Doing well

We have been increasing Tehilla's feeds every third meal. Right now, she is getting 35cc every meal. The goal is to get her to 50cc. Once she is eating at least half of that by mouth, they will take out her feeding tube. 

The formula is doing the trick. The fluids being drained from her chest have severely decreased and are translucent.

She has been doing well. Thank G-d. 

Fighter Spirit

I know that Tehilla is only 15 days old and only a baby. So, maybe it's just in my head, or maybe I have cabin fever. But this kid loves to prove people wrong. It's like a sense of humor that she shouldn't have yet. 

One minute the doctors will mention how she isn't peeing enough, so she'll go and pee at the most in opportune time. 

Or, right now, I walked in and the nurse was in middle of telling the doctor how she won't eat the formula by mouth, and they'll have to only give it through feeding tube. I asked if I could try with her, and not only did she eat the entire bottle but we were able to increase her formula by 5cc. 

Her oxygen saturation will go too low, so they give her a little oxygen, only for them to turn their backs to walk out of the room and her oxygen will go too high, so they have to turn it off. 

It's like a fighter spirit she has in her, to not let anyone set her limits. 

Calm

Today is starting off better. Yesterday, Tehilla was hysterically crying when not on Morphine or Oxycode. She clearly was in pain and uncomfortable from something and wouldn't eat by bottle. The doctors and nurses had thoroughly looked for any possible causes, other than being 12 days after open heart surgery and her mostly unswollen arm and chest and hadn't found anything. They assumed it was probably still from her arm. 

Today, she is calmer, eating better and does not appear to be in pain. 

She has been switched to formula for the time being, due to a fat in breast milk interfering with lymph nodes in her chest. 

Feedings

This morning, when I walked in, we had a nurse that we hadn't had before. She said to me, "Is this THE Tehilla that I've been saying Tehillim for?" 

Tehilla took milk by mouth last night and they are slowly raising the amount. When she doesn't finish a bottle, they give her the rest through the feeding tube.

Today's feedings haven't been very successful. They believe that Tehilla is in pain, although they can't determine, exactly from what. They gave her Tylenol and then Morphine. 

Here is a picture of her getting bathed by some of our wonderful nurses.

Also, thank you to Ayelet and Noa, some extended family, for helping decorate Tehilla's wall. The nurses hung the pictures up right away.

Slow and Steady

They have fed Tehilla 10cc of milk every 3 hours without a problem, thank G-d. Next feeding they will move her up to 15cc.  She has remained stable so far.

They had to put an infusion in her head. They had already tried several times over since we've been here, all other places. It is less likely that the infusion will fall out from her head, as there is less movement. 

Her chest tube is still draining. The fluid coming out has started to look cloudy. They are waiting to see if it goes back to translucent in the next few days. There is a chance that it could be happening due to a protein in breast milk. If it doesn't change, they will have to switch Tehilla to formula.

Bring on the...

They're professional advice was that she needs a tan. Well, they made me laugh...

Rough Night

I was asked to sleep on an arm chair in the room with Tehilla, as they were short staffed. So, I didn't sleep at all, and neither did Tehilla. 

She cried the whole night and wouldn't be settled. At her 5:00am feeding she threw up all her milk and they realized that her infusion line was out of the vein and now her entire left side of her chest and arm are incredibly swollen. Which explains all the crying.

She was given Tylenol for the pain and has cold compresses to take down the swelling. They also put in a feeding tube. They gave her 5cc of milk with a bottle before, and she was fine. They are going to do that again soon and if it goes well then they will continue to try to feed her by mouth. If not, then they will feed her by feeding tube.