Saturday, August 1, 2009

Small Step Back

We just got a call from the hospital that said that Karsie had to be put back on the ventilator. Her CO2 levels were reading high.  Even though she's mad about the tube being back in, she needs to be breathing out more CO2.  We're all pretty sure this is due to the infection that we will now name Lucifer.  While this is not a major setback (it was always a possibility), it might mean that holding Karsie again will be delayed until Lucifer is dead.  

5 comments:

  1. Oh gosh, I'm so sorry! I'll be praying that her infection heals quickly and that she gets back off the ventilator asap.
    Love,
    Lisa and Clay

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  2. We're sorry to hear that news. :( We are wishing Lucifer a speedy and thorough demise!

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  3. Oh - Rude words.
    But, it happens a lot, she will come off the vent again.
    I don't know if it is still said, but several hundred years ago when I started NICU, we told parents, "It's two steps forward, and one step back."
    There are gains, and losses on those gains.
    Look at the general trend.
    Look back a week and see if she has made improvements. Maybe several things are better than a week ago, and a few are not.
    Another term we used a lot, was Roller Coaster.
    I know that is not nice to think about and sounds scary.
    That's because having a sick or preemie baby is scary. You don't know what to feel or what to do with your emotions as you get bad news, then get good news, then get bad news again.
    Sorry if I am repeating what you have heard many times over.
    But if no-one has said so before, she will not recover in a straight line upwards. It will be up and down on a daily basis, but hopefully upward as a trend.
    I see her as being so much better than she was initially in every way, except for having developed an infection. She has so many risks for developing an infection, it is not surprising it happened. And, it is being treated.
    So kiss Karsie for me and tell her she is a good trender!
    Love, Aunty Jen.

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  4. a picture IS worth a thousand words!! michelle, you look BEAUTIFUL! thinking about you daily and praying for all of you. love, tricia

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  5. Jen - thanks for the reminder. Yes, the NICU staff continually tells us that it will be a roller coaster. However, none of them have worked for the NICU for over a hundred years, so it definitely makes it official coming from you. In a week's time she has improved greatly! We definitely understand that in the grand scheme of things this is nothing to stress about yet. If it was potentially something that was immediately really scary, I probably wouldn't have named her infection. It's a bummer, but she is having an easier time breathing now being back on the ventilator and that is ultimately what is important. She'll come off again soon.

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