It's hard to believe that this time last year we had just found out that Aiden was going to pull through ok. We didn't know at the time, but the mortality rate for newborns with Bacterial Meningitis is about 30% worldwide. We praise God for healing our little boy, and we see every day we have with him as a gift from God.
This is the rest of his story (word-for-word from my journal during this time last year):
Saturday, June 13, 2009:
Aiden is 11 days old now. He's such a cutey and every time I hold him I can hardly believe God has given him to us. Brandon is such a good daddy already, and he loves to snuggle with him after I feed him. Aiden has been in the NICU for one week now. He came in last Saturday very weak and lethargic and not feeding at all. Brandon and I stayed overnight in one of the "Care By Parent" rooms for the first 3 nights until Tuesday, and then we started sleeping at home. Wednesday morning (June 10) I came in and found out he was scheduled for an MRI at 9:30am. He had to get a temporary IV for the dye contrast. Normally Aiden receives his antibiotics through a permanent PICC line (a tiny cathetar that they put in that goes towards the heart), instead of the more temporary IV. (He's had problems with the PICC line as well, and they've placed it through both his arms and head). Anyway, then I walked down with him and the nurse and waited as he got the MRI. It's a bit scary for a little newborn. It turns out he was pretty energetic during the MRI and actually ripped out his own IV!
For the first 5 days in the NICU he still had a lot of problems breast-feeding. I would pump after every feeding and Brandon would feed Aiden my breastmilk by bottle. The feedings are on a schedule of 9am, 12, 3, 6, 9, 12, 3am and 6am daily. Well all of a sudden, starting on Thurs., June 11, Aiden made a turn for the better! I came in in the morning and he actually had the strength to latch on for the 9am feeding and continued sucking for over 1/2 hour! We weigh him after every feeding and this time he got over 50 ml's by breast! He'd never been able to take more than 20 ml's before, and usually 0. This was a huge breakthrough. Since that morning 2 days ago, we haven't had to use a bottle at all when we are there, and he's taken up to 74 ml's at one feeding (last night). Yesterday, Friday (June 12), we also got the wonderful news that Aiden's MRI results came back that his brain looked completely normal, and there was no damage from the bacteria in the spinal fluid around his brain. Praise God!!! Looking back now after 8 days since we knew for sure Aiden was sick, it is amazing to see how God has carried us through this all. Last Fri/Sat felt so hopeless in many ways, with one piece of bad news after another, but even during that time, I can look back and see how God was working to give us hope and trust during such a scary time.
Yesterday, Mary Kay (the nurse in the Maternal Newborn Clinic who decided that she wasn't going to let us leave the hospital until Pediatrics checked Aiden out) came down to the NICU to visit us. I thanked her and started crying, so grateful that God chose to use her to get Aiden in and treatment started before it was too late. If not for her, Aiden would have just been sent home, and we would have had to assume that he just wasn't a good breastfeeder or that I wasn't good at breastfeeding, or that he was just tired alot.
Wednesday, June 17, 2009:
Holly came to visit Friday -Sun (June 12-14). Mom was still up (she was here from the day Aiden was born until the following Monday (June 2-8th), and then back up Wed-Sat (June 10-13). She has been the biggest blessing we could ever imagine. Dad was here Thurs- Mon. (June 4-8th), and was able to talk alot with the doctors. We've had lots of visitors... Brandon's mom, his brothers Justin and Drew and their familiies, Pastor Bruce has come twice and prayed with us, Jessica P., Dr. Doerksen, Christine, Sheryl, Kyrsten, Mike and Ivy and more to come. Debbie and Alyssa, Wink and Josh and lots of family visited us back when were were originally in the hospital after birth too.
Aiden's doing better and better each day. I'm still coming in to spend each day all day with him while Brandon has had to go back to work. He comes straight here every evening after work. Dr. Nwaisi was his NICU doctor last week. This week, Dr. Adie has been his doctor. All the doctors and nurses are wonderful here and we're so thankful for them!
Friday, June 26th, 2009:
Aiden is being released today (after 3 weeks in the hospital)!!! We've been back up in Pediatrics (for less serious babies) since Monday, June 22, and I've been rooming in and providing 24-hour care for Aiden. He's still been hooked up to all the meds of course. He's still breast-feeding well. He loves to be rocked and cuddled to sleep now. I already can't impagine life without him. I love him so much more than I ever could have imagined! Praise you, God, for healing our little boy!
