Wyatt James Koger, A Fighter from Birth: I figured out why Wyatt wanted to stay at the hospital longer...

Saturday, March 8, 2008

I figured out why Wyatt wanted to stay at the hospital longer...

Now I know why Wyatt wanted to stay a little bit longer in the hospital. He had a full body massage today and had olive oil lavered all over his body. He enjoyed every second of it! He was wide awake, smiling, and looking around. I have video, but I have no idea how to post it on the blog... something I have to take time to figure out. A child life specialist, Shannon, who does infant massages two days a week, showed me how to massage Wyatt's legs, arms, chest, and back and video taped the teaching part. Wyatt soaked it up! Wyatt was poked so many times, that I want him to associate touch will feeling good rather than painful. Overall, he had a good day. His heart rate and temperature are stable. His respiratory rate is a little high in the mid 80's and he spits up often. He is getting treated for aspiration pneumonia (a little bit behind his heart) with two antibiotics taken twice a day through his g-tube. He is on 1/8 liter of oxygen (his normal flow) It did go as high as 1/2 liter on Thursday/Friday. I heard overnight that he spit up 100 ml at one time. That's the most of I ever heard that he spit up! Fortunately while I was visiting today, he only spit up about 15 ml. He did gain 50 grams over the past two days. I just feel bad for him, because I know he is uncomfortable and he is at risk for more aspiration, because he swallows some of it. Overall, he is a happy guy and we look forward to his homecoming!! I forgot that Benji has to attend a conference for work in PA Sunday-Tuesday. I may be calling him to come home, if Wyatt is discharged :))

3 comments:

Vicki Jensen said...: Boy, I would like one of those massages! If you get hooked up with Infants & Toddlers of MD (make sure you ask social work about this) they have massage therapists and they come to the house to do this. You can also get OT and PT and it's all in your house. We get this for Jack and it's great.

I'm glad Wyatt had such a relaxing day and it's great that you're already working on getting him to associate touching with good things. I hope he stops spitting up but it's great that he's still gaining weight despite this.

Keeping you in our thoughts & prayers.
Love
Vic, James & Jack; March 8, 2008 at 11:59 PM
Vicki Jensen said...: I almost forgot...

HAPPY 5 MONTH BIRTHDAY WYATT!!!!!!!!!!!!!!; March 9, 2008 at 12:02 AM
Betsy Dellinger said...: Gina,

I think it's wonderful that they taught you how to massage little Wyatt. I know what you mean about feeling like your child can't like being touched because it has always been associated with pain? I'd like to know how to massage Ned too, but for now, I'm just holding him practically all day long! I'll be praying that Wyatt heads home this week....I know you must be on pins and needles! Hang in there, the day is definitly coming sooner rather than later!; March 10, 2008 at 1:08 AM

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Hurdles that I faced and achieved!

After birth, I was placed on ECMO at Johns Hopkins Hospital for 13 days. On day 13, I had a surgery to repair my hernia and was removed from ECMO, but my organs would not fit in my abdomen. I had a silo for a week and then surgery to place the organs back in the abdomen. Then, part of my intestines re-herniated into my chest cavity two months later and I had another surgery to repair that. After my first surgery, I experienced an intraventricular hemorrhage in my brain and at four months old I received a VP shunt. After I was extubated, I learned that I have right vocal cord paralysis. Then I had g-tube surgery and after I finally got to go home after 5 longs months at Johns Hopkins and Mt. Washington Hospital! Only for a few weeks, though. In mid-April my intestines reherniated again and sent me into surgery. I came home, and had a long run before my THIRD reherniation in the beginning of September on Labor Day weekend in 2008. Then I was hospitalized for twice during the winter 2009 for two respiratory infections. Well, I almost lasted a year until my next surgery! Just this past June, in 2009, I had surgery to wrap my stomach around the esophagus, a nissen. This has helped with my reflux and my hiatal hernia. I will be 2 in October, I love scooting around but refuse to stand up and walk. I am a little miracle and thank God, my doctors, my nurses, family, and friends for my strength, my fight and a happy life.