Well we are about two and a half weeks into our hospital stay and Carter continues to do well and gain strides what seems to be everyday! He has been eating more each day and his level of food intake has increased over the last few days; it's as if a light switch went off and he has finally learned the whole suck and swallow method in order to drink his bottles.
When it comes to drinking Carter has increased his intake from about 44% of taking a bottle on his own to 76% and it then 84%, which is wonderful news! It means that it's that much less that he needs the feeding tube. Today he has taken the last 7 bottles FULL and hasn't needed the feeding tube at all! We are hoping that this will continue for Carter and that he won't need to feeding tube because he HATES having it in his nose and I feel so bad that he has to have it. He cries each time he pulls it out and they have to put it back in. :( Poor guy.
The doctors said that once Carter can eat 100% of his feedings two days in a row he could possibly go home, which would be amazing and terrifying at the same time, after having a group of doctors and nurses watching over Carter all the time to coming home with just me!!!!
He does still have his open wound on the right side of his back but it is healing so well! Mike took a picture the day he was born and compared to now you would never know it was so big. (Take a look below.) The wonderful news about this is that Mike and I have learned how to change his dressing so we could do it at home instead of having plastics look at it. He will NOT need a car bed to go home which is great news but cannot be on his back for more than 45 minutes in the car or car-seat. I believe that we would meet with plastics at Carter's 6 week appointment to find out how much longer he needs to have the dressing done (right now it's two times a day) as well as figure out how much longer he can be on his back as time goes on.
As for his ventricles and brain, he continues to have ultrasounds two times a week, Monday's and Thursday's and so far he continues to be stable and not have too much growth which is a good thing. We know that babies heads are supposed to grow but we don't want his to grow too big too quickly because that would indicate his need for a shunt. As of right now still no shunt (hooray!!!) but we are doing our best to not get too excited and to take it one day at a time. Neuro comes by on Tuesday and Friday morning's to see how he is doing, and take some measurements, but they come so early in the morning, unless you sleep here or get here at dawn (sometimes before that) you miss them. I am trying to find a way to talk to them without having to spend the night because you can only take so many days sleeping on a hospital couch before feeling like you're going to lose it.
We are so excited that Carter is doing so well and that he is really beating a lot of the odds that were put in front of him. We continue to hope and pray that this will follow Carter as he gets older but these are still issues that will be with him as he grows up and things can always change and we need to keep that in our minds too. Plus sometimes we have to remind others of that fact as well. Hard to figure out but needed in order to understand everything he will be going through his entire life.
So the great news is that Carter is doing fantastic! Mom on the other hand... could be better. Although if something had to happen, and I will say it again, I'm glad it happened to me and not to Carter. After having the C-Section I had a lot of bruising where my first scar had been healing from the first surgery. However, turns out I had an infected hematoma which was causing such terrible bruising and so began the packing. This literally means that I have to get packed with gauze twice a day from the hospital (since I am here every day anyway) into my stomach to help make sure that the infection doesn't get worse and it BURNS!!!! I have gotten to the point where it doesn't bother me as much after a week and a half of this but it is getting a little old.
To top off my own issues I also have Mastitis... which is the most terrible experience I truly feel like I have ever gone through. This came slowly and then all at once. For those of you who may have not ever heard of this, pr for those fortunate who have never gotten it, mastitis is when milk gets into your breast tissue and not into the milk duct hen pumping or breastfeeding. The symptoms are fevers, chills, aches, and sharp shooting pain in your breast. Luckily for me... I had all of these symptoms. On Thursday I wasn't feeling too good so I thought I would lay down for a bit before I was able to drive to the hospital for the first time myself. Needless to say, that didn't happen. I had to call Mike from work and he had to leave work and take me to the hospital (have I mentioned recently how wonderful my husband is?!) and I was admitted into triage.
Once admitted, I had a temperature of 103.7 degrees along with aches and chills. The nurses put four heated blankets on me along with sweatpants and nothing worked for about three hours. They attempted to put an IV into me but after four different times, no such luck. However, after getting a third nurse, the fifth needle seemed to do the trick. After getting the IV for some fluids and sitting around it was time to pump and the lactation nurse came in to help. I'm not going to get into details but it was the most painful experience I have had to go through and I would not ever wish this on anyone. After getting another round of antibiotics (I have two different kinds now to take), ultrasounds, and five hours of rest, they decided they didn't need to admit me because my fever went down and it was back to Carter's room for the night.
These things still have not been healed or passed through m body but I sure am hoping that it will soon, so fingers crossed.
That's about it for now from the life of Carter, and a little of Kasey. I will be sure to keep you posted on how Carter is doing and the possible discharge we could be getting if Carter continues to improve. Please keep him in your prayers so that he continues to do well and can meet his puppies and see his new room.
