9,2,5

The last 48 hours have been filed with a lot of anxiety. Once we found out that Hunter had an infection it really put Tasha and I on edge. Although the practitioner told us that her body was fighting the organism we know how underdeveloped her immune system is. Every alarm or alert that went off in the NICU on Monday sent shock waves through our bodies. These past two weeks have been filled with many ups and a few downs. Everyday my world is centered around 9:00 am, 2:00 pm and 5:00pm. The first two times in the day is when Tasha calls and updates me on Hunter's progress while I'm at work. When my phone rings during these times, my heart races and I'm as equally nervous as I am excited to see her name on my caller ID. When I answer the phone I take a deep breathe and pray that tears do not greet me on the other end of the call. My anxiety level is filled with uncertainty and helplessness from the time I wake up until the time I receive these two calls during the day. The only certainty I have during this time is my trust in God and walking into the doors of the environment at work that I have known for over ten years. I know when I start my day there will be lots of familiar faces and plenty of laughs. Although brief it provides a much needed distraction from the burden of having a young child in a hospital 90 miles away. For a brief period I can take my mind off cc's and focus on cpc. Thoughts of air flow are suppressed by brand flow. Believe it or not work has been a temporary haven from what's happening in San Diego. My co-workers have been very supportive and I thank everyone for their concern and thoughtfulness. They are able to bridge the gap between the time I wake up and the time I see Hunter at around 5:00 pm. At 9:00 am we discovered that she threw up about 3 cc of her feedings earlier in the morning. Her CO2 was normal which was good news. At 2:00 pm one of my biggest fears came to light. I answered the phone and I heard tears on the other end. My heart stopped and I asked what was wrong. Fortunately Tasha said Hunter was OK, she was just overwhelmed by the last 48 hours. She said both of Hunters arterial lines had fallen out which was not a big deal but the thought of them having to prick her to reinsert the lines really hurt Tasha. The site of all the apparatus takes its tole after a while. She set up a conference with the doctor, nurse practitioner and social worker later on in the evening once I arrived. In the conference they really put our worries to rest. They said Hunter had accomplished all her milestones for her age and they said the probability for survival goes up to 75% at 26 weeks, which she will be tomorrow and 90% at 27 weeks. As far as the infection, they found about 3 different organisms that they are using antibiotics to combat. The infectious disease doctor visited Hunter and has her on contact isolation. She can not be handled without a mask, gown, and gloves. The doctor said the organism were commonly found on our bodies and not life threatening. They did not seem to be affecting her bowls, her breathing, and where isolated in the lungs and not the blood stream. She had no signs of pneumonia and they are highly confident that she will emerge unscaved. The conversation was very soothing and is exactly what we wanted and needed to hear. It cleared up a lot of fears and the uneasiness we were experiencing. We know that she is in the best hands and today's meeting solidified that fact. So Hunter is fine and she is sleeping well tonight. She changes everytime we see her. They were unable to weigh her because of the type of ventilator she is on but she definitely looks plumper. Tasha will still be able to Kangaroo once she is off this particular vent and we look forward to the coming days. As rough as the last few days have been one thing is for certain, in times of uncertainty you can always rely on the reliable, God, family, friends.