Sunday afternoon I was released from the hospital. I quickly packed a bag and my parents, grandparents, sister, and I were on our way to go see my baby boy. It was the most painful and looooong drive ever! It didn't matter though, because I was dying to see my son.
We got there about nine at night. Somebody found a wheel chair for me and I was wheeled up to the second floor. It seemed like forever until I got through the maize leading to NICU. Past the big wooden doors was the front desk, lockers, and washing station. I got out of the wheel chair, washed all the way up to my elbows with the little scratchy sponge, and into room one I hobbled.
Cash was the baby farthest from the door. All the babies I passed were so tiny! One pound, one and a half pounds, "he doesn't belong here!" I thought. I finally made it to my sweet boy.
I stayed as long as I could but the day had been hard on me. I couldn't walk without being hunched over, and I barely made it a couple feet at that. Sad to leave my boy, we went to the Ronald Mcdonald House. If anyone is looking for a legit charity to donate to this is the place. I am so thankful for the RMH. It gave us an affordable place to stay, meals to eat, and other people who were in our yucky shoes.
The days went on and they all became a blur. It took all the energy I had to get up out of bed, get dressed, go downstairs to eat, and go back to the hospital. I can not remember details day to day but I do know it was a roller coaster of ups and downs.
A couple days after arriving in SLC we learned what made our tiny boy so sick. He was group b strep positive, which attacked all his systems. Group B Strep is unpreventable and just naturally occurs in some pregnant women. At 35 weeks pregnant you get a test and if you are positive you get antibiotics to treat it before the baby comes. We weren't so lucky. I had a false negative so we had no clue the nasty GBS was going to attack Cash. The GBS caused Cash to have Pneumonia and Pulmonary Hypertension. In real speak, he was having a hard time.
Cash had to have many tests. He had an x-ray every morning, a spinal tap to check for meningitis (Negative), a blood transfusion, tubes taken in and out, and much more.
This was what we called the "baby straight jacket" it kept him from pulling on his wires, tubes, IVs, etc
Cash pulling on his ventilator
Throughout the days there Cashy had many visitors
And Mommy and Daddy were there as much as possible
After almost two weeks Cash was doing well enough to move in to a big crib. This was BIG, happy, news. Moving to a big crib and maintaining body heat are one of the many steps a NICU baby has to take to go home.
And we finally got to hold him again!!! Best.feeling.ever.
