The grind continues... Up and down, back and forth, high highs and low lows. My ability to stay consistently positive is waning. I was on such a cloud on Friday and then Saturday felt like I just got my lay-up blocked after making a 3-pointer in the last possession. Let's review:
Friday, I arrived during Rounds for Cora. It was her Dream Team. The Attending, Nurse Practitioner & Nurse assignments for the day are really confident in Cora. They are the team who seek our feedback as parents and incorporate it into planning. Cora's progress on her PO feeding had been positive since Wednesday, but it was clear that Cora responds to certain people who PO feed her. We decided that we would make a list of nurses to feed her and the Attending Physician was going to put in orders to consider Cora's sensitivity to certain people. In the following 24 hours, we were able to PO feed Cora 29% of her total milk intake. This is significantly more than the intake that she'd taken by mouth in the days prior. It felt like a slam dunk. Cora was on her way to "The Dance." In fact, the Attending was so confident in Cora's ability to eat, that she said she was going "to send her Home with an NG Tube!" This is such a relief, because the alternative is a G-Tube, which is a surgically placed tube into her stomach through the belly. The G-Tube is more of a long-term solution for babies who will not eat because of an oral aversion or other issue preventing them from eating. But, because Cora has shown that she can (has the ability) to eat, she's likely going to avoid surgery!
Then, Saturday, both her nurses (day shift and night shift) were unfamiliar to me (and thus, to her). It felt like our plan was thrown out the window. The second string had been sent in, without my knowledge. What happened to our plan? Of course, Cora responded by taking in much less than the day before, by mouth. I feel like I have to wait until the Dream Team comes back into work to determine what happened to the plan. I don't know what else I can do? I'm frustrated and about to get a technical foul.
No matter what's going on with Cora's care team, she continues to show a lot of heart. She is so responsive to me and Matt. It's clear to me that the environment is holding her back, now. Once I get her home, she's going to flourish. I just don't know how to get her here!?
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PS. I feel it's worth noting that comparing gestational timelines for Cora & Stella, that Friday (3/14) would have been the day that Stella was born on Cora's timeline, at 41 weeks. Stella was born at 7lbs, 9oz and Cora weighs 5lbs, 8oz. It's amazing to me how big Cora has become out of the womb!! She was born at 1lb, 12oz! Go Girl!
Friday, I arrived during Rounds for Cora. It was her Dream Team. The Attending, Nurse Practitioner & Nurse assignments for the day are really confident in Cora. They are the team who seek our feedback as parents and incorporate it into planning. Cora's progress on her PO feeding had been positive since Wednesday, but it was clear that Cora responds to certain people who PO feed her. We decided that we would make a list of nurses to feed her and the Attending Physician was going to put in orders to consider Cora's sensitivity to certain people. In the following 24 hours, we were able to PO feed Cora 29% of her total milk intake. This is significantly more than the intake that she'd taken by mouth in the days prior. It felt like a slam dunk. Cora was on her way to "The Dance." In fact, the Attending was so confident in Cora's ability to eat, that she said she was going "to send her Home with an NG Tube!" This is such a relief, because the alternative is a G-Tube, which is a surgically placed tube into her stomach through the belly. The G-Tube is more of a long-term solution for babies who will not eat because of an oral aversion or other issue preventing them from eating. But, because Cora has shown that she can (has the ability) to eat, she's likely going to avoid surgery!
Then, Saturday, both her nurses (day shift and night shift) were unfamiliar to me (and thus, to her). It felt like our plan was thrown out the window. The second string had been sent in, without my knowledge. What happened to our plan? Of course, Cora responded by taking in much less than the day before, by mouth. I feel like I have to wait until the Dream Team comes back into work to determine what happened to the plan. I don't know what else I can do? I'm frustrated and about to get a technical foul.
No matter what's going on with Cora's care team, she continues to show a lot of heart. She is so responsive to me and Matt. It's clear to me that the environment is holding her back, now. Once I get her home, she's going to flourish. I just don't know how to get her here!?
Hang in there... Cora will get this soon, promise!!
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