Thursday, January 28, 2010

News on Katelyn

To start off, I wanted to correct my previous blog in that it was the left side, not the right side, that Katelyn was having weakness and difficulty seeing. The occupational therapist has instructed the nurses to stay on Katelyn's left so that she can start getting better at looking at her surroundings on both sides. The nurses are also trying to lie Katelyn on her left, as this apparently helps strengthen these muscles and increases blood flow. The good news for today was that another occupational therapist tested Katelyn today and found that she had better reaction to pain (a pinch) on her left side today than she did yesterday. The occupational therapist said that she was very surprised at how much improvement there was from yesterday to today!

The other update is that Katelyn's next spinal tap was pushed back and is scheduled for Monday. If Katelyn's protein levels have come down some more, then her surgery to insert the shunt will likely be on Friday, February 5th. This was somewhat disappointing for her parents, who were hoping the surgery would be conducted early next week. Most likely, Katelyn will be able to return home after she recovers from this surgery, which is about 2-4 days post-surgery.

Going to the hospital several times a day is exhausting: Hospital parking is sparse. Entering the NICU requires that you wash your hands for 2 minutes. You must put on a plastic half-robe to hold Katie. A few doctors, nurses, and others working with Katelyn might share some information about Katelyn that you will have to remember. Then you have to be proactive in gathering information. Finally, you are just excited to see Katie and have to deal with the sadness of leaving her there.

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