Not the time to get sick!

Monday August 22, 2011 was Carter and Easton's 1 month birthday! Steven had the day off work so it was nice to have him with me at the hospital. We went and got cookie connection cookies for the nurses to celebrate the special occassion. Okay so I have a funny but scary story, when steven and I left for lunch I realized my wedding band was no longer on my finger. I knew I didn't take it off so it must of fallen off somewhere, however I never heard it hit the ground. Steven was so mad at me! We searched everywhere, car, bags, pockets, and the NICU.  Lucky for us Tiffany, a nurse, offered to dig through the garbage can thinking maybe when I washed my hands it fell off in the paper towel. Low and behold she found my custom made wedding band at the very bottom of the trash can!! We were so happy!!! I owe Tiffany big time. So about the boys, the where doing pretty good for their one month birthday, However Carter's oxygen needs had slightly risen. He also had to get a blood transfusion to raise his hematocrit levels just like Easton did the day before. Carter is now getting 11 ml of breast milk every 3 hours.

Easton has been riding the ventilator letting it do all the breathing for him. Doctors would like to see him try and do some of the work but they fear with the infection it's to much for him right now. My little man needs to get healthy and strong. Nurses where excitedto tell us that Easton weighs the same as Carter, 2 lbs 3 oz. He caught up and is now getting 8 mls of milk. Another good thing is Easton's head circumfrence has not grown in the last 2 days.

On our way home from the hospital I was not feeling the greatest. I was getting hot and cold chills and feeling achy all over. So I got home and went straight to bed and had a 100.4 tempeture. I called the nurses to let them know I was sick and they told me I can't come back to the NICU until I am fever free for 24 hours. I thought to myself how can I not see my babies for 24 hours! Why am I sick?? This could not be happening to me right now. Steven blames it on my stress and lack of eating healthly. All I could do was pray I would be feeling better in the morning because I could not bear the thought of not seeing my boys.

Tuesday Aug. 23, 2011 was a very overwhelming day that really tried our faith and resilience. Lauren was sad she was unable to see the boys, but glad that her fever was gone. Lauren received a call around 10 Am from Dr. Chiou telling her that for an unknown reason Carter's oxygen levels had continued to drop throughout the evening and an x-ray had been done around 3 am showing a lot of fluid in his chest and or lungs. By 9:30 am Carter needed to be put on the oscillator because his lungs had collapsed due to the amount of pressure from the fluid. A second x-ray had been performed around 1:30 PM and Dr. Chiou was calling again this time saying there was NO TIME TO WAIT, Carter had to have his chest aspirated or bad things would happen, he was not responding to the oscillator. Lauren got a hold of me at work and said I needed to be at the hospital now, Carter's lungs had collapsed and they needed to do a risky tap to release pressure, unsure if it was in the lungs or the chest and unsure where it was coming from, but that they would use an ultrasound machine to guide the needle to the pocket of fluid and drain what they could.

This is where I am greatful for such a kind and understanding employer. I left work right away as Ed Bertola drove me from the Capitol to Kaiser Roseville, to get me there as soon as possible per Sergeant Campbell. Like I said a great office to work at.

Ed and I arrived just as the Ultrasound tech was setting up and Dr. Chiou was prepping to perform the tap. Dr. Chiou told me her plan and said that Lauren could stand outside the NICU room and watch as the operation was performed (because she was not fever free for 24 hrs yet). Dr. Zeigler (head of the NICU) met Lauren in the hallway and told her, if her fever was gone to get in the room with her three boys, we all needed her and wanted her in there with us. As Lauren walked in the room, they were finishing the tap, successfully removing over 15 ml from his chest cavity which is a lot for such a small little baby. The worst part was that there was still approximately 15ml still in there. Dr. Chiou looked at the fluid and felt confident that the fluid in his chest was coming from his PICC line. They were thinking that his artery where the PICC was, possibly tore or had a pinhole leak causing his nutrion and supplemental fluid to pump right into his chest. Carter felt almost immediately better as the pressure was released. The nurses gave him some Fentanyl and gave him a PIV (peripheral intervenous line) so they could remove the damaged PICC. Carter was still fidgiting and the excess fluid that was still in his chest started to slowly leak and spurt, at times, out of his side where he had been poked with the needle. by the time he was settled again, and a third x-ray was done, the first after the tap, it revealed that even the excess fluid had been removed, most likely from the leaking pin hole in his chest.

Back to how great my Employer is, Sergeant Campbell came to the hospital just to check on our family and make sure we were okay and did not need anything. I am so greatful for a caring brotherhood there is in law enforcement.

By late tonight, Carter was continuously being weaned on the oxygen and looked to be much happier and more comfortable. Dr. Chiou started Carter on antibiotics just to be safe, and he will have another chest x-ray to check for any buildup or residual fluid.

Tomorrow both boys will also have a head ultrasound to check the fluid build up in their ventricles and to let the neuro-surgeon know whether on not the shunts will be needed now or later or as we are praying, never. But if the boys need them we just pray they will be strong enough and healthy enough to go through this operation.