Part III

**If you haven't read part 2 (The Story Continues) see my previous post below...

Between Sunday and Wednesday we spoke with the doctors a few times. They explained some of the tests they had done on Sydney. One was a CT scan and the results of that showed Sydney had some bleeding on the surface of her brain ( subarachnoid hemorrhage) and that could be what caused the apnea after her birth. The trauma to her head could have been caused from the fast birth and/or being dropped, but they couldn't say for sure one way or the other. They also did an EGG to check for seizure activity and that came back normal thankfully.

Each day, Sydney made a little more progress. By the end of the day Sunday she was extubated (her breathing tube was taken out.) On Monday, after nursing was well established, the feeding tube was able to come out. Then on Tuesday she was finally able to get dressed for the first time. Of course, being that the majority of the babies in the NICU are preemies and well under 8 lbs, they had to scrounge to find clothes that would fit! They found some newborn clothes for her and let me dress her myself. That really meant a lot. When we came in Wednesday morning she was out of her incubator and in a bassinet! That was really exciting because it meant she was that much closer to going home.

We spent much of that morning in the nursery just cuddling with her and talking to the nurses. They had been told that most likely Sydney would be going home the next day (Thursday.) Since we were just hanging out there they decided to go over some of the discharge instructions with us then so we wouldn't have to do it later. I was so excited that we would finally be bringing her home.

We had been staying pretty late each day to spend as much time with her as possible, but we thought that it would be a good idea to go home early Wednesday to get stuff around for her homecoming. Before we left she had been moved to another room which was great because that meant that she really was one step closer to leaving.

We finally made it home around 8 pm after stopping by mom and dad's to tell the kids the great news. They were ecstatic! When we got home there was a message on the phone from the doctor asking us to call her back. I had Andy return her phone call because he understands medical stuff better than I do, plus I didn't want to have try to explain to him whatever it was she said. While he was talking to the doctor I really couldn't make out what the conversation was about, and after he hung he didn't really say much to me at first. I practically had to drag it out of him.

He said that Sydney had another episode where she quit breathing. Okay, that freaked me out to say the least, but he still didn't make it sound like there was anything to worry about...then he laid it on me...she had to stay another 5 days! Let's just say, I'm glad no one saw me break down. It felt like the world had just come crashing down on me! My heart was broken. I just needed to be with my baby. So, at almost 9:00 at night, tired and exhausted, my loving husband drove me back to Saginaw. I know there wasn't anything I was going to be able to do, but I just needed to be with her.

I also needed an explanation, because supposedly this episode had happened while we were still at the hospital before she was moved to the new room. We had made our last visit to her in that room and no one said anything to us...yes, I was a bit livid, but can you blame me?

So, we spent a little time with her that night, and then the family had an "intervention" on my behalf...I had been having horrible migraines the previous few days and my ankles had swollen to the point of becoming "kankles!" They were all very concerned about my health. I had just chalked it up to being exhausted and the fact that I had just given birth, but to ease their minds I promised to call the doctor the next day. Turns out my blood pressure was extremely high. The doctor ordered that I take it easy and rest as much as possible and he also doubled my blood pressure medicine. At this point, it seemed like everything was going down hill, and I didn't know how much more I could take...but our God is good, and He brought me through the storm...again!

Once again, we spent the next 5 days in and out of the nursery being with Sydney as much as possible. We decided it was best for me though, if we didn't stay as late so I could get some more rest. Within a few days I was feeling much much better, Praise God!During that time the doctor informed us that two different neurologists looked at the CT scan and came to the conclusion that in fact she did not have a subacachnoid hemorrhage, but that what the first doctor saw was just a large blood vessel. This was good news because it meant that she possibly did not have any trauma to head. After that they decided to do a spinal tap to see if maybe she had some kind of infection that could be causing the apnea. That came back negative as well. At that point the doctors said they really had no idea what could have caused it, and that sometimes it just happens and there is no explanation...they would call that idiopathic apnea.

Then they decided to do a 48 hr sleep test. They hooked her up to a sleep monitor (just like the one she has now.) It monitors her heart rate and breathing. If her heart rate gets to fast of slow the monitor will alarm, and if she quits breathing for 20 seconds it will also alarm. After the test was complete, the doctor would read the results and decide if she would be able to go home. We were also told that she would most likely go home with a monitor...which of course, put us a little more at ease.

During that time we also had some very special visitors. Our parents of course were there as much as they could be. Our grandparents, Andy's brother and girlfriend, and his aunt and uncle were all also able to visit. But, someone very special to me drove all the way from Ohio to meet Sydney...my best friend Hannah May! Her and Dustin were coming up for Easter weekend and were able to stop by...I can't tell you how much that meant to me!

Speaking of Easter, Sydney had to spend her first one in the NICU. I felt bad that we were not able to spend the day together as a family, and I was a little sad when we got a family picture taken without Sydney. But, I'm thankful that we were able to be with the kids this year no matter where it was at...last year we were in Minnesota at the Mayo clinic and missed Easter all together. After we spent the morning with the kids, we went to the hospital to take Sydney her Easter basket.Despite not being able to have the whole family together for Easter, we actually had a great day. Mostly because we were told that Sydney would be going home the next day! I, of course, was not going to believe it until we were through the big blue doors at the end of the hall way. I don't think I could have survived another heartache like that.
But sure enough, the following day after getting our all our discharge instructions and learning how to run the sleep monitor we were FINALLY headed home! It was a little scary, but VERY, VERY exciting! It had been the longest 9 days of our lives...and I thought the previous 9 months had felt like FOREVER...I had NO idea! And I had never enjoyed a car ride as much as I did that one!
Finally, all my children in one room...what a beautiful sight!! God is so good, and so loving, and so generous. What a special gift he has given me...four times over!

Although we had to weather this storm, God was with us each step of the way. He made everything possible and worked out each and every detail, no matter how big or small. I know through this experience I have definitely grown closer to Him. I don't know how I could have survived if it weren't for God. He comforted me when I needed comfort, He strengthened me when I need to be strong, and He was my strength when I was weak.

This is not the end of the story just yet, but again, this is a very long post and I think we could all use an intermission! Stayed tuned for the happy ending in my next post...