You know that feeling - you're enjoying the roller coaster ride, your stomach isn't too flip-floppy, and it just feels fun? Then... there's that blind curve that jolts you back and sets your head swimming? Well - that was us yesterday!!!
I'll start by saying that all is well now :) I'm pretty sure that George thought that if he held his breathe he may be able to visit his old friends at the hospital. Little did he know that we would visit our local hospital instead :)
Our George, who has kind of coasted along with only relatively minor blips along the way, refluxed yesterday while being burped, which is a very normal thing... unfortunately he couldn't clear the reflux on his own. It stuck in his throat... we tried pats on the back, rubs on the stomach, and suction in the mouth and nose with the bulb, but nothing was working. He started to turn an awful shade of blue and gray, and his eyes got wider and wider just begging for a breath of air. That's when it got scary and the CPR began... breaths, then chest compressions, the whole nine.
I never thought in a million years that I would have to do CPR on my child. Thank you MUSC for preparing us so well! (Every parent who has a child in the NNICU is required to take it - thank goodness! After this, I think every parent should!) While I was doing CPR under the watchful eye of my mother-in-law, Omi, our friend Nan, who is also a nurse and had been doing a home visit at the time, called 9-1-1. It was like the movies - and honestly I have a hard time even comprehending that it happened. The firemen got there first and rushed upstairs with their gear. George started to breathe only minutes before they arrived - but he was still not a very pretty color. We started giving him oxygen and down the stairs we went into the ambulance. Once at our local hospital George was examined, his chest was xrayed to check for aspiration, and he was admitted for the night to be monitored.
Crazy - I didn't cry until they told me he would have to stay the night at the hospital. You would think that after so many nights of just that, I would be just fine! But no, I guess something like that never sits right when you're a parent :)
DB stayed with him overnight and I came home to relieve Omi and take over with Olivia. George had a good night (although I'm not sure DB got much sleep!), and was released this morning. He is not wireless anymore :) He is now fitted with a monitor exactly like Olivia's... thank goodness, maybe we can stop staring at him now :) Maybe not...
**Side note - if you're someone like me who got trained in CPR many moons ago, and haven't thought twice about it since then, seriously consider getting retrained! Yes, I realize my kids are at a higher risk because of their prematurity, but George is the baby who hasn't had any events in weeks! He was the one we, medical professionals included, thought would never need it! I'm sure either your local hospital or Red Cross could hook you up :)**
Chillin' in the hospital with DB near by all night... once you are discharged from the nursery you can't be re-admitted, so George and DB were in a standard room in the pediatric wing. Little boy in a big room!
Back at home with his monitor and a present from DB... a friend to keep him company while in the hospital. His name is Reflux :)
This picture has nothing to do with George, and isn't even recent :) I just love it! DB and Samuel reading together, before he got out of the
isolet.
Again, nothing to do with George :) Olivia was the first to try out the swing! She seems a little unsure... but very adorable :)
There's even Easter in the hospital! Check out my cool duck from one of my cool nurses :) Now give me a hug!
The two stooges await their third :)
One of the best Easter presents :) This card is about two feet tall! I teared up, so you know the babies loved it too! This was a card from the kids at church :) (LOVE the giant envelope - kids are so creative!)
