I have to apologize. The days of the first couple weeks really ran together and felt like one long, never ending day.
Peanut's heart US was actually on day 2, Sunday. The oncall pediatrician briefly went over the results with us. He didn't really go into detail though, and I think that M and I were so sleep deprived, we didn't ask many questions, or understand much. The only thing we cared about that day was that they were taking Peanut off her machines, and she could finally come into our room!
It felt so good to be able to sit in the privacy of our room and hold our daughter. On Monday, we got her pictures done by the lady that comes to the hospital and does them. Another chest X-ray was done taht day too, and it came back good. Because it was the first day her actual pediatrician got to see her, he didn't want to discharge her yet. To be on the safe and more comfortable side, he wanted her to stay at the hospital one more day. I was discharged, but luckily our hospital lets you "board" for no charge if your baby has to stay, so that is what M and I did.
On Tuesday, before they would dishcarge Peanut, they took her blood. Her billi levels came back high, and they put her on lights. Her sodium and chloride also came back high. I still don't know what those high levels indicate, or can cause, but I do know its not good. Fortunately though, they let us go home, with lights to set up at our house.
The first 2 weeks "home" were spent at either the hospital or the pediatrician's office. Peanut had TONS of blood draws to check everything they can possible check with blood. Her little feet looked like hamburger they had been poked so many times. When they needed a bunch of blood for labs though, they took it out of her head. I can't explain how horrible it is to see a group of nurses around your child with syringes stuck in her head.
It took almost a whole week for her billi levels to come down enough to be able to take her off the lights. Her sodium and chloride weren't coming down though, and she dropped down to 6 lbs 2 oz, which was over the "normal" amount of weight loss for infants. We had to start supplementing her with formula, which was the final straw for me and I had a breakdown in the kitchen. I am lucky to have M, who has been so supportive, even though all this was taking its toll on him too (he lost over 10 lbs!).
On one of the blurred days during this 2 wks, we went to see a heart specialist who works with Seattle Children's Hospital. This was the day of good news (finally) for us. Her sodium and chloride levels came down that day into range, still on the high side, but at least in range. They did an US on her heart again, and found 2 holes. One is between the lower 2 chambers, the other between the upper 2. This sounds super scary, and can be, but her's are small. The Dr was very optimistic that they will actually close on their own, and even if they don't, they shouldn't give her any troubles. We can definitaly live with that!
This was all such a relief and we were certain that we were out of the woods with Peanut's issues. And we pretty much were until week 3.
No comments:
Post a Comment