I cannot believe that Lucy is over 2 weeks old and less than a week away from her original due date!
She continues to do well in the NICU. Her biggest problem is with her suctioning tube in her esophagus - it is difficult for the nurses to get it placed right and have it stay in place - Lucy's little fingers have a way of finding the tube and yanking it out of her nose. This causes her to cough and gag on the saliva that she in unable to swallow and that isn't being properly suctioned and she tends to hold her breath until she gets it worked up. She was put back onto oxygen because she was having some periods of low blood oxygen levels. I am not personally convinced that she needs it, because I think her breathing disruptions are related to her suctioning issues, but we are hoping that those get resolved soon.
This week promises to be a quiet week, focused on Lucy growing and resting in preparation for her next surgery. As of yesterday, she was 5 lbs, 4 oz, so up one ounce from her birth weight. We still do not know when her next surgery will be, but have been told it will NOT be this week. Her only scheduled test this week is to take a closer look at her double aortic arch to get a better understanding of how the blood is flowing between the multiple veins and arteries and plan for how that can be resolved.
Jason and I are officially tired of the hospital - the drive, the food, the lack of being able to do anything for Lucy and simply not being HOME. Jason is taking his first work trip this week - 10 days in Fargo, North Dakota for a wrestling tournament. I am going back to work part-time starting at the end of this week so that I can take some time off when Lucy comes home. Prayers are definitely needed as we struggle to find the right balance between returning to our "normal" schedules and spending time with Lucy in the hospital.
Thank You for your continued encouragement and prayers. We appreciate every call, email, card and Facebook post and look forward to being able to introduce Lucy to all of you in person!
Abby I am sure this will be hard, but you guys can get through it. Lucy is going to need all the time she can get with you when she gets home. You know she is in great hands at the hospital and is obviously continuing to get stronger as the days go on. Hey I was born at 5 lbs, she is bigger than I was :)
ReplyDeleteThoughts and prayers are with you guys, keep the faith layd!