Day 60- Hungry but having fun

It seems that right after I wrote that No News is Good News we started to get some not so good news.
Each week they draw blood to do labs they check many things but once again his inflamation was up (CRP test). That indicates something isn't quite right so they look for infection. This is when they do the blood, urine, spinal tap, and picc line tests to see if the infection is in any of these areas. At this time they also started him on really strong antibiotics so they were one step ahead of whatever was going on.
I refused the spinal tap because of the risks I learned about last time and because in my heart I felt it wasn't the issue and he seemed to be doing good (no fever etc). Well none of the tests showed anything significant so they tested his wound (day52) the next day they called me at 7 am to tell me the culture grew staph. So it was a good thing we had already started him on antibiotics. About an hour after I got to the hospital he threw up but it wasn't a normal throw up and they wanted to do some xrays of his belly to see if it was something to be worried about. They decided to stop feeds for the day. However by the end of the day between the xray, a distended belly, the throwup and bile not passing through his system they decided to treat it as NEC Necrotising entracoloitis. A disease of the intestines that can be pretty bad. To treat this they use antibiotics and stop feeds. They decided a 10 day course of treatment would be good. That means 10 days no food and then we start back at the begining of reintroducing feeds to him at a small amount (blast we had been up to 39mL). They also put an Anderson Tube back in his stomach to drain the bile since there is a blockage in his system and it isn't making it through.

With the Anderson (day 57)

Since they supspended feeds he is back to getting all nutrients (TPN) through his picc line. But that day the picc line clogged and they couldn't unclog it so they had to replace the picc line (put a tube in his vien and thread it all the way up his arm to his heart).
They also had been finding for the last couple days his red blood cell count was down and the iron they had started wasn't helping so he got a blood transfusion that day as well.  That was quite the day for us. But through it all he has seemed really good. (This all happened on the 17th, Day 53).

 Today(9/25 day 60)has been great, they removed the Anderson tube since his stomach is now passing the bile through his system.  The fun part was that the developmental therapist came and we put a mat on the floor and got him out of the crib to play for the first time. It was really fun we got the toys out and had a great time. It was really refreshing to see him hanging out like a normal baby. I love these fun good days. He is doing great. On Saturday they will do another x-ray of his belly. If everything looks good we will stop the antibiotics and Start him on food AGAIN!!! We will have to start slow but that's ok. He is the biggest baby in our room. We look forward to more progress. We are  hoping to have him home by Halloween.

Debbie the Developmental Therapist (day 59)

Playing with Toys

No news is good news- 7 Weeks (Late published)

Editors note: Jennie asked me to publish this over a week

ago with pictures and I didn't get around to it.  This is an old post and more has happened and I am sure Jennie will update it soon.

No News is good news.

Sorry it has been so long since we have given an update but in this case no news is good news.

He is doing great. He is  just as adorable a can be. Bridger is completely off oxygen support. He is currently working on eating more.


They give him just over 50% milk then the rest of his nutrients (TPN) is given through his picc line. So he gets 36 mL just over an ounce of milk every 3hrs. He takes 50% of his milk by bottle/nursing😃. He gets gas pains but he is pooping well.
He was totally off his meds for a day or two but then we decided he still needed to be on a low dose of morphine, he tolerates eating better with it. And since the TPN is hard on his liver he got another medication to help out there.  Overall he is doing really well.

Unfortunately I haven't been able to see him since Thursday.  Carter and I got that nasty cold that is going around. I had to take Carter in to his Pediatrician on Friday because he was having some respiratory problems (not unusual for Carter). He got a breathing treatment and is doing great.

Looks like Mr Bridger will have a few more weeks in the NICU (2-6????). But as always we are excited about the progress he is making. Tomorrow will be 50 days of this adventure.
Its crazy to me because everything was so different with Carter. By this time Carter had been swimming, to a rodeo, boating, on a road trip to AZ, and tried Ice cream and a sucker (spoiled by Great Grandma Taylor). He had so many different experiences than Mr Bridger. I still think he'll be a newborn when I bring him home but he is sure getting bigger. he is almost 8lbs now.  But wow I cant believe how they look the same to me.














