Friday, September 25, 2009

Lily's Rough Day

Well, we’ve had too many good days in a row, it seems. And Lily does so love drama. Today she took it upon herself to remind us all that we’re not out of the woods just yet.

After her 9 a.m. feeding, Lily had some very serious breathing issues. According to Nurse Linda, Lily’s heart slowed significantly and her oxygen levels shot down. While this sort of thing isn’t uncommon, it is very uncommon in how long it lasted and how serious it got. Linda had to rush to get Lily some oxygen and shock her heart rate back up (not literally “shock,” just some pinching on the feet and arms). It was quite serious and the doctors were called in to check things out. Numerous tests were done and nothing significant was found in terms of infections or blood count, but the situation was serious enough to warrant a return to Intensive Care. Thus, Lily’s stay in the Step Down Nursery lasted all of two days.

The Bug settled in and had a good day. She was happy and ate well and seemed completely normal. A second round of bradys and desats around 6 p.m. then followed, this time less intense than the first but more unnerving since Brooke and I were both present. After consulting with the doctors, Nurse Linda assured us that the most likely cause of Lily’s issues is gas. She was switched to a different formula (which is mixed with breast milk) just a few days ago, so it’s possible that her stomach isn’t too fond of it. It’s possible that this formula is giving her gas (which we know to be true) and that she’s just really uncomfortable. When she tries to poop out the pressure in her belly, she strains her muscles, can’t poop (because the pressure is just gas) and her heart slows. It’s pretty normal for babies to have issues with breathing and heart rates when they have gas pains, so if that is the cause she will be just fine as soon as the gas goes away. To that end, they’ve changed her formula to a lower-calorie brand and reduced her feedings a little. Hopefully, this should do the trick.

While Lily was having her issues, Brooke realized that Charlie was going on 48 hours without any bradys. And about 20 minutes after she told me of this fact, Charlie bradied as if on cue. And as if to support the issues that Lily is having with her gas, Charlie immediately followed his heart rate drop with a giant poop. His nurse said he was just straining to get it out that caused the brady. Other than this one quick and explainable incident, Charlie is going strong. He’s eating well and growing strong and he really couldn’t possibly be more loveable. As a matter of fact, Charlie’s nurse Sue bought him a book called “I Love You Stinky Face” today and has been calling him “Stinky Face” for a while now. His previous nickname from Nurse Sue was “Charlie King of Farts,” so I guess this is an improvement.

After running out for a quick pizza during shift change, we returned to the NICU to find a number of our nurses gathered around us. They had gotten together and bought for us two of the best bassinets available. These women, who give so much of themselves to our babies and go out of their way every single day to make our lives so much better, spent their hard-earned and well-deserved money on such a thoughtful gift for us. There really are no words to express our gratitude to these saints. Thank you Tina, Carlota, Linda, Mary, Sue, Alicia, Cathy, Marissa, Cyd, Cindy and Jane. You really are the best!

PS: Sorry for the lack of pics. Brooke left the house for a morning visit but ended up staying all day because Lily needed her. I was planning on going home after school and heading up to the NICU tonight (with the camera) but instead went right there (with the camera still at home). I know a day without pictures is a sad day indeed; know that I am sorry.

14 comments:

Tanna's Triplets said...

That is life in the NICU:) My babies would do that when they were messing up their diapers. Sounds like you will getting your babies home soon.

Much Love
Tanna(From TC)

The Deans's said...

Sorry to hear about the scare. Our baby girl did something that sounds just like this when she was a couple of months old. Our pedi told us the same thing. It scared us so much and we almost took her to the ER at midnight, but before we could load the twins into the car and leave she was back to normal with a very messy diaper...:) Never happened again after that. Hope the babies come home soon!

Feris said...

Oh Lily, for sure she´s a drama queen lol... Come on babies, just a few things to sort out and you´ll be going home with your parents :)

Lauren said...

No pictures?! That's it. We're not friends anymore.

I'm sorry Lily gave you such a scare. I hope tomorrow is a better day for both babies.

And wow - those nurses are amazing. I'm sure it will be hard to leave them!

Anonymous said...

i'm sorry to hear that lily had a rough day. cassidy had similar issues at the end of her nicu stay and it seemed to be at the same time that her reflux started to show up. it was almost like she was fighting to keep her food down and would forget to breathe. hope she's having an easy day so far today.
-april (april062604 multiple mamas)

Anonymous said...

OK GUYS - ENOUGH... No more scares... You are all aware of the goals and you need to keep on that track... Poop issues can be a royal pain in the butt - in more ways than one - but enough already...

Your nurses are absolutely amazing... They are truely special people...

All My Love, Auntie :) xoxooxo

Anonymous said...

Whew! Lily better behave herself-- and Charlie, too! Hope all of you have a relaxed and drama free weekend. What lovely gifts from your fantastic nurses. :) I must also say that one day I am sure Charlie will love to be reminded of his nickname, particularly in front of a new girlfriend... :)

Stay well, all!

Cheryl

Stephanie said...

Wow- well I am glad it was a small scare as far as scares go! Those nurses truly are special to give so much love and time to babies in need, let alone to go so above and beyond for their families.

Michele from FTHS said...

Lily and Charlie...enough of the antics. Mommy and Daddy need you home and the rest of us can't wait to meet you. How special your nurses are. Special nurses for a special family. xoxoxoxo

Little Wonders said...

I know this isn't much of a consolation to you guys ... but it's exactly what Amaya did until right before she came home. A couple of days before she was scheduled to come home she had a MAJOR brady during a feeding and needed serious intervention from the nurse. It did NOT make me feel good about bringing her home. But it truly is a matter of them outgrowing it, and it will happen soon.

Anonymous said...

Sorry for the scare with Lily and hopefully the formula change with do the trick. Charlie's nickname is so funny!

Bassinets??? that sounds like HOME soon to me!! Saints is a perfect word to express NICU nurses! Not only are the babies a gift from god, so are they!

Hope everything gets back on track & no episodes!

Double amount pictures tomorrow will be welcome LOL

#1SAHM said...

considering the situation, no pictures is understandable. I hope that Lily improves and that Charlie's episodes continue to decrease. Hang in there!

Stephanie said...

Someone already said it but I was thinking it too! "Special nurses for a special family!" Hang in there...Lily and Charlie will be home soon!!!
I'm a nurse and the stories you guys tell of your nurse make them exceptional!!! So wonderful to care for your babies and so much for you!! Amazing!
Continuing to be inspired from Wisconsin!

Rebecca, from CT said...

Lily sure does want you to stay on your toes!!! Just making sure you haven't gotten too comfortable. I hope they are able to adjust her formula so that she is more comfortable. And what wonderful nurses!! So thoughtful!!! They truly are angles in disguise!!!