Things have been going better since our talk about our concerns with the neurosurgeon last Saturday. The neonatologist tapped Olive's head on Monday morning, and will continue to observe her closely and do the tapping from now on.
One piece of news we recently were told is that there is a 60% chance they will have to put a VP shunt in (from her head to her abdomen) and a 40% chance that they may NOT need to if the hydrocephalus resolves on its own. The doctors now are monitoring her CSF fluid (cerebrospinal fluid) and waiting for her protein levels to drop back to a normal level. Once the protein levels drop we will observe if that helps her CSF fluid to absorb normally. If her head circumference continues to grow after the protein levels normalize then we will go ahead and place the VP shunt. The doctors are saying the time frame on all of this is within the next 2-4 weeks.
On monday we had a meeting with Olive's doctor from the private hospital we transferred from and he spoke very highly of the neonatologist who is caring for Olive at the government hospital. He agreed we should remain here if things continue changing for the good, but said they will welcome us back at any point.
Breast-feeding has not been going too well. The first two days she latched on well. However, the nurses started giving Olive bottles the other night, and ever since her taking a bottle she isn't latching on well and she gets very frustrated with having to work for her food rather than it just trickling into her mouth. I asked if they could hold off on giving her a bottle for another week while I try breast-feeding, and if we can't get it down then we can go the bottle route. It would just save me time in the future if I could breast-feed her and I didn't have to pump all the time-- but life will go on if we go the bottle route.
Other than this, things are going alright. The one nurse who didn't like me visiting so often continues to show her annoyance with me by giving me the silent treatment. After having a conversation today with the head nurse I learned that maybe this wasn't the first time she has been aggressiveness with other parents. Today I asked that she would not be assigned as Olive's nurse anymore. Pray for me as I sort through how to deal with this situation in a loving way, because at this moment my patience is wearing thin. I will say though, that every other nurse on that unit has been wonderful.
Olive has been anemic so in the next few days she will be getting blood transfusions. We are in need of a donor with A+ blood. If anyone reading is in Bangkok with A+ blood and is willing to donate tomorrow, December 9th, please call my cell (0812850742). We are at Pramongut Hospital (The Army Hospital).
Thank-you for your continued encouragement, prayers, and love.
Lynette
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13 comments:
good golly. i'm A+. how i would dearly love to jump a plane to give some blood. then i'd nurse Pax and you could nurse Olive and I would go all mama bear on any nurse who was mean to you and i promise i would make you laugh a lot. i love you guys! we pray for you every night.
We are praying the fluid resolves itself on its own and that Olive won't need the shunt! I listened to a wonderful John Piper sermon yesterday on the book of Job. He said that God requires that He is paramount in our hearts above all else. I couldn't help but think of your little family and how faithful you are to Christ, even in the darkness. Praise God for your love for Him! It is a beautiful thing to witness!
In Christ,
Joel, Ashley, and Olivia Ulrich
Continuing to pray very hard for Olive and all of you. I showed that little video of her to my daughter, who is a mom herself, and she just fell in love with little Olive. So now, she also is praying for all of you. More prayers can never hurt.
I too will pray specifically that the fluid in her head calms down and disperses on its own. She is such a beautiful, sweet little girl and a definite gift from God!!
Marti B.
from Madison Square CRC
Grand Rapids, Michigan
Rusty and Lynnette,
We continue to pray for you as someone who doesn't know you but has walked a similar path. I will start to direct my prayers that Olive's hydrocephalus will resolve and that she won't need a shunt. Our son Amos has had two shunts--a temporary subgalial shunt, placed at 3 weeks old/33 weeks gestation, and a VP shunt, placed at 6 weeks old. His blood clot resolved when he was about 3 or 4 months old and although we've had to have regular checkups with the neurosurgeon, we haven't had a single problem with it, in three years. We praise God for that. If Olive does need one, we'll pray that the surgery goes well and that you have no problems in the future.
