25+

The baby girl is now over 25 weeks old!!! Today we did an ultrasound and girl actually measured around 26 weeks...because she is pumped up with za steroidz, ja!!! She's going to take care of Nicki and me in our old ages.... Anyway, we are still here. Nicki had several days of very little bleeding. Pretty much from Sunday afternoon through this morning she was nearly blood-free. Then, during a non-stress test (where they monitor the baby's heart-rate for 20 minutes) she passed a large clot and bled heavily. This sent her, naturally, back to L&D in room 3. This was a new room for us, but we didn't spend long in it. Understanding her pattern more clearly now, the docs did not put her on magnesium and did not have us spend the night there. They monitored for a few hours, denied Nicki food for a few hours, and then--seeing the baby was still healthy--sent us back to our 2309 where we are now spending the night again. So, that was our sixth trip to L&D. I have a cart that I keep essential things on that I can transport very quickly to L&D, so movement between rooms now is a smooth and painless process. We're getting a hang of it.

All of the perkiness aside, we are learning some things. As a hospital chaplain I really had no clue what it meant to go into patients' and family members' private space to invite visitation. I think before I always tried to maintain a healthy awareness of the others' space and always tried to be sure I had the other's permission before coming in, etc. However, now--as a family member--I'm learning how precious that personal space is!!! Maybe it's just me, but most of the time I could pretty much do without any visitors--staff included, unless they are there to do a very quick assessment or routine check-up, or it's a doctor giving us some news. I am really coming to appreciate the awareness and propriety some staff have to do the simple things like knock on the door before entering. There are quite a few who have that concept down. Then, there are some who don't have it down yet. Sleep is a hot commodity around her as well. Those nurses and staff who respect our wish to not be visited beginning at certain times until the regular check-up time score big with me. However, tonight I was VERY bugged when the charge nurse came in at 11pm (just 30 minutes after Nicki had fallen asleep) to announce that she is the charge nurse and, how are things going? Etc. etc. I understand the need to check in and make sure your nurses are doing there job, but at 11pm? (maintenance man...)

So, as a chaplain, I'm chalking a lot of this up for experience! I want to be even more aware of these things as I go visiting with patients and their family members. I'll tell you what, there are some amazing healthcare workers here at this hospital and I wantyou all to know that we have been blessed by knowing some of them. Also, one thing is for certain, many of them have been blessed by my beautiful wife as they interact with them! There have been times when I think Nicki has been the caregiver and they have been the patients (not physically of course, but emotionally, spiritually). She is lifting people even here from her hospital bed. I'm a lucky man!

Those are the happs for now. Tomorrow I'm going to get the kids from Provo and bring them here hopefully to have a sleepover
in room 2309 with mom and me! If that really ends up panning out I'll get pics and post 'em.