day yesterday, we follow with bad news today. Gage's doctor informed me today
that Gage has cysts on both frontal lobes of his brain. They are small right now and not causing any damage, but they could be a sign of PVL
(periventricular leukomalacia). PVL is damage to the white matter of the brain caused by infection or insufficient blood flow. PVL can cause mental
retardation and/or cerebral palsy. He is still on level 8 CPAP, and he won't be weighed again until tonight at midnight. We ask you for your prayers
once again as Gage attempts to overcome yet another hurdle. He is not scheduled for another neurosonogram (head sonogram) until July 11. We hope to know
more then, but the best indicator is an MRI, which may not be performed until closer to discharge. Until then, please keep him in your daily
prayers. |
June 29, 2001
Well, a little bit of good news...I was looking through Gage's chart and I saw the report from the neurosonogram that showed the cysts
on his brain. The sonographer said that it was "doubtful" that it was PVL, but recommended a follow up to be sure. This makes me feel a
little better, but we would still appreciate your prayers on this issue. There is still the POSSIBILITY that it could develop into PVL,
and we need to fight!! Also, a little bad news. Gage had to be re-intubated because he was not doing well anymore on the CPAP. They said
that his little body was just tired from working so hard to breathe. So they're giving him a break, and they've started another round of
Decadron (steroids to help mature the lungs). He is up to 25cc of breastmilk...bolus feeds again...no more pump. He weighs 2 lbs.,
15 1/2 oz...almost 3 lbs!! So, let's not panic about the cysts, but keep a positive attitude and continue to pray!! We love you all!
|
July 3, 2001
Well, Gage has been with us for over two months now!! YAY! Every day is an accomplishment! Gage was put back on CPAP yesterday...on the
day he turned two months old! He does have a back-up rate of 15 breaths per minute this time. This means that the machine is still giving
15 breaths...not just the gentle flow of air. He did really well yesterday, and was on about 30% oxygen. But he's having some trouble
today, and is on about 70%. He's having some apnea and bradycardia episodes, and he's been bagged twice today. He is still on the highest
level of CPAP (level 8). I'm actually a little nervous. Matt and I are leaving at 5:00pm to go to Possum Kingdom lake for tonight and
tomorrow, and I hate to leave Gage when he's not doing his best. I am giving the hospital the numbers where we can be reached, but I'm
sure I'll still be a nervous ninny! He has passed the 3 lb. mark, although I'm not sure what his exact weight is today. I forgot to ask
Bridgitte (his primary nurse). And...I should have more pictures to put on the site by Thursday or Friday if they don't come out BLURRY
this time!! The past two rolls have been ruined...I THINK the battery in my camera may have been low, so we'll see if they come out!
I hope everyone has a happy and safe 4th of July!!
|
July 6, 2001
Gage is up to 3 lbs., 4 oz. He is on 28cc of breastmilk, and getting to look quite chubby, if you can imagine! He even has a double
chin!! They have lowered his rate to 10 breaths per minute. He is staying in about 35-40% oxygen, so he's doing fairly well. The doctor
said that 70-80% is "not doing well," 40-50% is "hanging in there," and 21-40% is "doing well." So,that's what I use to "gauge" how
well "Gage" is doing!! I just thought I'd let everyone know that I've added 10 new pictures to the "nicu photos" page. Hope you enjoy
them! He's my little cutie!! Feel free to add any comments to his guestbook!
|
July 11, 2001
Where do I start? First of all, Gage is up to 3 lbs., 9 oz. Secondly, and more importantly, Gage had
ROP (Retinopathy of Prematurity) laser surgery on
his eyes yesterday. He has "Severe Stage III with Plus Disease ROP". If left untreated, he had a 60-70% chance of becoming blind. Now
his chances are about 20%. Before the surgery, Gage was on level 6 CPAP with a back-up rate of 10. While they were giving the
Lidocaine(sp?) shots, Gage started de-satting pretty bad, and had to be re-intubated (put back on the ventilator.) We're hoping this
will be short-lived since he was finally starting to make some progress on CPAP. They also had to stop his feeds until he recovers from
the surgery. He was on 30cc breastmilk before the ROP surgery. We're hoping for a full, quick recovery, and for Gage to be able to get
off the vent and back on CPAP. Will update as soon as I have more information on Gage's progress.
|
July 12, 2001
Good news! Gage got off the ventilator last night. He is back on a level 8 CPAP, and requiring about 40% oxygen, and when I checked on
him last night he had no back-up rate!! YAY!! I'm not sure if there will have been any changes by the time you all read this, since
it's 1:30 a.m. as I type this, but I will find out as soon as I can. They restarted feeds yesterday too, but only at 15cc until his
bowels get moving again (typical after surgery even in adults). He had his neurosonogram and I should find out about that today too.
