Hoping for Poop!

The Doctors’ Outlook and Warnings!

                Jake received the very best doctors anyone could ask for. Dr. Minton is one of the leading neonatologists in the country and travels around the world teaching people how to raise preemies. Dr. Gerday has been honest and important to us from the get-go. We knew and felt like these 2 men have been honest and optimistic with us from the very beginning. They never said this was going to be a walk in the park, infact they told us this might be a total nightmare rollercoaster, but that they would be there to hold our hands through the process, and that they could answer any and all questions we might have.

                Jakes nurse’s. What can I say to show my gratitude to all of his nurse’s. They really do love their job and they really do love Jake. It shows every time we are there to see him.  He is the very best care with all of those women. Day and night they are there to answer our questions, to comfort us and to cheer Jake on with all of his accomplishments! Thank you Thank you Thank you too all of you who have been there to hold our hands, laugh with us and cry with us.

Cloudy outlook for Jake’s first 10 days.

                Preemies with Jakes age and weight are prone to getting brain bleeds in the first 10 days of life. Mild ones, we were told, aren’t that bad and can be treated, but stage 3-5 brain hemorrhages are life threatening and all too common for 1 pounders. This didn’t settle well with Rory and me and we were determined to not let Jake get one of these. In all honesty there was nothing we could have done to prevent or stop one, but we were determined to do so. Fervent Prayer was all we and others could do and we want everyone to know that we have felt every prayer and thought that has come our way. We can’t even begin to explain how much we appreciate all of the love and kindness that we have received and felt. Our testimonies of prayer have quadrupled in size over the span of 2 weeks. We truly believe that prayer has not only gotten us through, but is also be the reason that Jake is doing so well and has such a good outlook.

                Well tomorrow is day 10 and not one small or even minute brain bleed has happened which has totally stunned Jake’s doctors. We are soooo excited about this, words cannot explain.  True blessings after blessings keep rolling our way and we know it is due to our faith and all the prayers that have come our way. Thank you Thank you Thanks you!!!!

Two Major hurdles!

                One of the problems that was predetermined in an ultrasound was that Jake had an echogenic bowels, or bright bowels. This means a lot of things. It means that the bowels and intestines didn’t form well, or at all. It could mean that his bowels formed with a boney substance rather than a fleshy substance. It meant that he could have gotten an infection that had now hardened in his intestines. None of these we would know for sure until Jake came out and tried to poop. But if he couldn’t poop, we knew that this was a life threatening condition that we might not be able to fix and overcome.

The other major problem he faced was a hole in his heart. Many babies are born with this but at his size and age we didn’t know if this was something he could get through. But thankfully on day 4 we could see a real decline of how big the hole was and by day 6 the hole had closed on its own, not requiring any surgery! This was a huge victory and we were very excited to get one at this point!

Praying for Poop!!!

After Jake came out, days and days went by with no bowel sounds at all. The doctors tried to comfort us but you could see that there was worry in their eyes, and they kept using the words “We’re very concerned”. This was hard to swallow, because I know that my placenta not working for him and the lack of nutrition is probably to blame for this condition, and I knew that it was my fault. By day 6 of no poop the doctors informed us that they had contacted Primary Children’s and that they were not ready to interfere and perform a surgery on him yet to fix his bowels but that they were in connection with the doctor that would, and that it was a possibility for the near future! I cannot tell you how hard I prayed Friday Morning for poop. I’ve never prayed for poop before nor do I think I have ever prayed that hard for anything!

That night was day 7 with no poop. When we got to the hospital the first thing we did was meet with Dr. Gerday who explained to us that there was beginning to be a real problem that he hasn’t pooped yet and that there were no bowel sounds. We spent 10 minutes going over our options and were told that we were going to keep on waiting a bit longer but that something had to happen soon.

I was able to help take care of Jake this night, and by take care of it meant take his temperature and change his diaper. Everything was going just fine and then suddenly I took his old diaper off and there right in the middle was a droplet of POOP! A gasp of pure relief came out of me and then the waterworks were turned on! I started bawling loudly right there in the NICU and everyone heard me yell “THERE’S POOP!” Nurse’s started cheering and crying with me, even the guys. They all knew how important this was and how excited I must have been! We took Cayden and Brookie out to dinner that night to celebrate the poop and were later told that he had pooped again later that night. And with that poop coming out there also was a big sigh of relief that there are now healthy sounding bowel sounds coming from his tummy!!! We couldn’t believe it. One more rich and pure blessing sent from above to our little family. I know that Heavenly Father is looking out for us and that he hears each and every prayer, even prayers about poop!