Apneas, IVs, and Respirators

We had something of a scare with one of our new little boys this past weekend. Later on Saturday night we got a call that Henry, who’d already had to fight off one virus, had contracted another one. At that point they didn’t yet know what it was but he was having what are called apneas—moments when breathing stops. It’s not uncommon for premature babies to have it, but it is more unusual when a premature baby is already a month old or so. So he was put on a respirator, was put back on IV, and taken off breast milk. We were also told that they were going to re-culture earlier fluid samples from a spinal tap to check for meningitis. That was a scary thought. The fact is, if the NICU calls you about your kid, there’s usually reason for concern if not outright worry or fear.

So this all began to come down late on Saturday night; it was after 10pm when we got this call. My wife, understandably, wanted to go in immediately. But of course it was more complicated than that. It was late on a Saturday night—the night before Sunday, and being a pastor, I was supposed to assist in leading worship and preach the next day. We also have a four year old little girl. Waking her up late at night was not exactly a joyful prospect.

But once we decided to go in we had to get ourselves ready for a potential two or three days away depending on how things went with Henry. Once we had loaded the car, we quietly and gently woke Ella up. Well, we may have tried to be quiet and gentle, but that didn’t prevent her from protesting vehemently—at the top of her lungs—about being woken up and put in the car seat for a late night trip. Thankfully, her grand-parents are close, so that’s where we dropped her off. And thankfully once she was settled there, she fell asleep quickly.

I had already left a voice mail message with one of my deacons that they were going to have to have church without me, knowing they would understand. I called the next morning, after about four hours sleep, to confirm he got the message and to let him know any more details.

Needless to say, we were surrounded with prayer over these last few days. Wonderfully, Henry’s condition began to stabilize later on Sunday/early on Monday once he’d had enough of his respirator and tried to pull it out! Well, they left him off the respirator and he has needed it since. The apeas have not gotten serious again. Thank the Lord!

So now we’re home again. And I can tell you that while this will not be the last time one of my boys (or my girl!) will scare me, I can say that I will be very glad to have all my family home. That day will come, and not too soon.

A Family Update . . .

Yes, it’s been awhile since I’ve posted. But this time I actually have very good reason! The last time I updated my blog was five days after my boys—Henry and Eli—were born, and with all of the travel of going back and forth to the hospital, which is some distance from our home, taking time to post thoughts or updates here just wasn’t that high on the priority list.

Thankfully, Alisha was discharged just over a week ago. That’s made things much easier at home and for Ella, our four year old. It means that I don’t need to run around as much and that we’re home. Before her release, I was splitting my time between living at home and at the in-laws (who are closer to the hospital and able to help with Ella).

It also means there’s that much more normality to life and routine, even if we are traveling to the hospital to visit the boys on a daily to semi-daily basis. As it is, I don’t travel there as much as Alisha. Her Mum takes her about half the time, freeing me up to stay home and work. Yes, in the midst of all this topsy-turvy stuff, life goes on and I still have a job (or, more accurately, a vocation, but that’s a different post!).

Because the boys are so far away still in NICU, Alisha and I have both commented that, strange though it may seem, it can sometimes feel that we’ve not become parents again. Most days, especially when I’m home working, feel like a lot of other days. She even joked once, “It’s like when we’re in infant limbo,” an amusing, if highly inaccurate quip using the name of a (biblically unsound) Roman Catholic dogma.

Of course, given what we’ve been through over the last three or four weeks, when the boys do finally come home it’s going to be a BIG celebration. It will be joyous. It will be a relief. It will be wonderful. And, yes, it will be an adjustment and a time of settling will be all-important for us as a family. I can’t wait!!