Updation Station
This week we had a Care Meeting for Micah. We met with Micah's primary doctors and nurse, a nurse practitioner, social workers, a respiratory therapist, the nurse manager, and some others who have regular interaction with Micah or ourselves. It was a very good meeting and we have a good idea what to expect for the next couple of months.
Micah's progress from here will be slow (and hopefully steady). It will be measured week to week, rather than day to day. Her biggest issues are her lung development and weening her off of steroids. All mirco-preemie's have lung issues, but the difficulty getting off of the steroids is less common. Progress in this area will be measured over months. Trying to reduce them at closer to the normal pace has been the cause of Micah's worst days thus far.
She has moved beyond the danger of several frequent issues for micro-preemies, and unless something particularly hard and unexpected happens, Micah survival is no longer an issue. The big issue now is controlling long-term damage to her lungs from being on the ventilator and oxygen, which also may include possible damage to her eyes.
So, we continue to pray for stability and steady growth. We all continue to have both good and not-as-good days. When we have the good days, we are able to kangaroo every day. I got to hold her today, but yesterday was Olivia's turn and I had to content myself with waiting. But, I didn't mind at all for two reasons. 1) I love watching Olivia and Micah together. 2) Micah and I had a 10 minute eye-contact conversation. It was really cool, and I felt like we really bonded. We have some great pictures, and I will try to post them for you all later.
For us, the biggest surprise this week has been how it has gotten harder over time rather than easier. Specifically, it is harder to leave Micah each night. We are getting to know her, and she is certainly staring to get to know us. She even looks for us when we leave her bedside. She is such a bright little girl, and our love for her grows every day.
Micah's progress from here will be slow (and hopefully steady). It will be measured week to week, rather than day to day. Her biggest issues are her lung development and weening her off of steroids. All mirco-preemie's have lung issues, but the difficulty getting off of the steroids is less common. Progress in this area will be measured over months. Trying to reduce them at closer to the normal pace has been the cause of Micah's worst days thus far.
She has moved beyond the danger of several frequent issues for micro-preemies, and unless something particularly hard and unexpected happens, Micah survival is no longer an issue. The big issue now is controlling long-term damage to her lungs from being on the ventilator and oxygen, which also may include possible damage to her eyes.
So, we continue to pray for stability and steady growth. We all continue to have both good and not-as-good days. When we have the good days, we are able to kangaroo every day. I got to hold her today, but yesterday was Olivia's turn and I had to content myself with waiting. But, I didn't mind at all for two reasons. 1) I love watching Olivia and Micah together. 2) Micah and I had a 10 minute eye-contact conversation. It was really cool, and I felt like we really bonded. We have some great pictures, and I will try to post them for you all later.
For us, the biggest surprise this week has been how it has gotten harder over time rather than easier. Specifically, it is harder to leave Micah each night. We are getting to know her, and she is certainly staring to get to know us. She even looks for us when we leave her bedside. She is such a bright little girl, and our love for her grows every day.
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