I've got no strings....

Daegan is IV free!!!!



We went in to have the Broviac removed yesterday morning. Sometimes they removed them in outpatient clinic with some sedation/holding baby down....but the surgeon and we decided that a little more anesthesia was better. It was sooo much harder to bring him for this surgery than it was for the placement of the catheter. I think because when he was in the NICU I was a little detached....but now, he's been at home with me at all times...and then to have to hand him over to the anesthesiologist?!? It was soo hard. Thankfully, the procedure was short...but he took a little longer to wake up than the anesthesiologist was comfortable with so....we had to stay overnight for observation! I almost lost it. Russ said I was acting/sounding like a post-traumatic stress patient. I had to go back home to pack enough stuff for us to stay. At least we were able to stay on the peds floor and not back in the NICU, which meant I could stay in the room with Daegan. I hope to never have to leave him at the hospital alone again! At first they gave us a room with another patient...but we were (fairly) quickly moved to a private room for the night. Thank goodness! I just can't imagine having to be in the hospital with another patient....not only are you completely vulnerable b/c you are sick/in the hospital, but to have your privacy lost as well? I'm glad we have insurance!! (and being the doctor's wife/child does have some perks!) It was a rough night nonetheless. Daegan was crabby/sleepy/nauseated. And between all the people checking on him and I and feeding/cleaning up the bottles/pumping/cleaning up the vomit....we didn't get much sleep.

We visited the NICU when we were there. A couple was leaving as we were walking in...and she was crying...I held Daegan up and said "They really do get to come home." She smiled. The nurses were surprised at how much he's changed already. He's bigger, fatter and more mature looking they said. It was good to show off how great he looks!! Especially since it was such a fight to get him home with us. I needed to 'gloat' a little about how well I was able to care for him and how he's thriving at home...it was a little therapeutic for me.

But we are home now! And IV free! And no more antibiotics!!! I think we are finally 'done' with his premie/NICU experience....provided he doesn't get RSV or some other bad resp infection to land us back in the hospital with a vent....ugh I can't/shouldn't even think about it....

OK so we're home and happy and healthy! He's being a little 'needy' but other than that back to normal. It feels so good to hold him and snuggle him with out worrying if I'm pulling on his IV. I didn't realize how different it was to worry about it...cause I didn't know any better, but now....it's like he's a whole new baby! I think I can start to heal now and to put all of this business behind me...