A year ago we brought Lexie home from the NICU. She spent 6 weeks there healing and growing. When she was there, we stayed informed of her status and the minor procedures she underwent, but I didn't get too deep into the details. I just mentally couldn't go there. That's why I don't know for sure about what happened to her in the hours after her birth, and I didn't know for sure what the possibilities were for complications in the weeks after her birth, and I didn't know specific details about how procedures like feeding tube insertions were performed.
A couple of months ago the (in)famous Duggars welcomed a preemie into their gigantic family. I never thought I'd watch that show, but since the arrival of 19th child Josie at 25 weeks gestation, I've been tuning in. I'm not so interested in the family's activities, but I've been watching the NICU footage carefully. I've now seen a feeding tube insertion on TV, and I know how far down it goes (far -- to the small intestine). I've seen this little TV preemie encounter complications that we avoided, but now I understand how they occur, and I realize how lucky we were that nothing serious befell Lexie during her time in the hospital. I now understand that when the nurses said "we're giving her .4 ml an hour of milk, and we'll see how she does," they were watching for a bowel perforation or necrotizing enterocolitis, in which the intestine begins to die. We didn't dig any deeper and just happily accepted it each day when Lexie did well and her feeds were increased.
I'm glad I didn't know that much about it at the time.
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5 comments:
Sometimes, it's better not to know the details. I'm so glad she did so well and came home doing alright with you guys.
I know a hell of a lot more now than I did back then, too. And you wouldn't believe how glad I am that I didn't know all those things at the time!
Our twins practically sailed through their 5 weeks in the NICU. It didn't seem that way, then. Every little step forward seemed so small, and every tiny step backwards so huge. Everyday I was scared we'd never get to take them home. But if I would've known then what I know now, THEY would have had to go home without ME. I'd have become a total nutcase...
Sometimes, not knowing is bliss.
Afterwards, though, learning more can make you appreciate everything that DIDN'T happen. Make you appreciate what DID so much more!
Happy homecoming-anniversary. Or whatever it's called...
Knowledge is power. But ignorance is bliss.
If there's nothing in the situation that you can control, it's probably better to not know all the details.
It's a good day to celebrate.
I'm just so glad you had such a beautiful ending to such a crazy road. Lexie is such a miracle and just the miracle that you deserve ((hugs))
Agreed - for once I cherish the ignorance I had the first time around. But like you, later on I became fixated any fodder I could lay my hands on, that would tell me more about what preemies go thru in the NICU.
And what a treat Lexie is :)
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