Marquette Bound

Tuesday, April 6 we followed our baby to Marquette, MI. We even took Ryan with us. We got to the NICU probably around 3 p.m. that afternoon. The NICU is like something you've never seen before. It was peaceful and very calming. The nurses up there were just amazing. We were able to visit with Sylvia when ever we wanted. Poor big brother had to sit in the waiting room, but he was such a good sport. He never had any sort of temper tantrum or anything. He must have known he had to be a good boy for his little sister.

The reason Sylv had to be transferred was due to the simple fact that she needed to learn how to eat. The nurses at DCH did an amazing job trying to teach her, especially Sarah (who I think is an amazing nurse) who tried and tried and tried to keep her in town for us, but unfortunately they just didn't have enough experience or equipment in this sort of case to keep her home.

I knew that as long as she was working with a nipple she would be able to come home sooner. I dreaded the idea that they might have to feed her thru a tube that went down to her tummy. It was so frustrating because it seemed like a nurse would learn her and then the shift change would come and the next nurse would have to learn her all over again. She was doing so well when I left her late Tuesday night. We felt really good about what was happening. I kept hope that she would be coming home in a day or two.

Wednesday April 6, 2010

We decided to head home on Tuesday night to try and get a good night sleep in our own bed. On Wednesday morning we headed back up there bright and early. I walked into the NICU and she had a little tube going into her nose. I lost every last ounce of hope I had. I didn't understand. When I left she was doing so well, then that dreaded shift change. They just couldn't get it together. That day I met with my saving grace. The speech therapist that worked at the hospital in Marquette. I will forever be in debt to this woman. She found a nipple that would work for Sylvia. It's called the Ross Nipple (http://www.abbottstore.com/content/ebiz/anstore/invt/56054e/cleftpalate_nipple_med.jpg). Sylvia was finally eating about 50 CC all on her own. It was such an awesome improvement. The Dr. in the NICU still wanted her to have 70 CC so the rest they would give her thru her little tube. 50 was such an improvement over nothing at all! The Speech Therapist taught me how to position her and how to feed her. As soon as she could eat it all and take nothing thru a tube then she would be coming home very shortly. I would be there at every feeding making sure she could eat for me. She was doing just amazing. She ate the entire 70 cc for me every time I fed her. All I had to do now was teach the nurses. They were so wonderful and took every tip I had for them and never once made me feel like "what do you know, you aren't the nurse here". By Thursday night she was taking bottles for everybody. She was even taking them overnight.

Friday April 8, 2010

I had decided to head to Marquette on my own. This was starting to take a horrible toll on Ryan and it just wasn't fair to him. I had set in my mind that I was NOT coming home without this baby. I told Derrick I would call him after every feeding and let him know how things were going. The past day or two Sylvia had this AMAZING nurse. She had asked the Dr. what was keeping me here. He had said it's basically her feeding. I got to the NICU early Friday and was SO happy when I saw the tube had been removed from her nose. She was taking every feeding on her own. I could have KISSED that nurse I was so thrilled! She then told me that the Dr. said she could go home as soon as she was taking all her feedings. I knew this was my chance to push it. Every time that Dr. walked by I had caught him and said "is it my turn yet". He would just smile and say "I'll be with you shortly". He didn't realize that his idea of shortly and my idea of shortly were two different things! Finally after I got his attention he was telling me about all the progress she had been making. I was thinking we were going home but he never actually said "you're going home now". He walked away from me, and I said "HOLD ON A MINUTE". He turns around and said to me "Here I am finally telling you that you're going home and you're holding up the discharge process". I was so thrilled I ran out of the NICU and called Derrick crying! I'm taking our baby home Derrick!