Monday, June 1, 2009

Drama Queen

I like this picture - Andrea has been an amazingly strong baby through her ordeals, and it looks like she's had about enough! In reality, she continues to work hard at getting better. She tolerates the tests and is getting stronger every day.

The new rotation of doctors started today. Andrea had an echo cardiogram that shows her heart is fine. She finished her third day of Lasix, which has not dramatically decreased her need for oxygen. Her hematocrit number was not bad enough to justify a transfusion, and the number of immature blood cells forming is good.

Andrea continues to get better at nursing - she can maintain a latch for a longer period of time, and isn't so exhausted at the end. She is such a good eater that she devours her bottles after nursing. She has also progressed enough that I'll be allowed to try nursing at the noon feeding as well. The goal is to have Andrea get nutrition without burning too many calories getting it. And of course, the milk she gets nursing is not fortified, so we continue to supplement with the bottles to make sure she continues to gain weight.

Speaking of weight, Andrea is 2220 grams today (4 pounds, 14.3 ounces). Since she was still on Lasix yesterday, I was not expecting such a weight gain, but we're happy about it. She'll be over five pounds by the time she comes home. Right now, there is no definite date for Andrea's homecoming. The new team of doctors will review her progress and decide if she can come home on oxygen, or if she'll stay in SCN for a bit longer. We want to take her home when the doctors are sure she's ready.

“Strength does not come from physical capacity. It comes from an indomitable will.”
Mahatma Gandhi

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