Mommy and Grandma Nidia visited Lauren this morning, Daddy was sleeping after working all night. Lauren is having a good morning after a good night. The residual volumes on her feedings are relatively low so the feedings with Mommy's milk continue unchanged. Lauren's ileostomy site continues to put out yellow stool, and the gauze they are using is working as intended. Stool is not getting on Lauren's skin and the site looks clean. Lauren has not had more apnea/bradycardia episodes, and her theophylline level is ok. Grandma says that since she last saw Lauren, she looks bigger and her skin looks pinker rather than the reddish color it was. Her face is fuller, and the nurse agrees with her that Lauren is starting to look cute.
10/18/01 6:00PM:
Daddy visited Lauren before going to work tonight. They have increased Lauren's feeding to 4 cc's every three hours, and if she tolerates it without significant residual volumes, they will advance the feedings to 5 cc's every three hours. Grandma was right - Lauren does look bigger tonight. The nurse informed Daddy that Lauren's red blood cells are starting to get low again, and that she might need another transfusion within the next couple of days.
10/19/01 1:30AM:
Daddy checked in on Lauren by phone, and was told that they were keeping the feedings at 4 cc's due to some significant residual volumes. Her official weight tonight is 1 lb, 9.6 oz, a slight decrease. The nurse said Lauren was having a very good, restful night. If you keep this up, Lauren, Daddy will not have as many gray hairs as he is expecting to gain...
10/19/01 NOON:
Lauren's left foot is swollen at the site where an IV was a couple of days ago. The nurse noticed some drainage and the neonatologist sent a sample to the lab and started Lauren on antibiotics in case the foot is infected. Lauren's red blood count is low again and she will be getting another transfusion later today. She is still getting feedings at 4 cc's every three hours, and is tolerating them well. Earlier they were changing the tape that holds the breathing tube in her mouth and she reached up, grabbed the tube, and yanked real hard. The tube came out and she had to be reintubated. The nurse said that Lauren is looking cuter now and her cheeks look fuller. They put her back on the vent to rest her some more.
10/19/01 11:00PM:
Lauren's transfusion went well. THANK YOU!!! Her foot is less swollen and they are now feeding her 5 cc's (1 teaspoonful) every three hours. Her official weight is now 1 lb, 10.4 oz, back up from yesterday. According to the nurse, she is having another very good night.
10/20/01 11:00 AM:
Lauren had a great morning. Her arterial line in her left wrist has been taken out - they typically last about 10 days, but hers lasted all this time. They inserted a new IV in her scalp vein, so she has a little dressing on top of her forehead. She is tolerating the feedings at 5 cc's well, with small residual volumes. She continues to make enough urine, so her kidneys are working well. Her ileostomy continues to put out yellowish stool, so her gut is working adequately now, and it indicates she is processing the breast milk feedings properly. Mommy got to "feed" Lauren again today - she does it like an old pro by now.
10/21/01 10:30AM:
Lauren's feedings are now up to 7 cc's every three hours and she is handling them well, with little residual volumes. Her weight last night was 1 lb, 11.1 oz. Mommy and Daddy are thinking about having a "2PP" (2 Pound Party) when Lauren gets to 2 pounds. Her ileostomy site remains clean and healthy, and so far there are no problems with the IV in her scalp vein. The bad news today is worrysome: the cultures from the IV site in her left foot that were sent to the lab have come back positive for MRSA (Methycillin-Resistant Staphilococcus Aureus), a bacteria that is resistant to most antibiotics. Luckily, the antibiotics they put her on a couple of days ago include Vancomycin, a very strong drug that should take care of the MRSA. It is typically a 10-day course of antibiotics via the IV line. So far her white blood cell count is still normal, a good sign. They are moving her to an isolation room so that there is less likelihood of cross-contamination with other babies in the unit. She is now wearing bigger diapers.