PICU

June 7, 2008

NOT only did we NOT get to bring Calahan home on Thursday, we had to rush Aidan to emergency and admit him to U of M Hospital. Thursday, the day we were looking so forward to, was a horrible day!

It started in the morning when I called the NICU to be sure that Cal was still scheduled to come home that day. Unfortunately, Cal had bought himself some extra time in the NICU. I suppose he doesn't want to leave all of the girls; him being a ladies' man and all. Every night he seems to have one major desat which he is usually able to self recover from but it takes him about two minutes. Last night he had a big desat in which they needed to stimulate him. So, he started on Zantac today in hopes that it would help with his reflex which in turn would help with his breathing. We are keeping our fingers crossed that he will make it home eventually. But this probably was a blessing in disguise because we spent the weekend in the PICU (Pediatric Intensive Care Unit) with Aidan.

On Thursday I noticed that Aidan kept turning a funny shade of yellow. Jaundice? Maybe, I thought. As the day went on he was sluggish with his eating and sleeping quite a bit. When Paul got home from work he decided we should go to the pediatrician. Dr. Oh took Aidan's temperature and it was low. She checked the oxygen level in his blood and that was low. She told us if we left straight from the clinic we could go to the hospital by car. Paul got us to U of M in no time; although it felt like forever. In the ER Aidan was given an IV and had to get blood drawn. Then we were moved up to the 5th floor for more poking and prodding. I was a mess! A complete mess! I couldn't watch Aidan get poked one more time. With my lack of sleep and extreme concern for one baby at home, one on the fourth floor and one of the fifth floor I may have had a minor breakdown if it weren't for my husband. Paul was so calm and comforting.

We have just returned home with no answers to Aidan's symptoms. He is scheduled for weekly blood draws and a GI appointment in one or two months. His bilirubin levels are elevated which may indicate a problem with his liver. Jaundice is caused by a build up of bilirubin (a yellowish substance produced when red blood cells are broken down). At birth the liver is too immature to convert bilirubin into a disposable form which is excreted in the stool. In Aidan's case his liver has done its job of converting the bilirubin into a disposable form, but he is having a problem getting rid of the bilirubin. This is called direct hyperbilirubinemia. This may be from the TPN that Aidan had earlier on in life.

So...it was an exhausting weekend. We are so happy to be home and we are praying for Calahan to join us soon.