Tuesday, June 30, 2009

Day Two in Morristown

Ken and I switched shifts today - I dropped Kenny off at camp and took over at the hospital, while Ken went home to shower and then off to work.

Andrea had an OK overnight, managing to eat every few hours. Unlike when she's healthy, Ken had to wake her to eat. This is crucial, since we need to avoid having her become dehydrated.

A diagnosis of Influenza A has been confirmed, so Andrea was started on an anti-flu medication. So far, she's only had one dose, and it's likely that she'll get sicker before she gets better, even with the medication. Just recently, she started running a fever again. (She'd been fever free since lunchtime yesterday.) So far, it's not terribly high (100.4 F) and she hasn't been given any Tylenol yet.

During the day today, Andrea has mostly slept. As over night, I've had to wake her to get her to eat, and she's not managing as much food as she's eaten in the past. We're lucky to get 3 ounces into her. It's scary, because she has developed a cough, and eating will set her off. She's desatted to 68 while eating, and there's so little we can do about it. It's just so hard to watch her struggle.

The positive news is that as of right now, Andrea is holding her own. She's still in the general pediatrics wing, as opposed to PICU (Pediatric Intensive Care Unit) and she's on between 1/4 and 1/2 liter of oxygen, which is no higher than she got at home. We spent so much time sitting at her bedside waiting for her to come home, it's hard to go back again. Also, I miss the incredibly individual attention she got in NICU. Here, we HAVE to stay 24/7. The nurses are watching her monitor, but they're not providing the almost one on one care that we got so used to in our first experience. I know it's because she's "not that sick" (to quote the pulmonologist) but it makes our lives so much harder than we wish they were.

I cannot post to Blogger from the hospital. I have to wait until I'm home. I do have email access though, so notes are welcome. I just might not be able to write back to everyone. We're getting by as best as we can.

Please keep praying. I know many people stopped following the blog because I wasn't posting. Truthfully, day to day life at home with Andrea was mostly normal. Writing about home life with her was similar to any newborn baby. Also, caring for her at home left little time to blog, unlike her hospitalization, where I could write once I was back home, and the NICU/SCN nurses were caring for her. Still, even when I'm not blogging, WE NEED PRAYERS. If you know people when stopped reading, send them back to us. Every prayer helps. They got her home the first time, and they'll get her home again!

2 comments:

  1. So sorry to hear Andrea is back inpatient! Sounds like you are getting really good care and that so far she is holding her own really well! That's great! Hopefully, since you caught this early and she is on the flu meds you'll be able to get home quickly! Praying that's the case. Hang in there guys! With all you've already been through, know this is a bump in the road that you can definitely get past! You are doing great! Thinking of you and praying for you! Deb & Scott
    www.connorshouse.org

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  2. Still following and praying. :)
    Sharon

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