Tag: NICU

Saturday, 26 Feb 2005:

Gabriella had another good night. It seems that she is completely over the virus which gave her so many problems last weekend. What a difference a week makes.

Earlier this week, we had our first “respite” nursing visit. Although it was only for four hours, it is clearly a step in the right direction. The nurse, who is named Pixley, is exactly the type of individual we hoped would be assigned to care for Ella.

Having worked for a number of years in neonatal intensive care units (NICU), Pixley clearly appreciates the seriousness of Ella’s condition. Moreover, her experience as a NICU nurse and attentive professional manner, enabled Mum and Dad to relax for a bit.

We are hopeful there will be sufficient funding for her to make additional visits in the not too distant future. Pictured left is Pixley and Ella. All for now.

Thank you for your prayers.

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.