We are so happy to be home...but it was comforting having the supervision of the doctors and nurses. If we had questions or concerns they were just a "nurse call" push away. Now that I am filled with concerns...I find myself not wanting to ask, because I fear they will want us to bring Hannah back to the hospital. Hannah has vomited up everything that she has eaten today. The weird thing is that she does not do it immediately. It is always about one hour after she eats. I am worried and confused because she was not doing this in the hospital. She also had a low-grade fever this morning...Tylenol took care of it, but if it comes back tonight then we are for sure headed back to Nashville. We are so frustrated because our baby is still sick when she has been put through so much to get better. We also know what going back to the hospital means...a minimum of 48 hours for observation, an IV and IV fluids, a feeding tube, and sleepless nights...we know, because have been there and done that...twice. I can not put into words the hurt that I feel when I am having to hold my baby girl down so they can put an IV in or draw blood. I am so over it that I want to scream!!! I guess that is all part in being a parent.
Well, now that I have used this as my own personal therapy session...Hannah is waking up so I am going to go and give her a bath. Please pray for her to get better and to keep some food down. No more owiee's for Hannah!
Friday, May 29, 2009
Thursday, May 28, 2009
The Big Day
WE ARE HOME!
Hannah did well enough yesterday and last night that he doctors felt good releasing her. We are still having a few issues with feeding. She doesn't want to take the volume she used to, and sometimes doesn't care to eat at all. We did get her to eat enough through out last night to get the OK for release without having a feeding tube. We're not sure her lack of appetite is due to the medications she is on or the fact that she didn't have any food in her stomach for 12 days straight- it was all IV and tube fed while in ICU. The three of us spent a total of 15 days/ 14 nights at Vanderbilt Children's. We are relieved the hard part is over. Hannah is continuing her recovery at home. We brought several medications home with us and many instructions on caring for Hannah until she is fully recovered. As part of her recovery she can't be in crowded places for several weeks. We can't risk her getting sick. We can't pick her up under her arms for a few weeks either. She's just going to have to be a homebody for a while. We return to Vandy next Tuesday for a follow up visit. Please pray Hannah's eating will continue to improve. If she has lost any weight by our Dr. visit next week they will have to send her home with the feeding tube. We really want to avoid the tube.
Visitors are welcome, just call and let us know you're stopping by. Thanks for all your prayers, cards, visits, and calls!
Hannah did well enough yesterday and last night that he doctors felt good releasing her. We are still having a few issues with feeding. She doesn't want to take the volume she used to, and sometimes doesn't care to eat at all. We did get her to eat enough through out last night to get the OK for release without having a feeding tube. We're not sure her lack of appetite is due to the medications she is on or the fact that she didn't have any food in her stomach for 12 days straight- it was all IV and tube fed while in ICU. The three of us spent a total of 15 days/ 14 nights at Vanderbilt Children's. We are relieved the hard part is over. Hannah is continuing her recovery at home. We brought several medications home with us and many instructions on caring for Hannah until she is fully recovered. As part of her recovery she can't be in crowded places for several weeks. We can't risk her getting sick. We can't pick her up under her arms for a few weeks either. She's just going to have to be a homebody for a while. We return to Vandy next Tuesday for a follow up visit. Please pray Hannah's eating will continue to improve. If she has lost any weight by our Dr. visit next week they will have to send her home with the feeding tube. We really want to avoid the tube.
Visitors are welcome, just call and let us know you're stopping by. Thanks for all your prayers, cards, visits, and calls!
Wednesday, May 27, 2009
She is such a trooper!
This morning started like any other morning...a steady flow of doctors, nurses, x-ray technicians, and medical students trickling in to see Hannah. They start around 6:00 a.m. and it is constant. The x-ray technician lays a lead vest over us as we sleep. The doctors come in and want to talk. Hannah needs medicine. Hannah needs a diaper. Nurses come in and out as they change shifts. All of these things are enough to drive you crazy as you are trying to sleep. I am looking forward to sleeping for a few solid hours and not being disturbed by a stranger in the middle of the night.
Rounds was wonderful today! There was a new doctor that we had never met before that was in charge. He decided to pull out Hannah pace maker wires and her feeding tube! We were very happy to see both of these things go. Hannah did great during and after the removal of both of these. She is such a trooper! The doctors think that we may be able to go home on Thursday. It all depends on how well Hannah eats and how her vital signs look. Hannah's eating goal is 3 ounces every 4 hours, but we are not close to that at all. She is eating, but she seems to be satisfied with one or two ounces. We do not want them to put the feeding tube back in, but it is a possibility. Let's pray that all goes well and we can finally get back to a normal life.
A speech pathologist came to visit Hannah today to observe her eating skills. She was impressed with Hannah's skills! Hannah was also given a follow-up echo cardiogram. This is standard before discharge from the hospital.
