I gave Landon a sponge bath in his isolette for the first time today, and he did not like it one bit. He cried and flailed his arms and legs the whole time. It was so scary moving him around to clean him because he is so tiny and fragile. When I have to move his head I can feel the big soft gap between his skull bones where they haven't fused yet, and I worry that I will do something to hurt him. I got to wash his hair with a toothbrush, and it went all fluffy and fuzzy afterwards.
All the nurses rave about how cute he is, and one told us not all babies this little are cute but that Landon is very cute. I think he is the sweetest, cutest baby I have ever seen, and one day he will fatten up and be even more adorable and cuddly then! When I see other babies in the NICU they look like giants in comparison with his tiny body.
We also closed on our new house today. I am not sure when we'll be able to move in yet, but I am excited to start getting Landon's room ready for him. Hopefully we will have less than three months to go before he gets to come home now!
Day 26: Wednesday, Feb. 12th
Today was a very rough day. I woke up to a call from the NICU that they had just re-intubated Landon because his apnea and bradycardia episodes had increased sharply overnight. They had also ordered CBC and CRV labs, and the results suggested that he has an infection. Results from more blood cultures and respiratory tract tests will tell us what kind of infection it is. A chest x-ray showed a foggy part in his upper-right lung, so right now the doctor is thinking it is pneumonia. Anything that he could have aspirated into his lungs could have started growing bacteria and caused pneumonia.
Mike came home to get me, and we went up to the hospital to see him. Mike's dad met us up there and he and Mike gave Landon a priesthood blessing. We went back up to the hospital later that night and Landon had been switched to the oscillator ventilator (the very first ventilator he was on) because his carbon dioxide levels were too high on the other ventilator. The oscillator provides very high frequency shallow breaths to keep the lungs open and to assist oxygen and carbon dioxide exchange in the lungs. The machine makes a steady humming noise and constantly shakes the babies chest. It causes slightly less damage to the lungs than the conventional ventilator which forces the lungs open with each breath.
Landon also had two IV's in his head, and one of them was actually a blood transfusion. Noone had told us he was going to need a transfusion, but it was already going by the time we got there. The transfusion helps with kidney function, hemoglobin levels, and blood oxygenation. It was a very scary moment to see my little baby with all these new tubes and two IV's in his head--- including one with blood going through it!
Blood transfusion going into his IV
They started Landon on Ampicillin and Gentamycin in the other IV and Lasix (a diuretic) to help with some of his swelling and the fluid in his lungs. They had to stop feedings during the blood transfusion but planned on starting them up again after it had finished. Dr. Rich-Denson told us that it's huge that he can tolerate his feedings while he is sick. Breast milk has important antibodies to help him fight infections and keep him full of the nutrition he needs to help him get stronger. Lori, Landon's nurse, told us it's her observation that the little ones that continue to tolerate feedings through infections are usually stronger and sturdier little fighters. I know he is a strong little fighter, it is just so hard for me to see him this way. No mother should have to watch her baby go through this. We just continue to pray for him and know our Heavenly Father is watching over him.Day 28: Friday, Feb. 14th
Blood cultures today came back positive for Staph Aureus infection. So they changed Landon's antibiotics to Nafcillin and Gentamycin to treat the infection. They said his condition is looking better. They've been able to lower his oxygen to about 20% and have started weening him off the nitric oxide. They gave him Dopamine last night to help with his kidney functions, and apparently it worked because the nurse said he has peed more today than he has in the last 3 days combined. When I got to the hospital, one of Landon's head IV's was out and moved to his feet. He still looks really swollen and weighs 850 grams--up 20 grams from yesterday. They did a head ultrasound to make sure everything was ok with the infection, and Dr. Miner said it looked great. The disputed area from the first ultrasound --that the radiologist said could have been a grade 1 bleed, but the neonatologist said did not look like any bleeding had occured at all-- had now completely resolved, and there were no areas that were ischemic or lacking blood. They restarted his feedings, and he is now getting 3 mL every 4 hours.
I took Landon a card for Valentine's Day with pictures of him with mommy and daddy, and Great-Grandma Lowe sent him one that I took up as well. The NICU had made a gift for me out of a frame and Landon's footprints in the shape of a heart. Mike also got me beautiful flowers.
Day 29: Saturday, Feb. 15th
Landon looked much more like himself today. He was a little less swollen and is starting to get some wrinkles back in his forehead. He has finally lost some of the water weight. They are taking him off the nitric oxide tonight as well, which is great. He looks pinker, compared to the gray complexion he has been all week. Also, his feedings are up to 7 mL every 4 hours. I pray he is finally turning the corner and starting to get better. He was actually alert and active during our visit with his eyes open, and he was sucking on all of his fingers. I held his binky while he sucked on it for a while and got to change his diaper.
Day 30: Sunday, Feb. 16th
Mike gave Landon a name and blessing today. He was really nervous about giving his first blessing as a father, but he did a great job. We got special permission for our bishop and my brother to come and help with the blessing. It was really special---even with four other babies and all sorts of commotion going on in the room.
They are putting a PICC line back in tonight, because they have had to poke him so many times and need to keep him on the antibiotics for longer now--10 days now compared with 7 originally. They are also holding his feedings tonight until he starts feeling better. He weighed 1lb 13oz, but he still looks pretty puffy.
No comments:
Post a Comment