Introduction

Our sons Charles George Fitzpatrick and Henry Michael Fitzpatrick were born prematurely on November 16, 2013 at a gestational age of 24 weeks and 1 day. Their "due date" was March 7th, 2014. We started this site on November 28th.

Both Aly and David will be posting to the site. While you will probably be able to tell who is writing by our writing styles, we will sign off on our entries with our initials so you will be sure of the author.

Monday, February 24, 2014

Fitzpatricks Both Score a Century

100 days old today. 

This was another of those Mondays where a lot was packed into the day. Charlie was scheduled for his procedure to close his PDA in the afternoon, so he was off the milk from about 4am. He ordered a head ultrasound in the morning to help take his mind off things. 

Henry made a different selection from the bedside procedure menu. He went for the eye exam. He also spent some time pointing out that it has been two weeks since he went back on CPAP and he would appreciate a break. We talk about doctors on here and we hope that we have been clear on our feelings about the nurses. I don't think we have written about NNPs. Neonatal Nurse Practitioners, to save you a search. The boys have a NNP assigned to them day and night and they are the first person the nurse calls if there is anything unusual going on. One particular NNP spends a lot of time chatting to the boys, so she was who Henry called about his nose. Henry made a good case and those of you that like the photographs will be pleased to know that he got his way and the CPAP is off for now. Dr Newtotown made it clear that it is "for now". The scientists among you will know that it's not easy to get the pressure into his lungs if the tube is small, so that is why the CPAP "prongs" are so big and uncomfortable looking. If she thinks he is struggling, CPAP will return, no matter how much Henry charms his girlfriends. 

Charlie's procedure went ahead in the afternoon and went well. The doctor we met on Friday was pleased to get the duct plugged and said Charlie did well. Next up, he gets his pulse monitored in the leg where he went in to make sure that there is no interruption to the flow. As I understand it, sometimes the vein (or artery, I forget which is which) gets inflamed after it has had the catheter pushed through it and that has a knock on effect on his circulation. He is being closely watched by his nighttime friends. 

I have noticed that I am speaking on behalf of the children a lot in this post. This is a habit I am going to try and break. It is almost equivalent to me talking to Henry and saying "is your Mom going to go and get me a diet coke from the machine?". 

Even with my newly imposed rules, I can, with certainty, call the subject of this next paragraph one of Charlie and Henry's favourite people.

One of Charlie and Henry's favourite people (whom I know would enjoy my spelling) is having to take some time off from looking after them in order to have surgery. The hope is that the operation makes her pain go away. It has been a long time since I talked about the praying people but, if those readers are happy to do so, we would ask for our little family's friend to have a successful surgery and a speedy recovery. I'm no doctor, but my prescription for her is all 12 episodes of Fawlty Towers. 

To celebrate 100 days, here are the boys on day 1 and day 100.

Charlie;



Henry;



(D)

1 comment:

  1. It's funny I read this post a couple of days ago and have been sitting on the enormity of it all. 100 days old. It is so amazing. I can only imagine these past 100 days have been filled with love, joy, heartache and stress that you have never known existed before thee two beautiful souls came into your lives. Thank you for sharing these past 100 days with all of us. We all love your boys so much. xoxo

    ReplyDelete