Jeffrey and I got to touch-up our CPR skills. It is required that all parents of cardiology babies. We also received random quizzes throughout the day about infection symptoms and other problems to watch for when we go home. They want to know that we know our stuff!
We had many visitors today. Nana Linda and PaPa came all the way from Knoxville to see Hannah. Pam Carson and Gwen Luck from Hardin Valley Church of Christ came to visit. Chris Brosey came to visit with us for the second time and she brought us some tasty bagels from Panera Bread. Uncle Sam, Aunt Sara and Samuel were kind enough to bring us supper from Applebees! It was yummy! Thanks to everyone for your support and company!
Rounds was wonderful today! There was a new doctor that we had never met before that was in charge. He decided to pull out Hannah pace maker wires and her feeding tube! We were very happy to see both of these things go. Hannah did great during and after the removal of both of these. She is such a trooper! The doctors think that we may be able to go home on Thursday. It all depends on how well Hannah eats and how her vital signs look. Hannah's eating goal is 3 ounces every 4 hours, but we are not close to that at all. She is eating, but she seems to be satisfied with one or two ounces. We do not want them to put the feeding tube back in, but it is a possibility. Let's pray that all goes well and we can finally get back to a normal life.
A speech pathologist came to visit Hannah today to observe her eating skills. She was impressed with Hannah's skills! Hannah was also given a follow-up echo cardiogram. This is standard before discharge from the hospital.
Jeffrey and I got to touch-up our CPR skills. It is required that all parents of cardiology babies. We also received random quizzes throughout the day about infection symptoms and other problems to watch for when we go home. They want to know that we know our stuff!
We had many visitors today. Nana Linda and PaPa came all the way from Knoxville to see Hannah. Pam Carson and Gwen Luck from Hardin Valley Church of Christ came to visit. Chris Brosey came to visit with us for the second time and she brought us some tasty bagels from Panera Bread. Uncle Sam, Aunt Sara and Samuel were kind enough to bring us supper from Applebees! It was yummy! Thanks to everyone for your support and company!
Tuesday, May 26, 2009
Baby Steps
Hannah's bronchoscopy went well. It was so much easier to watch her roll away to the operating room this time. She was only sedated for about an hour. The procedure only took 20 minutes, and we had results instantly. She has some inflammation and constriction in different places in her respiratory system. The doctor felt there was nothing further to be done. Hannah just needs some time and growth to heal.
Hannah just took some formula for the first time by mouth at her 9:00 pm feeding. This was a long awaited event. Hopefully she will take more and more each feeding until she no longer needs the feeding tube to receive the rest of her nutrition.
Today's only visitor was Elizabeth Courtney. Thanks for stopping by!
We left out yesterdays many visitors. Mamaw, Papaw, Aunt Shannon, and Ray, Monica and Aubrey Garton. The Garton's were kind enough to bring us 3 weeks worth of mail from Hardin County. Thanks guys!
Hannah just took some formula for the first time by mouth at her 9:00 pm feeding. This was a long awaited event. Hopefully she will take more and more each feeding until she no longer needs the feeding tube to receive the rest of her nutrition.
Today's only visitor was Elizabeth Courtney. Thanks for stopping by!
We left out yesterdays many visitors. Mamaw, Papaw, Aunt Shannon, and Ray, Monica and Aubrey Garton. The Garton's were kind enough to bring us 3 weeks worth of mail from Hardin County. Thanks guys!
The Strange Uncertainty
Jeff and I both agree the hardest part of this whole ordeal was to hand off Hannah to the doctors the morning of her surgery. It was very hard to see her after the surgery hooked up to so many wires, tubes, and machines. But that didn't compare to giving your child to a doctor you had met five minutes before. The doctor that came to take her was wonderful. He didn't grab Hannah from my arms and run away with her. He simply told us he was there to carry her to the operating room, and then he waited on me to 'give her up'. It is hard for a mother, or any parent for that matter, to hand your child over to the strange uncertainty. But, it appears we must do it again.
As I posted previously, one of the things that held Hannah in the ICU for 12 days was her respiratory difficulties. She finally overcame them well enough to be released to a regular floor 2 days ago. But, for the last 18 hours her breathing has returned to the condition it was in the ICU. The ear, nose and throat doctors came in to examine her again this morning. We signed the consent to have them put a scope in Hannah's throat to see if they can find the problem. Hannah was very unhappy last night and we're not sure why. It could be a number of things from pain, to breathing difficulties, to stomach aches. Her oxygen saturation dropped below 85 a few times. It has been between 90 and 97 since the breathing tube came out. She still is on the feeding tube and has taken less than an once by bottle since the surgery. We are hoping this scope will help her in breathing and feeding again.
