Gestation: 39 weeks, 6 days
Weight: 5 pounds, 9 ounces
Feedings: Working up to 60 ml of unfortified milk every three hours by bottle

Wednesday afternoon Abby had an upper GI done. There was some disagreement about whether to leave in her post-pyloric feeding tube or if that would mess up the reading, and eventually the neonatologists won against the surgery team and the tube was left in. The test confirmed the suspected diagnosis: pyloric stenosis.

Dan, Lydia and I were about to head out to Bible study when the surgery team came in and told us that the had actually been unclear because the feeding tube had been left in. However, they were able to feel Abby’s pylorus from the outside and confirm that it did seem enlarged and they agreed that she would need surgery. However, only one surgery team works on holidays and, as the next day was Thanksgiving, they said her surgery would take place on Friday (today).

Midway through Bible study Dan got a phone call from the pediatric surgeon. They had gotten Abby in for surgery the next day, despite the holiday. She was scheduled for surgery at 8 AM and would be taken down to anesthesia at 7:30. The surgery team would round at 6 AM to answer any of our questions.

We hurried home early from Bible study and went to sleep. At 3:30 AM we got a call from one of the residents expressing a concern that Abby wasn’t ready for surgery because her blood count was so low. Because they never had us sign any admittance papers when we arrived at the hospital (!) they had never received our permission to do a blood transfusion if it was necessary and so they had to call and get our permission. It was just last week that I spent an entire afternoon trying to convince the doctors that Abby needed to be on iron because she is anemic and they didn’t believe me. Now she was so anemic that they had to give her extra blood just so she could be stable enough for her surgery.

We agreed to the transfusion and headed in for a long day at the hospital. Just before Abby was taken in to the operating room, another baby needed an emergency surgery and we got bumped back a few hours. Finally, at 11:03 AM, Abby was in surgery.

We enjoyed a visit from Dan’s brother and sister-in-law while we waited the two to three hours it would take for Abby’s pylorus and hernia surgeries. After only 1 1/2 hours, the doctor called to say they were finished. He had warned us earlier that if anything went wrong they would quit the surgery early. So I tried not to freak out as we waited for the doctor to come out and talk to us. There was no need to worry though, because the surgery went great. They were able to do the pylorus and hernia laproscopically, which means they only had to make a few tiny incisions instead of one large one across Abby’s whole belly.

After enjoying a turkey dinner donated to the NICU by Zingerman’s, we hurried back to Abby’s room. She was still sleeping and looked like she had just gotten beat up. Her eyes were swollen, she had bandages on her belly and an IV in, and when she finally woke up she moaned like a wounded baby animal.

At 4 PM Abby was awake enough to try to eat. The plan was to gradually increase feeds starting with a small amount of unfortified milk until she could handle 60 ml. Any time Abby finished a feed without spitting up, her amount could be increased for the next feed. If she couldn’t finish or did spit up, we would have to stay at that amount until she could tolerate it. When she reached 60 ml, she would be ready (from a surgery standpoint) to go home. However, because Abby was a preemie, they would probably have to make sure she was gaining weight, introduce a fortifier, slowly wait to see if she could tolerate the fortifier in increasing amounts, and take care of any last “preemie things”.

The fortifier has always been a concern to us. I was concerned that Abby would make it to full feeds and then get stuck not tolerating a fortifier. Who knew how long it could take to figure out what would be best for Abby?

So here are Abby’s numbers. The goal is 60 ml every three hours:

4 PM : 3 ml
7 PM : 15 ml
10 PM : 3 ml
1 AM : 15 ml
4 AM : 25 ml, but she spit up
7 AM : 30 ml
10 AM : 45 ml
1 PM : 49 ml

Around noon the surgery team stopped by to tell me that Abby is doing great. Upon further questioning, our nurse found out that surgery was considering treating Abby like a “term” baby, which means she would not need a fortifier. Instead, she would have regular weight checks to make sure she was gaining weight once home, and add fortifiers only if necessary. Our nurse assured surgery that plan would be “perfect for this family”. So, once Abby pleases the team with her eating,she will be home free…maybe even this weekend!

Lydia, on the other hand, started throwing up last night and is now sick at home with Dan while I stay at the hospital (hence the lack of pictures). We would appreciate prayers that Lydia would recover quickly and that Dan and I would stay healthy.

Praise the Lord
We are thanking God for:
-Abby’s speedy and successful surgeries
-no fortifier!
-that Abby may come home soon

Please Pray:
-that Abby will be able to tolerate 60 ml…and soon!
-that Lydia would recover quickly and the rest of us would stay healthy