More about Maura

I got to hold her for a while this morning! So did Joe! Joe brought Patrick to visit and my mother in law met them here so that Joe could come down and spend time with Maura and me. When I first got there this morning, they were doing an eeg (ekg? is there a difference? it was one of them...) and they were setting up the test with all the wires to her head and what not. I was so not bugged out. The tech explained it to me and I got to stay and hang out with her and she showed me what she was looking at (not looking for, they send it over to CHOP for a neurologist to look at). I was there for the whole test and got to help rouse Maura from sleep at the end, which involved a lot of poking and tickling that I was told last night not to stimulate her, but obviously they needed this type of response for the test. After they removed all the wires and what not, Joe arrived...so he missed all the excitement.


She hasn't had any more seizure-like episodes. She had one mild one after they started the phenobarbital, but they think she is responding well to it.


I let Joe hold her so that I could go see Patrick for a bit. When I walked into my room, his face absolutely LIT UP. He was more than ecstatic to see me. I didn't cry because honestly, it was such a relief seeing him and getting to hug him and cuddle with him. My MIL was there, and she was feeding him goodies (because she knows where to get things as she works here!) Anyway, we hung out. He knows we are in the hospital. I know him better and told him I was going to use the potty and asked if he wanted to come in too...I showed him my incision site and told him that was mommy's boo boo and it had to heal so Mama had to stay at the hospital. I asked him where Maura was, and he told me Maura is sick. So he gets that too. I asked if he wanted to go see Maura through a window and he smiled. So I took my MIL and Patrick and showed my MIL how to go in and be with Joe. Then I took Patrick around to the window. Patrick was more upset that Daddy was in there and he kept saying "Daddy go out!" rather than wanting to get in or anything about Maura...I took him back to the room so we could get some one on one and boy is he fine! He didn't act up, he was totally chill...He had some jello for the first time ever in his life (and sorta liked it!) Joe came back and my OB came to see me as well as the neonatologist. My OB and I talked about everything (this is the one who delivered Maura, not my regular OB/GYN, but one in the practice who I've seen quite a few times...my regular one came to see me for the last two days...before all hell broke loose) He tends to be less cautious with what he tells you and more matter of fact. He basically told me the other day that I was having a c-section before I went for the U/S...because he just knew what they were going to say in MFM. I get the idea from him that all of this is pretty normal preemie stuff and that she's not going to be here ALL that long...He said her risk of infection was lower because while there were OTHER complications with my birth, none of them involved any kind of breech of bacteria, like GBS or my water breaking or abruption...


While he was there, the neo came in. She asked me to regurgitate everything she'd said and was pleased that I was listening so well. She said they have to do the Spinal tap again because they weren't successful last night in getting what they needed..I'm obviously OK with that. They confirmed some things for Dr. Zalkin said, and they were chatting and Dr. Zalkin said I was going home tomorrow and almost asked between the lines if going home for her was possible. I said right away that I knew she couldn't come home until Saturday at the earliest. The neo confirmed this. So far though, there is nothing alarming showing up. Her tests are coming back fine. I'll have spinal information in a little while. Her white blood cell count is fine. They might just send her home over the weekend with an apnea monitor if nothing else happens. That's key!!


So for now, we go hour by hour. I'm here until tomorrow at the latest. She's here til Saturday at the earliest. Patrick is being a rockstar. Joe has his last Rider class to teach for the semester tonight and we've got a neighbor taking over Patrick and putting him to bed at our house...Patrick will go to Raquel's house tomorrow...and we'll see what the weekend brings! I'll talk to Joe more about that tonight...


In the meantime, I'm still waiting for my milk to come in. I got some good sleep last night...3 hours and then another 4. I'll talk a nap today. I'm not sure there are many tears left in my head, but I'm sure my body can manifest some somehow! Though I'm more and more able to process it all without crying...I'm eating lunch as I type and then I'm going back to see her (and this all gave them the time to do the spinal tap uninterrupted)

Someday...I'm going to print all of these notes out and save them for Maura so she sees what an ordeal it all was!