Hannah's procedure is scheduled for 3:00 pm today (Tuesday). She will be sedated for the procedure, but should not have a breathing tube put back in. We are heading back down to the 3rd floor. Please pray that all goes well, the doctors can determine the problems, and they can find a solution.
I must end a good note. We are still getting that beautiful smile from Hannah. Our hearts melt when she grins and coos at us. She is still our little ladybug. I know the worst is behind us and this hand off will not be as heartbreaking as the first.
As I posted previously, one of the things that held Hannah in the ICU for 12 days was her respiratory difficulties. She finally overcame them well enough to be released to a regular floor 2 days ago. But, for the last 18 hours her breathing has returned to the condition it was in the ICU. The ear, nose and throat doctors came in to examine her again this morning. We signed the consent to have them put a scope in Hannah's throat to see if they can find the problem. Hannah was very unhappy last night and we're not sure why. It could be a number of things from pain, to breathing difficulties, to stomach aches. Her oxygen saturation dropped below 85 a few times. It has been between 90 and 97 since the breathing tube came out. She still is on the feeding tube and has taken less than an once by bottle since the surgery. We are hoping this scope will help her in breathing and feeding again.
Hannah's procedure is scheduled for 3:00 pm today (Tuesday). She will be sedated for the procedure, but should not have a breathing tube put back in. We are heading back down to the 3rd floor. Please pray that all goes well, the doctors can determine the problems, and they can find a solution.
I must end a good note. We are still getting that beautiful smile from Hannah. Our hearts melt when she grins and coos at us. She is still our little ladybug. I know the worst is behind us and this hand off will not be as heartbreaking as the first.
Sunday, May 24, 2009
One Step Closer to Going Home
Today we moved to a regular floor and out of ICU!!!! We are so excited! Now we can all stay in Hannah's room and not have to sleep or shower in different places every night. We don't have to wonder each day if we will get a hospital sleep room that night, or have to sleep in the waiting room. Hannah's new room on the 6th floor has a couch/bed and private bathroom/shower for us.
There were no major changes in Hannah's health today. Our next goal is to get her to eat by bottle. She hasn't been bottle fed since the night before the surgery. All her nutrition has come through iv's and a feeding tube. We tried a few times today, but so far she hasn't been interested. We will keep trying. Before she can be discharged she will have to eat by mouth, and will have to be off several of the medications she is currently receiving. The doctors are slowly weening her of the medications already. We think and hope the worst is behind us now.
Thanks to all who stopped by today! Mamaw, Papaw, Grandaddy, Aunt Shannon, Chris and Regena, and Tommy Whitehead
There were no major changes in Hannah's health today. Our next goal is to get her to eat by bottle. She hasn't been bottle fed since the night before the surgery. All her nutrition has come through iv's and a feeding tube. We tried a few times today, but so far she hasn't been interested. We will keep trying. Before she can be discharged she will have to eat by mouth, and will have to be off several of the medications she is currently receiving. The doctors are slowly weening her of the medications already. We think and hope the worst is behind us now.
Thanks to all who stopped by today! Mamaw, Papaw, Grandaddy, Aunt Shannon, Chris and Regena, and Tommy Whitehead
Saturday, May 23, 2009
Movin' on up?
What a wonderful morning it was to wake up and find that Hannah had been taken off of the vapotherm and was doing great! They placed her on regular oxygen early this morning and she has continued to do well throughout the day. During rounds this morning, the doctors said that they would monitor her for 12-24 hours and then we could go to the floor. We are crossing our fingers, but we should be on the 6th floor tomorrow morning!
Another wonderful surprise of the day was Hannah's first smile since the surgery. It was great to see her little smiling face for the first time in 11 days. It was an undescrible moment that I will never forget...it was almost as good as seeing her smile for the very first time.
We were thankful to have some more visitors today. My mom and dad, my sister-in-law Shannon and Jeff's dad came in from Maryville last night to visit with us, although I am sure they were here mostly to see Hannah :) . We also got to spend a small amount of time with Chris and Regena again. It was great to have some family and friends around...it makes this situation bearable. It has just been another roller coaster day and we are exhaused and ready to go home.
Another wonderful surprise of the day was Hannah's first smile since the surgery. It was great to see her little smiling face for the first time in 11 days. It was an undescrible moment that I will never forget...it was almost as good as seeing her smile for the very first time.
We were thankful to have some more visitors today. My mom and dad, my sister-in-law Shannon and Jeff's dad came in from Maryville last night to visit with us, although I am sure they were here mostly to see Hannah :) . We also got to spend a small amount of time with Chris and Regena again. It was great to have some family and friends around...it makes this situation bearable. It has just been another roller coaster day and we are exhaused and ready to go home.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
