Well, I don't even know where to begin... Here is a little background on how we got here with our whirlwind of events which started on March 2, 2012. It was that day that I received a phone call that John was hurt on a job while installing glass in Marrero. I was informed that he had been electrocuted by a power line and that he was in surgery at West Jefferson Medical Center. It was the longest causeway ride of my life! I was so emotional not knowing what to expect. When I arrived at the hospital, I was greeted by a room full of his coworkers. They filled me in on how the accident happened, but we had no news on John's condition yet. He was still in surgery and the waiting game began. I tried to keep busy by calling his parents, sisters, etc.; but those hours he was in the operating room, felt like days. Finally, the surgeon came out and told us that he had to cut a slit from the palm of his right hand all the way up to his elbow to save his muscles, because he had compartment syndrome and they needed to relieve the pressure. He also told us that he debreed his wounds and would try for skin grafts across his chest, shoulders, right arm, and one spot on his left thumb in a couple of days. After surgery, he was transferred to the ICU and I was able to see him once they got him situated. He was in so much pain and covered in bandages everywhere. It broke my heart!
If it wasn't for his strength and positive outlook, I don't know how I could have made it through all of this. I also had great support from my best friend Brittany who let me take hot showers at her house and sleep there when I couldn't take the hospital fold out couch any more. I also could not have survived without my parents and grandparents who stepped in to help us take care of Aiden.We went through lots of bandage changes, multiple debreedment surgeries, horrible hospital nights, and so much more. After two long agonizing weeks, John was finally stable enough to come home with the help of home health care nurses. He was so happy to finally come home only to find out that I was in St.Tammany hospital being evaluated for pre-eclampsia on the same night he was released. I was released the very next day on strict bed rest at 20 weeks gestation.
John and I were both at home together both bound to the house. Neither one of us could work, drive or cook. Luckily we had lots of help from my parents, his parents, grandparents and friends. We also had great friends that brought us hot meals. I never knew that bed rest would be so hard. Luckily, I had John's company while at home. Every week I began to look forward to my weekly hospital and doctors visits for monitoring. This was my day to get outside of the house and see the sunshine. Every week I would get monitored by doing a NST, blood work, turn in my 24 hour urine test, and have an ultrasound. I was taking blood pressure medication and staying in bed, but I guess that was not enough to prevent what was about to happen next.
On April 26th, I went in to the hospital for my weekly visit. My nurse came back and told me the results of all my tests and said that my protein went up and my pressures were on the higher side. She said that my doctor wanted me to stay the night and repeat a 24 hour urine test, and monitor me closer. I did not expect this at all, but I went along with the flow. I did not worry because this had happened to me once before. The next morning on April 27 th, my blood pressures were creeping up and were not controllable by high doses of oral blood pressure medications. They soon began giving me IV pushes of stronger blood pressure medications. I had three doses within 45 minutes which made me very sick. They then ordered another ultrasound to see how big the baby was. The ultrasound technician said that she was measuring 2 lbs 9 ounces. My nurse finally came back with the results of the new 24 hour urine test and my proteins had more than doubled in a 24 hour period. She said that she had talked to my doctor and that she wanted to deliver me within the hour. At that moment, I couldn't breathe! I could not believe what she had just said. Within minutes nurses came into my room and started prepping me. I called John to grab my camera from the house and to rush to the hospital . How could this be happening so fast? I was only 29 weeks and she was still so small.
My doctor arrived about 20 minutes later and went over her plan of action with me. Then John arrived and was immediately told to suit up in scrubs. My doctor said that they usually only allow one person in the surgery room during a c-section, but she asked the anesthesiologist if he would mind if my Mom came in the room also. Fortunately, he said....yes!!! I was so nervous and did not know what to expect. It was over before I knew it. At 4:18 p.m. on April 27th, I was told that my new baby girl weighed 1 lb 15.4 ounces and was 13 3/4" long. I never got to see or hold her. She was immediately whisked away to the side room to be worked on by the neonatal team. It wasn't until several hours later that I finally got to see a picture of my baby girl.
I had to be put on a 24 hour magnesium drip after the delivery which made me feel awful! I couldn't get out of bed until about 36 hours after I delivered her. This was when I finally got to see Addilyn for the very first time. As I was wheeled into the NICU, all I could see was an isolette with lots of wires and machines hooked up to her. When I got closer to her, and looked past all of the wires and machines; she was absolutely perfect in every way! She has the cutest little fingers and little feet you could ever see. I think that she resembles her big brother very much.
Just to show you how little she actually is..... below is a picture of her compared to a sharpie marker. The other picture is of her feet prints compared to a Quarter.
While visiting her for the first time, one of the Nurse Practitioner and Neonatologist came by to update me on her medical status. They told me that they had to intubate her and that she would be on a ventilator until her lungs could mature. He explained that the X-ray of her lungs showed that they were completely whited out (flat) which was not good. They immediately began treatment with giving her the first dose of Surfactant to make her lungs slippery, so that her lungs could expand and oxygen would effectively be pushed through. She would receive two more doses of Surfactant over the next two days and then she would start to produce it on her own. Their goal was to wean her off the volume ventilator as quick as they could and hopefully have her off within the first week. The volume setting of the ventilator was started at pressure 44. They have an arterial line through her belly button to take and give blood when needed. There is another line to administer her meds and nutrients. They also termed her at 27 weeks because she was born with her eyes fused. At 28 weeks, babies' eyes are open, so they definitely feel she is younger than the previous ultrasound indicated before her birth. It is predicted that she will remain in NICU until the end of July.
By the next morning, her ventilator was reduced from 44 to 37 and they began to feed her 1.2 cc of breast milk over the next 24 hours to get her gut moving. She was started on photo light therapy for a higher billirubin count. She was laid on a Billi blanket and under Billi overhead lights with cool sunglasses for treatment of jaundice. Her nurses told us she was chilling at the spa.
DAY 2 - Ventilator reduced to pressure 25, Oxygen 21%, all vitals were good
Billi rate went down; so today, she laid only on the blue lighted blanket with no overhead lights
By 10:00 p.m., ventilator was reduced to pressure 16, Oxygen 21%
DAY 3 - Chest x-ray was the same as yesterday. They attempted to reduce the pressure of ventilator even more before excubation, but she didn't respond well, so the ventilator remains at a rate of 16. Her feedings increased to .8 cc every 4 hours. She has lost weight which is totally normal the first few days. She weighed 1.15 lbs. Her Billi count went from 3 to 6, so she is back on both lights. They have started her on the drug caffeine to assist her breathing when she comes off the ventilator. She was on her tummy today and seems to do better respiratory wise in this position.
DAY 4 - Ventilator reduced to pressure 18, 22% Oxygen, now weighs 2.0. Lbs , 3.6 Billi count (no lights today), Hemacrit was 35 and was 44 when she was born. We were told that she would receive a blood transfusion tomorrow. Her count is low due to the fact that they have to take blood to tests the blood gas levels everyday. Her Blood type is O positive, but she is going to receive specially screened blood for NICU babies that is o negative and CMV negative. Today they heard a heart murmur and performed an echo of the heart. The results were read by Children's Hospital diagnosing a PDA (small Hole in the ductus arteriosus) of the heart. This is also very common in preemie babies. There are two treatment options. Option 1 is to treat with a medicine of Indomethacin which causes the PDA to constrict and close. It usually takes 3 doses given 12 hours apart to get the result needed. Option 2 would be a surgical procedure to close the hole.
Her doctors decided to try option 1. She finally had her first bowel movement after a glycerin suppository.
