On this Thanksgiving day, I look around at all those who have supported us and want to give thanks for all of the blessings, both big and small, that have been bestowed on my family. There are so many things to be thankful for on this Thanksgiving. Our son, Benton, is alive and is still amazing us each day with his strength and vigor for life. Our family has come from far and wide to support us during this trying time and despite them having to rush here under tragic circumstances we have forged a stronger bond and our relationship has deepened. My husband and I have a newfound admiration for each other's strength and fortitude and our love has grown as we watch our son grow little by little each day.
To start off this Thanksgiving weekend we received our first phone call from the NICU. We had been told that no news was good news so to see those numbers flash on the phone triggered pure terror. I answered the phone and was greeted by Qi (pronounced "chi" like in Chichi's), our friendly doctor. She immediately told us she didn't have bad news so we could stop panicking. They had received the results from yesterday's head ultrasound and they wanted to share the results before the holiday weekend. Qi shared with us that the brain damage (PVL) they had detected on an earlier ultrasound had showed changes on this most recent scan and had decreased in size. The doctors no longer believed it was a PVL but rather a hematoma. This was great news because a PVL can cause long-lasting brain issues but this hematoma was likely only a stage 1 brain bleed which will resolve itself on its own. We couldn't have been happier to hear such heartwarming news right before Thanksgiving.
On Thanksgiving morning, I baked brownies for the NICU doctors and nurses to show our appreciation for all of their hard work and to thank them for taking such good care of Benton these past 2 1/2 weeks. As we arrived in the NICU, we saw one of our favorite nurses Kelsey taking care of Benton. She had Benton all cleaned up and looking super cute with a little beret on his head. This was the first non-hospital looking item of clothes Benton has gotten to wear!
Kelsey updated us on Benton's condition and that he had been having a relatively easy night and day. The surgeon had come by to look at his tummy and they were happy with how it looked. They also mentioned that they believed the "dusky" color had somewhat diminished, which was great news. In addition, his oxygen level was at 37% and his pressure was at 23 which was the lowest we had seen in quite some time and his blood gases were coming back great. All such wonderful news! She told us that the doctors were happy enough with his gases that they were only going to take them every 12 hours from now on and that they would remove his umbilical arterial catheter which they use for blood transfusions and to take the blood gases. From now on Benton will have his heel pricked each time they want to take a blood gas. All of this news was improvements and we couldn't have been happier.
Kelsey also mentioned that Benton had a huge poop. One that was so big that it actually caused him to fuss and de-sat because he was that uncomfortable. As she put it "it was a 5 wipe poop". While I never thought I would ramble endlessly about my son's bowel movements, this was wonderful news. With each poop it seems more and more likely that Benton does not have NEC and his bowels are functioning properly. It's funny being a NICU mom because so many conversations revolve around how your son's peeing and pooping is going. Is it enough? Is it too much? Each pee and poop gives the nurses and doctors information into my son's health and therefore it's inevitable that one of my first questions to Benton's nurses is "how was his diaper today?".
Despite being a hospital, the NICU definitely tries to infuse some cheerfulness into the holidays. Our labor and delivery nurse, Lindsey, who helped me through my delivery and the episode with my prolapsed cord, made Benton the cutest turkey to adorn his isolet. In addition, the NICU nurses made cards to the parents that were from our babies. Each card had their latest foot print and a note that said "I'm thankful to be yours. Love, Your Little Turkey". These thoughtful gestures mean so much especially in the harshness of the NICU with the constant beeping and alarms.
Our visit with Benton was terrific and to have such overwhelmingly positive news on Thanksgiving was one of the greatest gifts of all. Today truly was a wonderful Thanksgiving and we couldn't feel more thankful for all of the blessings that God has given us this year.
To start off this Thanksgiving weekend we received our first phone call from the NICU. We had been told that no news was good news so to see those numbers flash on the phone triggered pure terror. I answered the phone and was greeted by Qi (pronounced "chi" like in Chichi's), our friendly doctor. She immediately told us she didn't have bad news so we could stop panicking. They had received the results from yesterday's head ultrasound and they wanted to share the results before the holiday weekend. Qi shared with us that the brain damage (PVL) they had detected on an earlier ultrasound had showed changes on this most recent scan and had decreased in size. The doctors no longer believed it was a PVL but rather a hematoma. This was great news because a PVL can cause long-lasting brain issues but this hematoma was likely only a stage 1 brain bleed which will resolve itself on its own. We couldn't have been happier to hear such heartwarming news right before Thanksgiving.
On Thanksgiving morning, I baked brownies for the NICU doctors and nurses to show our appreciation for all of their hard work and to thank them for taking such good care of Benton these past 2 1/2 weeks. As we arrived in the NICU, we saw one of our favorite nurses Kelsey taking care of Benton. She had Benton all cleaned up and looking super cute with a little beret on his head. This was the first non-hospital looking item of clothes Benton has gotten to wear!
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| Benton looking very snazzy with his beret! |
Kelsey also mentioned that Benton had a huge poop. One that was so big that it actually caused him to fuss and de-sat because he was that uncomfortable. As she put it "it was a 5 wipe poop". While I never thought I would ramble endlessly about my son's bowel movements, this was wonderful news. With each poop it seems more and more likely that Benton does not have NEC and his bowels are functioning properly. It's funny being a NICU mom because so many conversations revolve around how your son's peeing and pooping is going. Is it enough? Is it too much? Each pee and poop gives the nurses and doctors information into my son's health and therefore it's inevitable that one of my first questions to Benton's nurses is "how was his diaper today?".
Despite being a hospital, the NICU definitely tries to infuse some cheerfulness into the holidays. Our labor and delivery nurse, Lindsey, who helped me through my delivery and the episode with my prolapsed cord, made Benton the cutest turkey to adorn his isolet. In addition, the NICU nurses made cards to the parents that were from our babies. Each card had their latest foot print and a note that said "I'm thankful to be yours. Love, Your Little Turkey". These thoughtful gestures mean so much especially in the harshness of the NICU with the constant beeping and alarms.
Our visit with Benton was terrific and to have such overwhelmingly positive news on Thanksgiving was one of the greatest gifts of all. Today truly was a wonderful Thanksgiving and we couldn't feel more thankful for all of the blessings that God has given us this year.
Thanksgiving was truly a time of blessings for all of you. How exciting that little Benton is making progress, even if it's in the tiniest of ways. It's always good when they remove lines. I bet you were thrilled to see him in his little beret - so adorable! May God continue to hold Benton in the palm of His hand, giving your little tiger the strength to thrive and make progress, even in the slightest way. May He also continue to fill your hearts with love and your minds with positive thoughts as Benton continues his journey. God Bless you all ~
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