GIGGLES

Monday, February 11, 2008

Counting our blessings

Well, we've been home for a few days and already I am feeling overwhelmed. Landon's really sore. Every time I move his button, he screams out in pain and clinches every muscle, trying not to move. Plus, he decided in the hospital(the 7th) that he needed to break in his very first tooth. Today he broke in his second. I tell you, the boy just doesn't understand that you should space out the pain.
We had yet another amazing roommate. Sometimes you get some real winners--crazy parents, and then you can imagine the kid. However, this time we had a little 6 month old. He had been in the hospital and rehab house all of his life. He is hopefully going home with his parents for the first time this week. He has a muscular disease that doesn't allow him to swallow, breathe or move much on his own. His parents had their first child die, then they have a healthy two year old and then this little ange. He's an adorable little guy who makes more secretions than any other person I know. It made me realize that my problems aren't so bad. He can't even smile. I just admire his parents. However, in talking with his mom, she and I shared our thoughts of having a child with special needs. Everyone talks of us being so strong, but it's really just a day to day, sometimes moment to moment thing. And in the end, we're just glad to have them here with us.

So in the hospital,Monday, we finally had Ped. surgery place the G-tube laproscopically(they pump them full of CO2), which I think is better then opening them up fully. Then, when he came out, he was ofcourse groggy from the anethesia, and sore from being back on the ventelator, even for a short period of time. He was super sore and had stitches holding the tube in place on the outside. It's a good thing he took his binky!
Then Tuesday, he wasn't allowed to eat until the afternoon. Then they started him eating 13 CC's per hour and worked him up to 50. THen they tried 150cc's(5oz) over two hours--he lost it. So then they took the amount down,I tried to tell them he's never even had 4, but what do I know. They then started giving him 4 oz over an hour. He tolerated that and so, every three hours they fed him. I wasn't allowed to breastfeed him yet, but when they let me, even though he was sore, he was more than ready. Poor thing!
He started throwing up when they tried to up the calories to 27/oz, so they took him back down to 24(sorry, I know this is a lot of detail). He was still throwing up about once a day and I was worried they were going to keep him over the weekend. I called Serge and he told me to tell them, "Look, he's thrown up all of his life, and so if you're waiting for him to not throw up, we'll never leave the hospital." It worked. Yeah!
I brought him home and Hayden was so glad to have us come home. He spent all week with Amy. Bless her heart! And now, I'm trying to get back in the routine of things.
Positives--Landon is growing, No more nasty, sinus infection causing yellow tube that I constantly have to shove down my son's nose, Hayden is continuing to potty train(still not 100% there), I put Landon on continuous feeds at night so that after eight months I can get 6 consecutive hours of sleep(almost) and we're here to help Serge through his mid-terms.
Thanks everyone for your faith and prayers

6 comments:

Liz the Poet said...

Wow, Sara. Such an ordeal! But, I'm happy that Landon is home and that he's doing better. Poor little guy. Hopefully it won't take him too long for the tenderness to go away. I'll start praying about that ASAP.

Tammie said...

Even though I know you are just taking one day at a time, moment to moment I still find you do so with such amazing faith! You have helped me to see there are so many things that just really don't matter! And the things that do, really really do! Thanks so much for your wonderful example!

Lots of love!!

Rebecca said...

I'm glad you're home. I hope Serg makes it through mid-terms and that Landon feels better ... poor bubbas. I better not mention "continuous feed" to brock, or he might get some ideas ... he's still my little breastfed baby- it comforts him, and it sounds like Landon as well ...

Amanda said...

I'm so glad you guys are home and things are getting a little more normal. I think about you every day! I love you guys!

rachelsaysso said...

Thanks so much for the update. You may not think that you're that strong but believe me, you are. I'm so glad you're home and that he's improving. Always in my prayers.

AJ said...

My heart and thoughts are with you guys. I wish I was near you and could do SOMETHING to help you. I guess you will have to settle for prayers. You are doing great things.