Friday, May 1, 2009

A New Rotation


Well, it's May 1, Day 64 of life for Andrea, as they say in the NICU. On the first of each month, the rotation changes, so we now have a new doctor in charge, a new fellow, and a crop of new residents and medical students. Thankfully, the nurses remain the same. It's unlikely that much will change with Andrea's routine for the next few days, as the new doctors need time to get to know her, and besides, we have a weekend immediately, so we'll see even MORE different doctors and residents until Monday.
Speaking of changes, Andrea was dropped to CPAP pressure of +5, which is essentially the same pressure we all experience in our lungs all the time. She spent much of the day at 20.9% oxygen, which is the same concentration as room air. Her wonderful nurse tested her blood gases right before I left today, to see how her body was dealing with these changes. We'll find out tomorrow. When Andrea was born, we were told that if all went well, eventually she would be able to breathe on her own. She was so small and so far behind, the very concept seemed unimaginable. Now, with the progress she's making, we can start to believe it will happen. Also, she was booted up to 25 ml of her usual, which is 5 WHOLE TEASPOONS. Imagine 5 teaspoons of anything being your entire meal. She seems to get an increase about every other day. The more milk they can get into her, the faster she can gain weight.

As mentioned yesterday, her thyroid test came back normal, but the values were still not what the endocrinologist hoped to see. As a result, they'll repeat the test next week and see if the hormone levels are getting better. IF they are, we might finally be in the clear with this issue. If not, more tests!

Andrea spent a fair amount of time today making sure her opinions were noted. She was exercising her lungs and practicing crying at the same time. Sometimes, it seems that she cries just to hear herself, because we can't figure out what she's complaining about. She's also getting better at sucking on a pacifier, which seems to soothe her, although it does tire her out. Right before our eyes, she's turning into a real baby, which is the greatest blessing we could have asked for.

Difficult things take a long time, impossible things a little longer.

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1 comment:

  1. Andrea is filling out so beautifully! I am in awe of each photo, remembering her frail beauty at only a couple of weeks out of the womb. She is a source of what positive energy truly is.

    Adrienne

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