This is the rest of his story (word-for-word from my journal during this time last year):
Saturday, June 13, 2009:
Aiden is 11 days old now. He's such a cutey and every time I hold him I can hardly believe God has given him to us. Brandon is such a good daddy already, and he loves to snuggle with him after I feed him. Aiden has been in the NICU for one week now. He came in last Saturday very weak and lethargic and not feeding at all. Brandon and I stayed overnight in one of the "Care By Parent" rooms for the first 3 nights until Tuesday, and then we started sleeping at home. Wednesday morning (June 10) I came in and found out he was scheduled for an MRI at 9:30am. He had to get a temporary IV for the dye contrast. Normally Aiden receives his antibiotics through a permanent PICC line (a tiny cathetar that they put in that goes towards the heart), instead of the more temporary IV. (He's had problems with the PICC line as well, and they've placed it through both his arms and head). Anyway, then I walked down with him and the nurse and waited as he got the MRI. It's a bit scary for a little newborn. It turns out he was pretty energetic during the MRI and actually ripped out his own IV!
For the first 5 days in the NICU he still had a lot of problems breast-feeding. I would pump after every feeding and Brandon would feed Aiden my breastmilk by bottle. The feedings are on a schedule of 9am, 12, 3, 6, 9, 12, 3am and 6am daily. Well all of a sudden, starting on Thurs., June 11, Aiden made a turn for the better! I came in in the morning and he actually had the strength to latch on for the 9am feeding and continued sucking for over 1/2 hour! We weigh him after every feeding and this time he got over 50 ml's by breast! He'd never been able to take more than 20 ml's before, and usually 0. This was a huge breakthrough. Since that morning 2 days ago, we haven't had to use a bottle at all when we are there, and he's taken up to 74 ml's at one feeding (last night). Yesterday, Friday (June 12), we also got the wonderful news that Aiden's MRI results came back that his brain looked completely normal, and there was no damage from the bacteria in the spinal fluid around his brain. Praise God!!! Looking back now after 8 days since we knew for sure Aiden was sick, it is amazing to see how God has carried us through this all. Last Fri/Sat felt so hopeless in many ways, with one piece of bad news after another, but even during that time, I can look back and see how God was working to give us hope and trust during such a scary time.
Yesterday, Mary Kay (the nurse in the Maternal Newborn Clinic who decided that she wasn't going to let us leave the hospital until Pediatrics checked Aiden out) came down to the NICU to visit us. I thanked her and started crying, so grateful that God chose to use her to get Aiden in and treatment started before it was too late. If not for her, Aiden would have just been sent home, and we would have had to assume that he just wasn't a good breastfeeder or that I wasn't good at breastfeeding, or that he was just tired alot.
Wednesday, June 17, 2009:
Holly came to visit Friday -Sun (June 12-14). Mom was still up (she was here from the day Aiden was born until the following Monday (June 2-8th), and then back up Wed-Sat (June 10-13). She has been the biggest blessing we could ever imagine. Dad was here Thurs- Mon. (June 4-8th), and was able to talk alot with the doctors. We've had lots of visitors... Brandon's mom, his brothers Justin and Drew and their familiies, Pastor Bruce has come twice and prayed with us, Jessica P., Dr. Doerksen, Christine, Sheryl, Kyrsten, Mike and Ivy and more to come. Debbie and Alyssa, Wink and Josh and lots of family visited us back when were were originally in the hospital after birth too.
Aiden's doing better and better each day. I'm still coming in to spend each day all day with him while Brandon has had to go back to work. He comes straight here every evening after work. Dr. Nwaisi was his NICU doctor last week. This week, Dr. Adie has been his doctor. All the doctors and nurses are wonderful here and we're so thankful for them!
Friday, June 26th, 2009:
Aiden is being released today (after 3 weeks in the hospital)!!! We've been back up in Pediatrics (for less serious babies) since Monday, June 22, and I've been rooming in and providing 24-hour care for Aiden. He's still been hooked up to all the meds of course. He's still breast-feeding well. He loves to be rocked and cuddled to sleep now. I already can't impagine life without him. I love him so much more than I ever could have imagined! Praise you, God, for healing our little boy!
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