I haven't gotten a formal report back, but the doctor told the nurse that it looked pretty much the same as last time...still several
tiny cysts. He said this is both good and bad...good that they haven't GROWN, and bad that they're still there. He weighed 3 lbs.,
10 1/2 oz last night, so he's still doing good on that end! Will keep you posted! Thank goodness for a better day!
|
July 13, 2001
Gage is now on level 5 CPAP. When he starts doing well on a level 4 CPAP they will put him on just oxygen (nasal cannula) with no type
of vent support. But for now, he's on a level 5 which, might I say, is AWESOME!! He's doing far better than he's ever done. He has
resumed full feeds, and has even gone UP some. He is now on 31 cc of breastmilk through his gavage feeding tube. His eyes are still
bruised and puffy, but he's managed to get them open to sneak a peak at mommy! I also found out more about Gage's brain cysts. They feel
that they will most likely not cause any serious damage, although they don't KNOW that. Like I said, they will do an MRI before he is
released, and that will tell us more. But for now, I'm not worrying about it, until we know something CONCLUSIVE. So, overall, Gage is
doing great! He's doing better every day!! I can't wait til he gets to come home!
|
July 15, 2001
Wonderful news! Gage is OFF of CPAP!! He is now on nasal cannula (just oxygen with no ventilator support!) He is also in a newborn open
crib. This means that he is able to maintain his own body temperature. Because he is out of the isolette, he also gets to wear clothes
and warming caps! Gage has three requirements to come home: 1. He has to be able to maintain his body temperature. 2. He has to be
steadily gaining weight. 3. He has to be able to nipple (by breast or bottle) all 8 feeds a day. SO, all he has left is learning to
nipple his feeds. I asked his nurse how long this typically takes, and she said about 2 wks. But, Gage is breathing pretty fast (between
80-110 breaths per minute). This is caused by the Chronic Lung Disease. Chronic Lung Disease is scarring and inflammation of the lungs.
This makes the lungs stiff, so he is not able to take big, deep breaths. But, because of this, it makes it difficult to try to nipple
feeds, because he would probably choke. I plan on speaking to the doctor tomorrow to find out more about nippling and to see what the
time frame is of Gage coming home. He now weighs 3 lbs. 11 oz and is up to 32cc feeds. He's doing great!
|
July 18, 2001
Sorry it's taken so long to get an update! Homestead was down for awhile while they updated THEIR site! There aren't many changes with
Gage. He is on 34 cc feeds, and now weighs exactly 4 lbs!! I can't believe how fast he's grown! We're planning on trying to nipple a
feed today (probably from a bottle). The nurses have said that Gage could possibly be in the hospital longer if I decided to actually
BREAST feed. He has to work harder to get milk from the breast, and will tire more easily...which means he won't be able to nipple a
whole feed. I MAY just let him have a bottle (with pumped breast milk) in the hospital, and then let him try breastfeeding when he gets
home. I don't know yet. I'll probably speak to a lactation consultant before I make any definite decisions. But that's about all the
news! He's still on nasal cannula, and in a crib. The orthopaedic surgeon is going to check on his left arm today (the one the MRSA
settled in) to make sure it is free of infection. I'll let you guys know what I find out.
|
July 26, 2001
Well, it's official....mommy is slacking! Sorry I've kept you all waiting. Matt and I are having some pretty tough marital problems,
so I've been a little preoccupied. Please pray for us as we deal with the devil in our relationship. As for Gage, he's doing great.
