Great Nurses

Joshua was in the NICU and had been there since he was born. He was doing great. Except on Monday Dr Prado was doing his rounds, and said that since Joshua's bilirubin levels were at a 9.9, that he needed to stay in the NICU for another day with double light therapy. BUT if the levels dropped to below 8 the next day, we could go home. I was so disappointed, but at least we had a definite, concrete number to overcome. Well, the next day, they were at a 7.6, so Joshua's sweet nurse, Jessica, started getting him ready to get ready to go home. I startred the CPR video, we talked about his car seat test, among other things.

But then Dr Prado comes in to do his rounds, and Jessica comes to tell me that Dr Prado is going to keep him another day. I start to cry. If only our hopes hadn't gotten built up, it wouldn't be so difficult to take another day in the NICU. Joshua's nurse, Stacey, that he had in the first NICU (he got switched from the teeny baby NICU to the more stable baby NICU when some 31 week twins were born)walked by at that moment, and I told her what was going on, and she told me to talk to Dr Prado when he comes to do the run down of rounds with me. So I do, and when I remind him of what he said the day before, he says, "OH yeah, I DID say that. Ok, I guess he can go home."

And just like that, I finish the CPR video and Joshua does his car seat test. And we go home.

What I'll remember the most, is that when I walked into the NICU after talking to Dr Prado (he had already gone and changed the orders to say we could go home) and Stacey was standing there and she smiled at me so big and practically ran to me and gave me the biggest hug. I LOVE those nurses in the NICU. I have to say one thing about them. They treat their patients like they are family. They fight for them, when they are able to do so, and treat the babies so well. I saw nurses reading books to the babies. singing to them, and just cooing over them when anything special happened.

When the results from Joshua's and another babies' spinal tap came back negative for infection (meningitis) the nurse practitioner actually said, "Yes!" rather loudly and pumped her arm up and down.

What I'll remember second, is how in congratulatory the nurses were of me.One even asked if I used some kung fu action. Apparently Dr Prado doesn't do that often. More than anything it made me feel good, because I have been raised to respect authority to the point that whatever they say goes, so to talk to Dr Prado, even with respect, about the discrepancy, was out of character for me, and a great step into being an active advocate for my family.