Tag: IV

Bitter Sweet 16

Tuesday, 24 Mar 2015

(16 = ANC @ 1145:40 on 24 Mar)

The Lord listens to our prayer: let us approach the throne of grace.

Ella had a pretty good day today – she went to the KMC PAU with Mum and Nurse Irvin. She received a second dose of IV antibiotics and she met with Dr. Glaser for the second day in a row.

However, the real highlight was meeting Auntie Mo and service dog Jake. Auntie Mo and Jake are from the Service Dog Academy on Maui. They flew over from Maui today just to conduct Ella’s “in-home interview.” Soon, Ella may have her very own Service Dog…how cool is that?

Ella’s medical condition is our continuing concern.

The respiratory infection is still with her.

She continues to require supplemental oxygen 24/7.

She continues to have fevers – just above 101.5 at various times.

Most frightening of all, Ella’s ANC number is lower than low.

16 is suppose to be part of the NCAA basketball tournament.

16 is NOT suppose to be an ANC number – ever.

For all intents and purposes, her immune system is completely off-line.

Your prayers are needed more than ever.

Thank you for your prayers.

God bless you.

Tuesday, 01 Feb 2005 (Noon):

Once again Gabriella slept well overnight – 10 pm to 6 am. Ella’s morning routine began with a light bath and diaper change, followed by a new outfit and new bedding. Once she was swaddled and tucked back into bed, GG received her first bottle of the day. She continues to eat well and we are hopefully she will gain another pound or two prior to her next surgery. Yesterday was a full day for GG. At 10 am the Neonatal ICU (NICU) nurses established an Intravenous (IV) line.

GG is known as “hard stick” because she has such small veins, so we were delighted when the pros from the NICU “threaded the needle” on the first attempt. Since she is a “hard stick” they used one of the veins in her scalp. While some parents are squeamish about “head sticks”, for GG it is often the best choice because the veins there are clearly visible.

Next, Ella received an injection of a radioactive isotope, Technetium-99, which localizes and accumulates in the kidneys. A few hours later she underwent an imaging scan, during which a gamma detector took high-resolution images of her kidneys from several angles.

The purpose of this test is to determine if Ella’s kidneys were damaged by the Urinary Tract Infection (UTI) she had last month. We should hear the test results in the next day or two. Until then we will keep busy disposing of nuclear waste filled diapers (see today’s photo). All for now.

Thank you for your prayers.