Monday, August 27, 2007

My first morning back at work

Well, it's Monday and my first morning back to work. I was doing ok about it until I drove over the hill on Hwy 31 and saw the hospital. It was like, "well, crap" and then I lost it. I said good morning to Kathryn and said a prayer for her and her doctors and nurses as I passed Brookwood.

Like I said, I am back to work. I am now working 7-4 until Kathryn comes home so that I have earlier afternoons with Madelyn and maybe an opportunity to go visit Kathryn before the NICU closes at 6pm for shift change. Then home for dinner, give Maddie a bath, back to the hospital at 8 for visitation and home to put a 3 1/2 year old to bed. Then maybe a few minutes for me before I head off to bed somewhere around 10 pm so that I can get up around 5 am to start over.

Kathryn had some troubles this weekend. On Friday she received another blood transfusion. She gets them every 3-4 days so this was a common thing for her. After the transfusion, she had an impressive weight gain of 2 ozs to 1 #, 10 oz on Friday night. Saturday morning they started her on lasics (I probably misspell this!!) to release some fluids - remember like a diuretic for her. When they noticed at 11:00 am on Saturday morning that she was elevated and her chest xray showed cloudy as if there was extra fluid. They started her on antibiotics Saturday in case of an infection and then gave her some saline to help increase the urine output. She did have some more urine output last night, but they are giving her another bout of lasics to help with even more urine output. All this sounds awfully scary to me, but they assure us that there are no excess worries today other than common worries for preemies and specifically for Kathryn. With the blood cultures, it is the same as last time, we get preliminary results each day, but the best indication of an infection would appear 48 - 72 hours after the initial blood work. So, we will know more about this on Wednesday. Please pray for no infection!!!!!

They also had started the gut priming again yesterday, but they decreased the frequency to 1/2 cc every 8 hours instead of every 6 hours. They are taking it slower this time.

I called to check on her just now. They are still continuing with the gut priming and she hasn't had much change since last night on her vent settings. She is on a type of pain medication to help her feel comfy right now with all of this going on and this seems to calm her a little.

Please pray for Kathryn over the next few days that she does not have an infection!!!

Oh and she did get her UAC out this weekend so we are now doing heel sticks every 12 hours for labs.

And please keep responding and letting us know who you are, where you are from, and how you know Kathryn. I want to put this in her baby book and show Kathryn one day how many people were praying for her.

Kelly

2 comments:

aubieharris said...

Kristy, Sandy & Ethan Harris,
Wetumpka, AL

i left a previous comment that i knew sandy fisher who knew kathryn's grandparent and sent the blogsite to me since Ethan was born 2 months early. he's just gotten his 5 month checkup and is a whooping 13 lbs 8 oz (birth 3 lbs 2 oz).
Anyway, i saw your comment you wanted to keep up with all the prayerwarriors out there. our sunday school class (the Anchor Class see attached verse) here at Wetumpka 1st Baptist had a special prayer for your family and have you on our list. i update them (about 20 in the class) using your site and we celebrate the milestones with you.

Hebrews 6:18-19
18That by two immutable things, in which it was impossible for God to lie, we might have a strong consolation, who have fled for refuge to lay hold upon the hope set before us:
19Which hope we have as an anchor of the soul, both sure and stedfast

Cynthia Schramm said...

Hi, Kelly, Remember me? I worked for Billy and also took the job you used to have at Cobb Chamber.

I've never used a blog before so it's taken me this long to figure it out. Anyway, I wanted you to know that I've been praying for all of you each day. She such a sweet, tiny little thing but there sure are a lot of us who are lifting her up to the LORD.

"Keep me safe,O God, for in you I take refuge." Psalm 16:1