NICU Diary Day 74

Tuesday, December 19, 2000

Recovery from G-Tube Surgery

Mommy couldn’t believe how good I looked today. My color was back, and I was off the ventilator and back on my normal schedule. The only change in my routine since the surgery is my feedings. I’m on continuous feedings right now so that my stomach doesn’t get too full and put pressure on my g-tube site.

After about a week, I will go back to my feedings being every four hours. Despite the surgery, I still gained weight. I now weigh a whooping 6 pounds 4 ounces and am busting out of my preemie clothes!

Hearing Update

I had my second hearing test last Friday, and Mommy and Daddy are still trying to find out exactly what the results were. The audiologist wrote in my chart that on a scale of good, fair, or poor, I have “good” hearing. I have mild hearing loss on the right side, which means that I should be able to hear anything above a whisper.

All the “parts” are in place on my left side to send connections to my brain for hearing, so I should be able to hear some on my left side. We believe I have “conductive hearing loss” on the left side, which means that I have some hearing but it is muffled due to the closed/no ear canal. Mommy and Daddy are going to speak with the ENT about my test results.

Home Nursing & Discharge Update

Mommy spoke with a discharge nurse this afternoon about home nursing care. She said there are now four agencies looking to hire a nurse for me. They're hoping one will be available in January. However, Mommy got some good news from my Grandma B. tonight. This is a truly amazing story…

Grandma B. used to babysit for a lady named Kathy who had two small daughters. Her daughters (live in Columbia City, Indiana) are now all grown up and one of them, Dawn, cuts my Great Aunt Tami’s hair. Last night, Aunt Tami was telling Dawn about me while she was getting her hair cut, and Dawn asked where I lived. Tami told her that I live in Commerce Twp., Michigan, and Dawn said, "My Mother lives in Walled Lake (very close to Commerce) and works as a nurse at Huron Valley Hospital (5 minutes from my house)."

Dawn talked to her Mom who is interested in being a home-care nurse for me. Grandma B. gave Mommy her telephone number. Mommy left Kathy a message tonight and is hoping that she will call her back. Grandma B. said that Kathy is a super nice lady, and she would take really good care of me.

I sure hope Kathy can take care of me sometimes. I really want to come home after spending that fun weekend with Mommy and Daddy!