Drive-by Update

I meant to update when I came home last night but I fell asleep while tucking Annie in and then was awake long enough to pump and go back to bed.

Natalie is having a better day today. Yesterday morning was rough but by late afternoon she turned the corner. She had extubated herself again Wednesday and they did another quick attempt on C-PAP. It took a lot out of her and it seems her lungs never fully reinflated. They adjusted some vent settings, nothing happened so they adjusted some more and she finally responded. It seemed like a simple solution to be and I was frustrated that it took them so long to try it.

We are really hoping that they give her some time before trying C-PAP again. Each failed attempt causes her to lose ground and she just can't afford to keep going through that stress. I asked yesterday about using a mask rather than prongs for C-PAP but our hospital does not use masks. I am not sure if they would be willing to order one to try on her or if their equipment is even compatible. It can be hard to get a good seal using a mask and babies tend to develop pressure sores from them. Like everything else in the NICU nothing comes without drawbacks.

She is now sedated so she can recuperate. Her feedings have been stopped and started a lot this week but right now they are back on. They increased the amount of high calorie formula she's getting to try to boost her calories again.

I am off to spend the day with Steve, Annie and Natalie as we celebrate our 5th anniversary. I am desperate for Natalie to give us a nice day of rest and recovery as a gift.