Joey is doing better. They did turn off the lights at 11 pm last night, tho the labs are still needing to come down more. If they don't go back up, the lights will stay off, now he needs to eat to keep the labs down. I got to hold him for the 1st time in near 24 hrs when they turned off the lights! That felt so good! I'm still pumping to feed him, as he is too wore out (from being so sick) to nurse. But he looks much better, and is also having fewer bouts w/ apnea (also caused by the jaundice/billirubin levels being so high). If he holds his own, we may get to go home tomorrow.
To back track for those of you that I had not told...
Joey (5 days old) turned blue/purple at home at 12:30 am Wed morning. Seemingly no reason...he'd been normal, but a little jaundice like all my babies....Praise God, I was awake to see it! I'd almost gone to bed 2 hours earlier. I picked him up...color returned to normal, except a shadow around his mouth. We decided to go to Hosp. 30-45 min away.
2-3 min down the road it happened again (dome lights are not good for trying to watch a baby in the dark.) about 7 min from home is an EMS dispatch station....I called 911 and told them to alert this station as we were coming in w/ a blue baby. We pulled up and transfered to EMS while hubby followed (at 100 plus mph w/ lights and sirens...after another blue spell in the ambulance).
At Hosp. they worked with him, put him in isolete w/ blue lights, etc. They said his Billirubin level was up to 33. Not sure why he was turning blue but this could be the cause. The wanted to transfer him to a bigger hosp. where he could get a "blood exchange" as numbers this high were critical, and could possibly cause brain damage. Blue lights were not enough. They arranged a chopper transport for him, but daddy and mommy had to take their own car...could not ride w/ baby (I had peace about this, but was broken-hearted to let go of my baby...) We left at the same time as the Chopper crew...5:15am. At 6:30am we got to the Hosp. Joey had been here about 30-45 min, and was settled in a room, so we saw him right away. (4 big blue lights, and all the tubes, wires, etc that go with a stay in PICU). But he was still alive and doing ok considering....still having many bouts of apnea. (feeling helpless for all the mommy things I can't do, snuggle, nurse, etc.)
So after a day of labs for everything....to see if infection or what caused it, or if just not eating enough....they did the blood exchange to help remove the billirubin, and lights to 11pm, when his levels came down to 14. They finally found the cause....ABO incompatibility...I had never heard of this, and did not realize that his blood type was different from mine (I thought my hubby and I had same type, but must have not known his type was diff.)
I'm O+ and Joey is A+. at the end of my preg. some of his blood passed the placenta to my blood. My blood made antibodies to fight this. Then those antibodies passed back to him, basically causing his blood cells to die faster than normal causing toxic levels of billirubin. So the blood exchange also helped to remove those antibodies, so now he should be fine, as long as his body can kep fighting the billirubin levels down to 0 and they don't go back up.
This may also explain why all my kids were jaundice...they just never got critical, so we had no idea.
Through all this God has been so good. Every step of the way, I saw His hand. Even not knowing the outcome, and being overwhelmed emotionally, I still had a peace that only God can give!
The Dr's and nurses have been wonderful, at both hospitals. Not just concerned for Joey's health, but for mine and my hubby's well being. Everyone has been great about my new mommy emotions, and quick to offer any answers they could with good explanations, etc.
The ER Dr even prayed with us before putting Joey in the care of the chopper crew! Many Sweet Christian people around and even several w/ or from big families that thought it was awesome that we have 7 kids. (that is something I don't get often....most people seem to think I'm crazy to want a big family.)
Thank you for reading my ramblings and praying for us!
Joy
No comments:
Post a Comment