We started off today with a visit to the NICU we got there at around 11:15 checked in with the front desk and were met by a charge nurse named Morgan. She is a very sweet gal! She explained to us the detailed hand washing process that'll need to be done to keep our girl and the other sweet babies healthy! She then went on to tell us about checking in at the front desk and the visitor policy. Which right now is pretty strict because of flu season and the concerns for RSV. I understand their policy and don't want to put any babies in jeopardy however I'm not a fan of it. Currently it'll be Peter and I who will have 24/7 access then only 4 other people will be allowed to visit Emma while in the NICU. I am praying that the flu season ends before Emma gets here because we have a lot of friends and family that will want to see our sweet baby girl. It was explained to us how it'll work while she's there with the doctors and nurses. She will have a group of assigned nurses that'll follow her care until the time she is discharged. They've thought of EVERYTHING... for heaven's sake they even have a laundry room with all the items needed!!! We are truly fortunate to live in such a city where GREAT medical care is so close to home. How blessed we are to live in Cincinnati!
We then met with the neurosurgeon. He was a nice man, I was initially intimidated because I had just assumed he'd be stand-offish and straight to the point, however this wasn't the case. He was nice, and was there to inform us about her surgery day and what that'll entail and to answer our questions. One of the questions that has been pressing on my heart was answered to my liking today. I have been so wrapped up with worry about not being able to hold Emma for an extended period of time after her back closure. I understand that it would be for her sole benefit if I wasn't able to but it has been weighing heavy on my heart. Well I asked him about how long after her back closure would we be able to hold her and he said that as long as the NICU doc's were ok with it and she wasn't on the ventilator or anything like that, that I could hold her the same day as her surgery! WHAT A RELIEF!!!! Another prayer answered! We also got to see what a shunt looked like. Its pretty much just a long tube, that if she needs one would be placed in her brain and would go down to her abdomen where it will dump the cerebral fluid. This is what it looks like...
After a quick lunch in the hospital cafeteria (which actually isn't so bad) we then got a tour of the Spina Bifida clinic where we will go for follow up care once she is here, this is where all her doctors will be. It'll be on an assigned day typically Monday afternoons and we'll just go there and the doctors will come to us (how nice is that). We were told that the first visit will be with the Urology doctor and the Development team.
Today was also our normal testing day, so off we went to Good Sam. We had the NST where of course Emma chose not to cooperate and was buzzed, but they eventually got what they were looking for! Then onto the ultrasound... my FAVORITE part of testing day. The fluid level was good at 19.4. Then the ultrasound tech was showing us her profile and said that she was able to tell that Emma had hair! She said it's pretty unusual to see hair at this point in the pregnancy, forever Peter and I had decided that Emma would be as bald as an onion when she was born because we both were, but I can't wait to put her first bow on her!! While we were admiring her beautiful locks, the tech saw her stick her tongue out at us. I can just see it now... she's already blowing raspberries and she isn't even here yet!!
I think that sums up today! Thank you for your faithful thoughts and prayers, we appreciate every single one of you! And of course I leave you with pictures!!
And at the end of the day she is what matters!!!
No comments:
Post a Comment