Carter with Dad








Bridger with Dad















Bridger's Steps of Progression
✔️= done ➖= in progress

✔Intestines put in Silo (day 1)
✔Closure Surgery (day 12)
✔Off the ventilators (day 21)
✔Held by mom and dad (day 21)
✔Weened off sedation (day 23)
✔Weening his pain meds
Off paid meds
✔Weening his oxygen support
✔️Off oxygen support (day 41)
✔Hear bowl sounds (tummy grumbles)
✔Poop
✔️Introduce food(day 29)
➖Tolerate food (digest food)
Increase foods to full feeds (60mL)
Remove Wound Vac
➖Nursing
Take our baby home

The Rollercoaster Week

I have to tell you we have been on a bit of a rollercoaster this last week. Are you ready for the play by play??? Ok here goes.... first I will list all Health Care Personnel as NICU.

Day 33 I come in to find out little Bridger HAD (past tense) a fever for a couple hours at night so they want to check for infection. And they are going to suspend his feeds until further notice.

NICU: We are going to check a bunch of different tests including an LP to see if he has an infection in his body.
ME: What's an LP?
NICU: Spinal Tap, We will pull spinal fluid to see if there is any infection that may affect the Central Nervous System.
ME: Ummm, can I refuse this test?...... (I'm feeling super uncomfortable about this).... But, I went ahead and gave consent for them to do the test.

They do the LP...........12 hours Later

NICU: We have found a bacteria in the Cerebral Spinal Fluid (CSF). We will start some heavy duty antibiotics and do another LP tomorrow to see if it is real and if there are signs of Meningitis.

DR GOOGLE: Bacterial Meningitis- treat with antibiotics-  Prognosis- brain damage, seizures, hearing loss, hydrocephalus. YIKES!!!! (I was starting to regret looking to Dr. Google).

ME: What kind of bacteria did you find?
NICU: Staph (found in skin and in hospitals, strange to be found in the CSF, the sample could just be contaminated)
DR GOOGLE: Staphylococcal meningitis (SM)- even with treatment there is a very high risk of death.
ME: YIKES!!!!!!!!  (We start praying really hard for a contaminated sample)

Day 34
They try to do another LP they poke him 2x but they cannot use the samples because they have blood in them. They will try again the following day. Still no signs of a fever or any other signs of meningitis.

Day 35
They don't think they will be able to get a clean LP so they will try the following day.

Day 36
Again, They don't think they will be able to get a clean LP so they will try the following day. However they will let us start again on feeds since he seems to be doing just fine.

Day 37
NICU: Today is the day we are really going to do the LP today.
ME: OK, I want your most experienced person to do it and to get it right today.

The first time they tried he was moving too much (If he moves during it and they hit a bad nerve he could become paralyzed).So they decide to sedate him and try later. I left to go play with Carter for a little bit, I told them to call me after the LP and when they get the initial results.

Hours pass, NO CALL. So I call them.

ME: Um... did you do the LP
NICU (nurse in training): Oh yeah sorry I forgot to call you and then we went to lunch. Im so sorry.
ME: OK, well any results???
NICU (nurse in training): Yes.... Hesitation..... they don't look good... they have been reported "CRITICAL"

My heart drops, I was so confident the initial test was bad. He seems perfect how could this be. I ask further questions but she doesn't have any answers. She will have a Dr call me back..... I was freaking out... The Dr called and I missed the call while dropping Carter off at Grandmas. I call back and we decided they will review the results with both Jordan and I when we arrive. Jordan and I rushed back to the hospital in complete silence with a pit in our stomachs.

Not long after we arrived we spoke with the Dr and found out that the critical label on it was only because it had a little bit of blood in the sample.  He is just fine. NO INFECTION. WE ARE SO HAPPY.

ME (TO TRAINEE NURSE): I could throw my shoe at you right now. I'm so glad it wasn't as bad as you made me think it was on the phone.

Of course she totally apologized for freaking us out. I forgive her, we have a mutual friend so we can be friends after this and we can now laugh about it all. But yikes.

Day 38 (today)
Culture is still looking good. We are thrilled. They placed a feeding tube today so he can get more food, since he is not eating as well as he was last week.  But that is totally manageable and not a big deal.

Bridger's Steps of Progression
✔️= done ➖= in progress

✔Intestines put in Silo (day 1)
✔Closure Surgery (day 12)
✔Off the ventilators (day 21)
✔Held by mom and dad (day 21)
✔Weened off sedation (day 23)
✔Weening his pain meds
Off paid meds
✔Weening his oxygen support
Off oxygen support
✔Hear bowl sounds (tummy grumbles)
✔Poop
✔️Introduce food(day 29$
➖Tolerate food (digest food)
Increase foods to full feeds (60mL)
Remove Wound Vac
➖Nursing
Take our baby home