nrshida

[xxIENAxx]

Just a brief update on Tiny Shida for those who are interested. He is very premature, not even a real baby yet, more of a pre-baby, so all of his little systems need time to start working. His first two weeks went great, way better than expected.

Then on Thursday afternoon he just wasn't right, less responsive, withdrawn. Then the breathing dips start, he forgets to breathe, regularly, needs to be stimulated several times. The Doctors and Nurses conclude the one thing premature baby parents dread to hear: infection.

Infections are the beast for these tiny people and have been known to kill them within four hours, so says our Doctor. They take all his fluids and send them to grow cultures to see what it is and then start him on a broad-spectrum antibiotic. An X-Ray reveales an abnormality in his intestines and they diagnose a necrotising infection. It hasn't perforated the intestinal wall but it could, can also do a lot of damage regardless, permnent damage.

The Doctor tells us to prepare for the worst and gives us an explanation of cascading disasterous possibilities. Mrs Shida & I would have to wait until Monday to see if he is getting better or worse, and we prepare for a weekend of hell.

It's a race, the infection can be stopped, but the blood cultures take 36 hours, the spinal fluid cultures 48, then the antibiotics can take 24-hours to kill the infection on top of that. We don't know how much damage it will do before they stop it. On Friday evening I send Mrs. Shida out of the room while I hold him to help the Doctor put in a new line. When he's done I speak to the little man, I tell him to fight, fight if he wants to live. I resign myself to the outcome, it's an aggressive infection and he's so small and only has a prototype immune system.

The Doctors gamble and make an educated guess on the specific infection and also start him on a custom antibiotic. Saturday no change, I see his tummy, it is swollen and smooth like a balloon and marbled, purple, looks horrible, painful for him when touched, he's on morphine for the discomfort, has intravenous lines in every limb, can't wriggle, very frustrating for him. Further no change, high blood pressure is frightening.

Sunday morning he looks better, stomach sweilling reduces, colour normal again the horrible marbling has gone. We become hopeful.

Today, his whole belly is soft again, blood pressure reduced, he has tantrums when the nurses take too long to change his nappy. Looks like he's on top of the infection. We have to see now over the next few weeks when they restart his feeding if there is any lasting damage.

The Doctor is very surprised he is improving. Strong little man he says. Excellent Doctors and nursing staff says I, I think their gamble saved him. I'm amazed by his strength and his tolerance, he only cries when they touch his little Ali-G hat.

He's on the mend I think, it was a horrid time for us all. We thank you deeply for all your concern and well wishes.



Wildcat I have two 1:48th scale aeroplane kits in storage, I was saving them and was going to super-detail them etc. but I've decided to just assemble them and paint them and make a mobile for over his bed when he gets out. A little boy should see aeroplanes. If you want to send over an old model I will gratefully add it to the mobile, anything you want, your favourite would be very meaningfull to us, even if it is a Blue Plane. I've got a Ki-84 and a MiG-21 I really should get him a Spitfire Mark I too. I have a few months yet, he'll be in incubators until October and can't see more than a few inches yet.

 

And here i was, feeling sorry for my self, cause my daughter moved 400km away to study at the University ....... Thank you Shida for this very powerfull "reality check".
I'm not a beliver but i can assure you, the last 20 minutes i have been sending lot's of positive thoughts your way and will keep sending them.
I Do hope/wish all the best for Tiny Shida, i send you and Mrs.Shida a virtual hug.


IENA

[Bruv119]

    

[Canspec]

My family is sending their prayers Shida......I hope you are over the worst.......

[mbailey]

Shida, you and your family are in my familys thoughts and prayers.

[Wildcat1]

check pm's, shida

[nrshida]

http://bbs.hitechcreations.com/smf/index.php/topic,338174.0.html

 

[Debrody]

 

[nrshida]

Medical update: Tiny Shida looks to have shaken of his horrid infection and is looking a lot better. He spent most of the afternoon looking around and trying out his new eyes and also yawning quite a bit. Certainly did not look like a tiny chap who had an encounter with the beast.

We don't know if there is any permanent damage yet, the Doctors have started him on 1 ml of Mother's milk every four hours, just a trickle to test. Blood pressure still a tad high but that's to be expected because of the stress, extra hydration and the morphine. When the nurse took the catheter out of his tinkey winkey, he reached out and jaffed her, lolz.

Tough little chap, the Doctors are surprised at the speed with which he has improved.

Thank you all so much for your support, we are living away from home and EVERYTHING is weird at the moment. This forum has been my lifeline on some very dark nights. Thank you 

[zack1234]

We all know we are freaks in AH

But we are all thinking about you and your family

[danny76]

Great news 

[Slate]

  Good to hear nrshida. He'll be chasing them nurses before you know it.  

[Midway]

Newborns have remarkable healing abilities (with a bit of help from doctors).  You can read many stories of very difficult premature births and the little person growing up as a strong, healthy, productive adult with no signs of what they had to go through at the beginning.  I had friends at school that went through much difficulty as premature births as you may have similar friends as well.

My wife and kids read your story and your family and tiny Shida are in our thoughts, hopes, and prayers. 

 

[Drano]

Glad to hear the little guy is doing better. 

[W7LPNRICK]

 

[lunatic1]