Today the chest tubes were taken out. Yahoo! We believe Field is much more comfortable without the tubes - wouldn't you be?! They also took out the catheter, so let the diaper changing begin. We are still giving the belly some more time to rest and recover from surgery so all meds and nutrition are given through the ng tube. Tomorrow an ENT will visit to assess the throat and vocal chords and if all checks out ok, we will begin feeding by bottle again. Blood pressure is still a bit elevated but much better than yesterday. Field was also moved into a crib so we are definitely making progress.
Sleepy boy
Nurses Josh and Jill getting Field set up in his new crib
The crib, and if you look carefully there is
a picture of Field's heart attached to the crib
Some have asked if B and I are getting any rest. We have slept at the hospital for the last 5 nights, and surprisingly we feel somewhat rested. The CVICU is much like the NICU (I realize not too many people have experienced the NICU but hey, these places are home away from home for us) in that the nurses take care of only 1 or 2 patients at a time. They are very hands-on and very qualified. We still don't feel comfortable leaving Field without a parent. We like to know what meds they are giving, we participate in "rounds," and we want him to see our face when he is awake. So we have a system and take shifts throughout the night. We try to take time for naps during the day when the grandparents are here. I can assure you that BB and Nonnie are happy to watch Field so we can rest. :)
Today I got to hold Field for the first time since Wednesday. I was starting to get emotional as I hunched over the crib trying to get as close as I could to my child. Sweet Nurse Jill came over to check on me and within minutes I was in a comfy chair and he was in my arms. Thank you, Nurse Jill. I know it was an inconvenience with all of the tubes and wires, but it meant the world to me. The paparazzi (Brad) snapped a bunch of pictures and I remembered today was the day I decided not to fix my hair - ugh. :)
Happy mom!
Us with Nurse Jill
The Johnson Fam
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