He's started to nipple about 1 feed a day of about 36 cc plus his meds. He weighs about 4 lbs., 6 3/4 oz, and is getting cuter by the
day! I plan to add new pictures to the site either Saturday or Sunday. He sees his eye doctor again tomorrow to make sure the ROP is
regressing. He also "graduated" to the red team. He was on the blue team, and he's at the point where he WOULD move to the other side
(which is a step-down unit for feeders/growers) BUT, he's not allowed to move because he had MRSA, so they just assigned him to the
doctors that usually take care of the older, less critical babies. It's one step closer to coming home!! He is still on nasal cannula
(just oxygen), and is doing just great! He's started smiling at me, and it just warms my heart! He's awake for longer periods of time,
and he gets to sit in a bouncy seat every once in awhile for a change of pace! Hope everyone is well. Please keep us in your prayers,
as we fight to mend our family, and get our son home!
|
August 1, 2001
Gage is doing great. He's now nippling 2 feeds a day of 39cc or more. He weighs 4lbs., 10 3/4 oz. He is still on nasal cannula. The
nurses seem to think he may be home by his due date (August 19). We'll see...I'm getting so excited! I've added a few new pics to his
"nicu photos" page. The newest pics will be at the bottom of the page. I've only got a few because half of the roll came back BLANK!!!
I'm having the worst luck with pictures these days!! But anyway, I hope you enjoy what I've got! Matt and I are picking up the pieces
of our relationship, and trying to work things out for the sake of Gage, and our love for each other. Thanks for all your support!
|
August 13, 2001
I'm so excited to tell you all that Gage is supposed to come home on Friday!! He now weighs 5 lbs., 5 oz, and is on
nipple/nipple/gavage...which means he nipples two feeds in a row and then takes the next one by feeding tube, and then you repeat the
process. If he does well with n/n/g, they will advance him to "nipple all feeds" tomorrow morning. He has to nipple all feeds for two
days with weight gain and he can come home. He has passed his car seat test (he had to sit in his car seat for an hour with no de-sats
or bradycardias). Today, he had a renal (kidney) sonogram and a VCUG (iodine in bladder and kidneys to make sure there is no reflux back
up into kidneys). He had to do this because he had a UTI at one point and this is just follow-up on that. He also had another x-ray on
his left arm to check on the MRSA that settled in the bone. The orthopaedic surgeon has not looked at that yet, but it was fine last
time. He also took his hearing test today, and passed that as well! It was a very busy day! Tomorrow, he has another eye exam. In the
past, he hasn't tolerated these well because of the drops they use to dilate his pupils. Last time, he ended up back on CPAP, but this
time they are going to try different drops in hopes of a better outcome! Then, on Wednesday he has his MRI on his brain to rule out
PVL (which I described on June 26). He has to be fully sedated for this, so he will be groggy and have a hard time nippling on
Wednesday. So, if he picks up his full feeds on Thursday, we'll have done two days of nippling all feeds, and he'll come home on Friday
afternoon!! YAY!! It's finally almost over, and I can't wait! He will be coming home on oxygen and a monitor, but that's fine with me as
long as he's HOME! Also, Gage is breastfeeding now, which he handles MUCH better than bottle feeding. So, nothing but wonderful news!
I've posted some more pics on the "nicu photos" page.
|
August 26, 2001
Well, Gage is finally home!! It's been somewhat of a mess, but it's all over now! Here's what happened. Gage DID come home last Friday,
August 17. Then on Sunday the 19, we found a puddle of water behind Gage's head. This worried me because Gage has a humidifier on his
oxygen tank. That water can get into his lungs and cause pneumonia. I called his home nurse, and she said to have him checked out just
in case. So, we packed up Gage, with his oxygen, monitor, and pulse oximeter and went to the Baylor ER. They did a chest x-ray, and said
that Gage had already been developing the beginnings of pneumonia (supposedly unrelated to the humidifier incident). Since Gage had only
been home for about a day and a half, they let him be re-admitted to Baylor's NICU. They don't usually re-admit babies after they've
been "exposed" to the real world. The NICU doctor said it was probably only a partial collapse of his right lung, and not pneumonia,
since Gage showed no other signs. His chest sounded good, and his cultures came back negative for infection. So, they held him until
this past Friday, August 24, and he got to come home again!! YAY! He's doing great...but quite a handful! We're really enjoying being
able to see him whenever we want. Needless to say, he's getting a bit spoiled. But, hey, I figure it's my God-given right to spoil him
at least for a little while! He's doing great with his feeds, taking anywhere from 50-75 cc every 4 hours. He is weighing close to 6 lbs.
now!! He's precious! We'll be getting pictures developed soon, and I'll be sure to post them for you guys! You can see his hospital pics
on the "nicu photos" page.
|
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