NICU Diary Day 13

Thursday, October 19, 2000

Ventilator Update

Today has been very quiet. The neonatalogists switched my ventilator mode back to give me a little more lung pressure. I wasn’t getting enough oxygen on my own because I wasn’t inflating my lungs enough in the other mode. So, they switched me back to help my lungs inflate better. Tomorrow they might actually take me off the ventilator for a very short time to see how I do. All of this breathing is VERY hard work.

Trach Care

I have been sleeping most of the time today except for when the nurses poke at me. Every four hours they levitate me out of my ortho board to check my head for sores. It takes about three people to do this-- one to lift, one to handle my ventilator, and another to check my head. Mommy is starting to help the nurses take care of me even more. She suctioned my trach and mouth twice today. I have to have my mouth suctioned because I don’t swallow my spit very well. I make really funny faces when they suction me. Mommy is also learning more about all of my trach equipment and how to clean everything. We might have to add an extra storage room in the house just to keep all of my supplies!

Discharge Plans & Insurance

Mommy talked to a Discharge Planner today. She works for the hospital and keeps in touch with our insurance company. She will coordinate all of my supplies and equipment when it’s time for me to go home. I am so expensive that the insurance company assigned a case manager just for me. Mommy will be talking to her quite a bit!

C-Spine Brace

I opened my eyes off and on today for just a few seconds at a time, mainly when the nurses and doctors were poking at me. This evening the orthopedic techs came to check on how my ortho board is working out. They tweaked it a bit to make it more comfortable for my head. I was starting to get red spots on the side of my head from where the board was rubbing. Tomorrow they are going to try and tweak it some more for my ear because it gets squished when I lay down in it.

Gifts!

Today I got a teddy bear from our insurance agent, Jenny Flowers. It’s a State Farm “Good Neigh Bear!”