Something is Creeping

NICU 14

Day 29 - 34

Gestation 27 - 28 weeks

He had two red apnea’s overnight and his usual 10 or so self correcting brady/desats. He is around 60% oxygen but his hemoglobin is still low. He will be getting his third blood transfusion and the radiologist is coming for a scheduled brain ultrasound. The images will be send to the doctors and we will hear results tomorrow.

He weights in at 720grams and feels much bigger to hold. For the first time he feels sturdy on me and I can crochet while cuddling. It certainly helps with the urge to play on my phone all day, although may slow down the blog. 

The next day we hear the brain ultrasound results. The images are unchanged, the Grade 2 IVH is still there. We will go for try number three onto CPAP without the NIPPV. He is finally getting good gains at 750 grams now. 

I did my follow up ultrasound for placenta retention, I actually had to push for and seek out follow up care from the Women’s Assessment Unit. The sonographer was great and said there was nothing measurable there, should only be a few days away from resolved. However the doctors should review the images and confirm. I bet you can tell what happens with that wording. Anyways, I’m pretty pleased I was able to choose my path and allow my body to naturally heal. 

Day 31 and Kayden is bubbling well on the CPAP. His belly is still so swollen and his jewels too. He may potentially have a inguinal hernia, meaning his bowel is migrating and pushing down into the groin. I’m trying to be polite with my wording in talking about his special bits. You know in case his friends all read my blog in 15 years…

If it is a hernia he will have to get surgery, but this is done closer to full term and only days before going home. Ahhh home so far away.

We have a nice cuddle but it turns stressful. His saturation is low and his alarms keep going off. We have a new neighbour moving into our room and theyre very demanding. I’m getting agitated that we are getting no help. His alarms are beeping and beeping and beeping in the yellow warning numbers. 

Finally we get some attention and a nurse adjusts his pronges and positioning. It makes me worried to leave the room when it’s hectic. I feel I have to stay an keep an eye on him. 

And like that he is one month old! 

The gains slow down again, 760 grams but he is doing well on the CPAP and has gone down to 40% oxygen overnight. And we get a few quiet days. They even take away the ventilator machine. 

There is this scary feeling when you get a few quiet days like someone following you in the night. You can’t see it or know what it is but something is creeping, something is coming for us.