Exceeding expectations and laughing at limitations

As usual Miss Tara had some surprises up her sleeve.

Things were really not changing and she was in significant pain and her lungs were starting to have some fluid on the X-ray, and frankly I was not going to be suprised if it took her a week to get extubated.

But Tara always likes  fly in the face of limitations, so she was extubated today and has improved dramatically since then. The more she fought and the longer she was on the ventilator the more fluid her lungs would produce due to their reactivity. Then the more sedation she would need and then that would make her need more respiratory support because of the sedation. It is a downward cycle, so they tried extubation to see how it went and she responded very well!

She is in a lot less pain and clearly much happier and resting better, so they are already weaning her off pain meds of Fentanyl and Versed too. Her intestines weren't really moving anything ("ileus" because of surgery recovery) but then today they kicked in and she had a poo and then a BIG poo after they gave her a suppository and is is tooting up a storm. The doctor calls it "passing flatus." :)

They tried 4 times yesterday to insert a PICC line into a bigger vein and failed, but the doctor called me late today to tell me they were going to start formula slowly into her Gtube rather than turn her into a human pincushion. Good thing, because if they kept trying today and failed I was going to revoke consent! She is tolerating the formula well so far, and if that continues tomorrow the Doc said she is out of danger.

She is doing so well now the possibility of her being home by Christmas could be back on the table. But either way I've been reminded is that it is family that makes a holiday and not a time or place, so we'll make the holiday magic happen somehow.

I did find out that my son is no more likely to have a malrotation than any other baby, and it is not related to prematurity.

I found a great blog of a 23 weeker preemie at www.lifewithjack.com and she wrote a beautiful piece "Don't Wish it Away" here: http://www.lifewithjack.com/2012/12/dont-wish-it-away.html  It is a MUST READ for anyone going through the NICU experience. She says what I have been thinking so much more eloquently than I could ever put it. She has been though so much more and has had to face down major fears that for me are mostly only small risk factors. I'm going to try to relax and enjoy every moment more. Cuddle more. Take more pictures. Try not to worry as much as possible. After all, it's like paying interest on a loan you  may not even owe.