Thursday, April 23, 2009

A bad morning turned into a good day

So this morning we got our first bad phone call. I woke up at around 4:15 and just stared at the clock wondering how Kali was doing and if it was a good time to call and check in. I was only half awake so when my cell phone rang I couldn't really figure out what it was. I have the NICU programmed with a special ring tone so that was where the confusion came in. When I realized they were calling, my heart sank. I was so afraid to pick up the phone. After the bad news we received that night I didn't know what could be going on.
When I answered, I was told to hold on for a second while the doctor came to the phone. She told me that they believed Kali was having a seizure and her heart rate was dropping. I quickly hung up the phone and got put of bed to get ready to go. I didn't want to think about what could happen. As I came out of the bathroom Mike was headed down the hall. He said the doctor just called back and said she would like us to come in because she didn't like the way Kali was breathing. We quickly got ready to go and waited for someone to come sit with the kids.
The car couldn't go fast enough. Of course the roads were wet so we had to be careful so we wouldn't get into an accident. The 25 minute drive felt like hours. I wanted to call and see how things were going but I was afraid to know the answer.
When we arrived and got buzzed in we hurried down the hall to get to her. I tried to read the nurses' faces as I passed them. I couldn't tell what to expect and I was terrified. When I could see Kali's area I noticed that everyone was sitting and not doing anything with her. I quickly looked at her monitor and saw her heart rate and oxygen level. They were normal! I felt a ton of relief.
Thankfully, it turns out that she did NOT have a seizure. The type of ventilator she was on was not doing a good job of keeping her levels where they needed to be. Her oxygen level was low and her carbon dioxide level was extremely high. This issue caused an irregular breathing pattern and some other things that caused them to believe it was a seizure. After they corrected the breathing issue (by suctioning her airway and switching the ventilator to a different type), she began to breathe normal and returned to normal. Her carbon dioxide and oxygen levels improved dramatically almost in an instant.
The rest of the day went very well. Her levels stayed where they needed to be. Her blood pressure stayed in a great range. She is almost completely off her last blood pressure medicine. And she just looked good.
There is no way to explain the fear we felt this morning and there is also no way to explain the relief when it all turned out OK. I will not ask what else can happen because I honestly do not want to hear the answer to that! All I know is what I see and I see the strongest person in my 2 pound 12 ounce daughter. She doesn't know that she is tough. She doesn't know the effect she has on those who are caring for her. All she knows is how to be strong and fight this tough battle. And that is all that is important.

2 comments:

  1. Your Kali is such a miracle and astounds us with her strength. As you may sometimes wonder where you will find your strength in the days ahead may I share a verse with you...Proverbs 3:5&6 Trust in the Lord with all thine heart and lean not unto thine own understanding. In all thy ways acknowledge him, and he shall direct thy paths.
    We not only pray for little Kali, our thoughts and prayers are with her parents as well.

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  2. My heart dropped reading your post. It brought back similar memories of when our kids were in the NICU. The NICU doctors and nurses are amazing people and I have no doubt that your precious daughter is getting the best possible care.

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