Those one hundred days were filled with hundreds of heel sticks, 67 days on a ventilator, a dozen transfusions, RDS, lumbar punctures, weeks and weeks of TPN, platelets, BPD, "mycins" of every variety, sepsis work ups, ROP, central lines, NEC, umbilical lines, PICC lines, echocardiograms, NG and OG tubes, AOP, infection after infection, x-rays, head ultrasounds, more "ologists" than your average person sees in a life time, eye exams and drugs you wouldn't want to try on a good day.
But they were also 100 days filled with kindness, affection, empathy and wonderful medical care from some of the best nurses, nurse practitioners, neonatologists, specialists, technicians and respiratory therapists you could ask for. I just wish I had pictures of them all.
Thank you for taking care of Eliza for her first 100 days, her third trimester, when my body wasn't up to the job. And thank you for taking care of me.
Happy anniversary! I don't think we ever forget the emotions of coming home day - well, it hasn't been a year for us anyway :-) Amazing how far Eliza has come. And Lucy used to have that little cow outfit too ;-)
ReplyDeleteI have to say that Eliza looks strong and healthy in these photos. I know they are the "afters" and what you went thru during the "befores" was terribly distressing. Eliza is an inspiration (so is her mom).
ReplyDeleteWhat a beautiful tribute... and a vivid reminder to those of us that have to deal with so much less than this of how really lucky we are. As always, your story is an incredible inspiration.
ReplyDeleteWhat beautiful photographs. It is hard to imagine that 'tiny' baby is in the vibrant little girl I have come to 'know' through your blog. And I know how much smaller she was before those photographs were taken. The transformation never fails to take my breath away.
ReplyDeleteStrange how, two years ago, that second paragraph would have made hardly any sense at all to me. Now, sadly, I understand every single word.
I'm glad you had such a wonderful team looking after you. I think that makes all the difference.