I don't know what resources you have there at your disposal, but a lactation consultant and an Occupational Therapist were both helpful in helping me to be able to breast feed Amos full time. In order to make that happen, though, I had to be there around the clock to nurse and to monitor how much he got with each feed. We would weigh him before the feed and then after and subtract, getting an estimate of how much he took. I also used a breast shield to help the nipple extend and he took fondly to a binky, which helped to strengthen his sucking muscles.
Lastly, I'll pray for your situation with the nurse. That is so tough, especially when you're there all day. You are right in "firing" her, though. A good nurse will respect her patient and the parents. We had a tough time with a night nurse once and it was hard to walk out that door, knowing that she would be caring for our child for the next 10 hours. I talked to the head nurse and she was never assigned to us again.
But God *will* give you patience in the moment, if it comes and if you need it. I'm sure he already has.
Thank you for the updates, we will keep praying for the three of you!
--Sarah Partain
oh loving you all and praying more... xo
Hi Rusty and Lynette,
Just read your most recent post. Interesting comments about the shunt, especially by Sarah. Encouraging. We just keep praying as that's about all we know to do. I received in the mail two of the items I bid on in the auction. Both are very nice and I'm pleased. Hang in there, you two; and praying that happier times are around the corner. MA
thanks Lynette for keeping all of us updated. My friends check every morning. Glad you are free to confront the issues that are troubling.
something kind of interesting: we don't start regenerating our own blood supply until 120 days gestation.
i was having this conversation with one of daniel's neonatologists one day and i asked her what daniel's blood volume (at just over 2.5 lbs) was. she whipped out a calculator and between the two of us, we figured out that it was about 1/3 of the volume of a coke can.
in other words, preemies have lots of transfusions. i think your princess will do much better after she gets this one.
HI, we have never met, but I have been following your blog since Olive was born. You are a true inspiration! I had twins born at 28 weeks, and we went through some of the same things, but thankfully, we were on our own turf, and our babies spent 11 weeks in hospital and despite their very rough start, they are perfect little 4 year olds now. I just wanted to encourage you with the problem you are having with the one nurse. You are the mom, and you should NEVER be made to feel in the way. We had one nurse do the same thing to us, and like you, we requested she not be assigned to our beds, they fulfilled our request, and what a difference that made. So stick with it, continue to take control, and continue to be an inspiration to people all over the world. May God be with you each and every moment of every day and may He place His healing hand on Olive.
amy is down in Mexico doing a photo shoot for a house build there. I am sitting at home watching Behind the Music with Poison and having a glass of red wine. I miss you both so much and am with you in this.
I will be there January 12 or so to see ya after Cambodia.
Hi! I'm a swedish friend of Paulina & Daniel. I found your blogg last week and since I'm a pediatric nurse your troubles touched my heart. (The children on my ward are little bigger than your daughter though:).)
I know that it exists a nasal spray with oxytocin that makes the milk come faster. It might make it easier for Olive to accept breastfeeding if the milk is already there when she starts sucking. In Sweden it's used of moms that have troubles to get the milk "started" -their babies get angry and they get stressed and then it's hard to relax enough for the milk to come...
You are in my prayers!
Love
Cecilia, Sweden
My name is Mindy Mellema, and I write the Alumni Connection for Lynden Christian School. In fact I am publishing a very neat article that Ron Polinder wrote for us in the next Home Bulletin. I hope you are recieving these publications. I have been following Olive's precious life through several blogs of people we know in common. I am wondering if you could contact me through my email, alumni@lyncs.org. I too had premie twins. So reading your story has brought that difficult memory back. But they are healthy 6 year olds and we made it through, so I am praying for you. I was wondering if you would be willing to share your journey with the greater LC community? Maybe it is too difficult now, but it could sure broaden the prayer base. Thank you for considering.
I wish I was there. I have A+ blood. Will be praying for donors to help out.
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