When we walked into the NICU yesterday afternoon, my eyes stopped immediately on the monitor that read Emma's oxygen level - 52%! I knew something was terribly wrong. When I saw the nurse's face, my fears were confirmed. She said, "Emma is not having a good day". They suspect it is Necrotizing Enterocolitis. Here is a link to help understand this disease - http://kidshealth.org/parent/medical/digestive/nec.html#
They discontinued her feeds, put an IV in, started her on TPN and fats again, and were going to start an insulin drip, but then her glucose levels fell to within normal range again. She was put on antibiotics, and just was not as responsive as she had been. She did not want to be touched. She would not hold my finger.
When the doctor came in to discuss her condition, he said St. Christopher's Hospital for Children in Philadelphia was better equipped to provide care for Emma should she develop the more severe form of this condition, and require surgery. So provisions to have her air-lifted to Philadelphia were made. A team from the other hospital flew in and took over her care. They placed my baby in what looked like a soft-sided picnic cooler, with hoses and tubes and monitors - they were polite, and professional, and kind. But they were taking my baby even further away from me. We watched the entire time, through the helicopter lifting off from the roof-top. The neonatologist who was on the flight called as soon as they landed in Philadelphia, and told us that Emma did well with the flight. She is stable. As of now, there is no sign of perforation in her bowels. There is, however, a perforation in my heart.
Through all of this, I was amazed at the number of people who told us, "I will pray for you". Even the burly security guard, who allowed us access to the rooftop to watch the helicopter take off, said, "At times like this, I believe in the power of prayer". It has been comforting and humbling to glimpse a side of humanity I have not seen outside of Church on Sunday mornings. People who believe in more than just themselves, who believe in a power greater than themselves - people who BELIEVE - are taking care of my baby. I can not ask for more than that.
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