Medical Professionals

I know I've talked about Andrew's nurses before, but I really can't overstate their importance. Having the right nurse sometimes meant the difference between a good night's sleep and a night filled with anxiety; fortunately, he had lots of good nurses. First and foremost were his "primaries," nurses that had Andrew whenever they were working. Having primaries enabled Andrew (and us) to get consistent care and support from someone that knew him well. Through his five months, they spent as much (or more) time with him than we did, and came to understand his likes, dislikes, and idiosyncrasies. They made cute little signs listing all of Andrew's favorite things, and posted them in his room for any nurses that didn't know him as well. They were just as protective of him as we were, and we really came to think of them as family. When the time came for us to let Andrew go, they were both there to make sure everything went exactly right. Now, a week later, we miss them as well.

I have kept this blog name-free, except for Andrew's, and I won't change that now to list every nurse that touched our lives in the last five months. Fortunately, I don't need to....every day there are new NICU babies that get to experience their care firsthand. I would, however, like to mention just a few of his non-primaries by deed, if not by name:

• J was at our hospital when Andrew was born, and stabilized him until he could be transported to Childrens. She was always there to listen to our concerns and provide a comforting hug.
• J is a 30-year veteran that had Andrew at every stage of his progress...on ECMO, on hi-fi, on conventional ventilation, and extubated. Her kindness and experience really helped us through some hard times, and she was particularly attentive to whether D had been able to hold him recently.
• K was a night nurse that gave Andrew a bath during almost every shift she worked. That simple act of cleaning him up, making him smell like a baby (with a touch of lavender), and sharing any and all Andrew-related information over the phone really made us comfortable with his care and appreciative of her extra effort.
• R constantly told me how beautiful Andrew was (though they were all jealous of his eyelashes). Even at his puffiest, while sedated and recovering from surgery, she saw the cuteness shining through, and I loved when she pointed it out.
• S is a night nurse was there several times when we went in after hours; he quickly figured out just what Andrew liked, and was always willing to get him in the right position, with the right oxygen levels, so that he was comfortable and happy.
• E often works with preemies and said that her favorite part of the job was holding the babies before they get to go home. The nurses never got to hold Andrew for a long period of time, but her sweetness and kind heart came through nonetheless.
• One veteran nurse, N, bought Andrew a pair of socks with little duckies on them and called him her boyfriend.
  
• One respiratory therapist, E, would sing to Andrew as she worked. On Monday when all the nurses were coming by to say goodbye to him, she came and sang to him one last time. She has a beautiful voice, and it felt like a wonderful tribute to him and to us that she would share her song with us.
• C is a respiratory therapist that was always trying to look ahead to making Andrew's next extubation successful. She came by to check on him often, and was very supportive of him (and us).
  
• L asked me (and my mom) about my grandma whenever she saw us; when Yia-Yia passed away, she was very kind.
  
• M got her hands on several CDs of soothing piano music, and offered to put it on his mp3 player to help him relax.
• J managed to remain cheerful even on the most frustrating of days. Though we were too disappointed with Andrew's progress to fully appreciate it at the time, her optimism brought out the good in the situation, however tiny.

Though the nurses spent twelve hours per day with Andrew, the other staff also had a significant impact. We met at least ten neonatologists, three nurse practitioners, two surgeons, four anesthesiologists, a dozen respiratory therapists, two nutritionists, three infectious disease specialists, two physical therapists, two occupational therapists, and five social workers while we were there.

We got to know each of the neonatologists and really learned about their different styles of care. Their quirks were endearing, their dedication was apparent, and their actions kept Andrew going no matter what obstacles appeared in his path. They endured our endless questions, they always collaborated to come up with the absolute best course of action, and they kept us well-informed throughout the process. They also gave us their honest opinions about Andrew's progress and prognosis; these were sometimes hard to hear, but we appreciate their candor.

The respiratory therapists gave Andrew breathing treatments, kept his tube clear of condensed water, and generally made sure he continued to breathe. They used whatever technology they had to in order to make it work, including several different ventilators, custom tubing, nitric oxide rigs, helium tanks, and hand-breath bags. Since many of his problems were lung related, he got extra attention, which we really appreciated.

Aside from the nurses, doctors, and RTs, our social worker was particularly wonderful, and really helped us navigate the NICU experience. She set up family conferences, helped us with visitation issues, and was generally available to talk or provide comfort at any time. She helped us find our way around in the early days, supported us through a long five months, and made everything as easy as possible on the way out.

As you can tell, it takes a lot to keep a NICU going, but it's a well-oiled machine. In the end, I am not exaggerating when I say that the doctors, nurses, and other staff at San Diego Childrens Hospital are heroes. They saved Andrew's life many, many times, and allowed us to get to know him and experience our son's beauty and personality. They also save other babies every day, and provide that same wonderful opportunity to families all over southern California. It was plain that they loved Andrew and that he touched their lives just as they touched ours. We will forever be grateful.