When it comes to drinking Carter has increased his intake from about 44% of taking a bottle on his own to 76% and it then 84%, which is wonderful news! It means that it's that much less that he needs the feeding tube. Today he has taken the last 7 bottles FULL and hasn't needed the feeding tube at all! We are hoping that this will continue for Carter and that he won't need to feeding tube because he HATES having it in his nose and I feel so bad that he has to have it. He cries each time he pulls it out and they have to put it back in. :( Poor guy.
The doctors said that once Carter can eat 100% of his feedings two days in a row he could possibly go home, which would be amazing and terrifying at the same time, after having a group of doctors and nurses watching over Carter all the time to coming home with just me!!!!
He does still have his open wound on the right side of his back but it is healing so well! Mike took a picture the day he was born and compared to now you would never know it was so big. (Take a look below.) The wonderful news about this is that Mike and I have learned how to change his dressing so we could do it at home instead of having plastics look at it. He will NOT need a car bed to go home which is great news but cannot be on his back for more than 45 minutes in the car or car-seat. I believe that we would meet with plastics at Carter's 6 week appointment to find out how much longer he needs to have the dressing done (right now it's two times a day) as well as figure out how much longer he can be on his back as time goes on.
Carter's wound minutes after being born. On the right side of his initial surgery
Close up of what it looks like now, just from some gauze and rest!
Eventually this will not even be noticed and plastics said that this will heal beautifully.
As for his ventricles and brain, he continues to have ultrasounds two times a week, Monday's and Thursday's and so far he continues to be stable and not have too much growth which is a good thing. We know that babies heads are supposed to grow but we don't want his to grow too big too quickly because that would indicate his need for a shunt. As of right now still no shunt (hooray!!!) but we are doing our best to not get too excited and to take it one day at a time. Neuro comes by on Tuesday and Friday morning's to see how he is doing, and take some measurements, but they come so early in the morning, unless you sleep here or get here at dawn (sometimes before that) you miss them. I am trying to find a way to talk to them without having to spend the night because you can only take so many days sleeping on a hospital couch before feeling like you're going to lose it.
We are so excited that Carter is doing so well and that he is really beating a lot of the odds that were put in front of him. We continue to hope and pray that this will follow Carter as he gets older but these are still issues that will be with him as he grows up and things can always change and we need to keep that in our minds too. Plus sometimes we have to remind others of that fact as well. Hard to figure out but needed in order to understand everything he will be going through his entire life.
So the great news is that Carter is doing fantastic! Mom on the other hand... could be better. Although if something had to happen, and I will say it again, I'm glad it happened to me and not to Carter. After having the C-Section I had a lot of bruising where my first scar had been healing from the first surgery. However, turns out I had an infected hematoma which was causing such terrible bruising and so began the packing. This literally means that I have to get packed with gauze twice a day from the hospital (since I am here every day anyway) into my stomach to help make sure that the infection doesn't get worse and it BURNS!!!! I have gotten to the point where it doesn't bother me as much after a week and a half of this but it is getting a little old.
To top off my own issues I also have Mastitis... which is the most terrible experience I truly feel like I have ever gone through. This came slowly and then all at once. For those of you who may have not ever heard of this, pr for those fortunate who have never gotten it, mastitis is when milk gets into your breast tissue and not into the milk duct hen pumping or breastfeeding. The symptoms are fevers, chills, aches, and sharp shooting pain in your breast. Luckily for me... I had all of these symptoms. On Thursday I wasn't feeling too good so I thought I would lay down for a bit before I was able to drive to the hospital for the first time myself. Needless to say, that didn't happen. I had to call Mike from work and he had to leave work and take me to the hospital (have I mentioned recently how wonderful my husband is?!) and I was admitted into triage.
Once admitted, I had a temperature of 103.7 degrees along with aches and chills. The nurses put four heated blankets on me along with sweatpants and nothing worked for about three hours. They attempted to put an IV into me but after four different times, no such luck. However, after getting a third nurse, the fifth needle seemed to do the trick. After getting the IV for some fluids and sitting around it was time to pump and the lactation nurse came in to help. I'm not going to get into details but it was the most painful experience I have had to go through and I would not ever wish this on anyone. After getting another round of antibiotics (I have two different kinds now to take), ultrasounds, and five hours of rest, they decided they didn't need to admit me because my fever went down and it was back to Carter's room for the night.
These things still have not been healed or passed through m body but I sure am hoping that it will soon, so fingers crossed.
That's about it for now from the life of Carter, and a little of Kasey. I will be sure to keep you posted on how Carter is doing and the possible discharge we could be getting if Carter continues to improve. Please keep him in your prayers so that he continues to do well and can meet his puppies and see his new room.
Holding hands already :)
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