The club

On one hand, being a part of the Preemie club and all the wonderful fellow preemie moms I have met is something I appreciate so very much, on the other hand I wouldn't wish it on my worst enemy.

Throughout our NICU journey we learned words no parent should ever have to hear or study. For me, one of the worst things was hearing the words your son started retracting so much and working so hard to breathe that he suffered a Pneumothorax, he had to be emergency intubated, put on a Ventilator to breathe, has a spiral chest tube in his left lung and is being treated with Surfactant to make his lungs stronger. Could you imagine getting that ear full on the second day of your brittle baby's life? I just wanted to say huh? Had I not been scared for his life that might have been what came out of my mouth, though the glazed over look might have given away what I was thinking.

During Miles' stay Brian and I learned so many terms, so many procedures, we would have to google some of the things the Neo told us that day regarding our boy just so we could stay caught up. As if the NICU world isnt scarey enough you are literally in the foreign country where you don't speak the language and start grasping for any strings nearby.

Just a short list of things we heard daily.....
Monitoring.....Decel's- watching for A & B's....Bradycardia- the heart beating to slow or irregularly, Apnea - baby has stopped breathing, De stat - lack of oxygen
Procedures done.....PICC Line - a central line for meds and blood leading through the arm up to his heart, Blood Gas - countless sticks in the heel to determine the level of Carbon Dioxide in his blood. Biliruben - testing daily for Jaundice. OG Tube - through mouth to tummy to remove air, NG Tube - through nose to tummy for feeds,
Breathing aids..... CPAP - keeps pressure in the lungs to keep them open. Ventilator - breathes for him, Nasal Cannula- provided extra oxygen
Conditions.....Transient Hypotension - abnormally low blood pressure, Pneumothorax - lung collapsing, RSD - Respiratory Distress Syndrome, Sepsis - bloodstream is overwhelmed by bacteria, Distended Abdomen - swollen stomach,
Medication.....Dopamine - raises blood pressure, Surfactant - acts as a substance the lung needs to stay open as it has not developed yet do to prematurity. TPN -total parenteral nutrition, Fentanyl - pain medication
His Team..... Neonatologist - 2 primary doctors, Primary Nurse - when critical, Charge Nurse, Social Worker, Occupational Therapist, Physical Therapist

If your head is hurting welcome to the club, its a scary world one we are still very much a part of. The other night while putting Miles down for the night he started retracting and showing very laboured breathing, when I told the advice nurse what was going on she said "wow you know your stuff", it just made me think about the world that is now our norm. Miles settled and all was fine he just likes to give us a scare from time to time to keep up on our toes.