As May draws to an end, and summer beckons from around the corner, our little family (minus one) continues to thrive in Omaha. Collin has been "discharged" from UNMC but still lives on the campus with his mama. He is seen often by the doctors and is monitored closely. Being discharged, however, allows his mom to take him out and about. Baby Collin was the center of attention at the N family "Memorial Day" picnic!
Collin's feeds have increased to 17 mL an hour, and he gets a 20 mL bottle of formula every four hours. There is also a window of time where he is not on the TPN at all, and he is not taking any lipids (which is what causes liver damage) right now. By all accounts Collin is a happy, sweet, adorable baby!
He got to meet his great grandparents A (Nana V's parents) this week; we're sure they're as proud as punch! Collin's Godfather made it to Tucson safely (we're positive he somehow surpassed the "space/time" contiuum because he got here so swiftly) and he has shared so many stories about his beloved little nephew that it makes our hearts ache from missing Collin.
Collin's dad returned to Tucson on Wednesday and we're hoping he gets his OFFICIAL PCS paperwork in the next week. His family (wife and child, as well as his new extended one) anxiously await his arrival to their new city. We're just watching from the sidelines, hoping and praying that all continues to go well!
Thursday, May 31, 2007
Friday, May 25, 2007
Friday, May 25
Collin's daddy is in Omaha and the little family is having a great time together. Collin had his first real car ride in Uncle R's fancy car (and slept the entire time) to pick up Daddy at the airport. Collin's feeds are now up to 15 mL an hour and his TPN has gone down!
In other news, Collin's angel, "Auntie Marsha" had surgery this afternoon. Prayers for her speedy and full recovery will be greatly appreciated by all of us and from her family as well!
Everyone have a safe and wonderful "Memorial Day Weekend"!
In other news, Collin's angel, "Auntie Marsha" had surgery this afternoon. Prayers for her speedy and full recovery will be greatly appreciated by all of us and from her family as well!
Everyone have a safe and wonderful "Memorial Day Weekend"!
Wednesday, May 23, 2007
Wednesday, May 23
**Update: Collin's feeds have increased to 14 mL an hour as of yesterday! With all of the excitement of his daddy coming to visit, we neglected to add that detail here. Prayers for Collin's continued success with the feeds.
As promised, here are more pictures of Grandma N's trip to Omaha in early May. The weekend was a whirlwind, but it was wonderful. Collin gets wheeled around the hospital in a big, plastic "stroller" that most five year olds could fit in comfortably. The first picture is of him snuggled in it, on top of a bundle of blankets. He seems pretty happy with the ride! (Does the "giraffe" blanket look familiar? It was made for Collin by one of Nana V's co-workers in ND.)
Grandma N was able to take Collin's mommy and his Uncle M out for a fabulous Mother's Day lunch at one of her favorite Omaha restaurants, Greek Islands. The conversation was hilarious, the food was delicious and best of all, Grandma N got to spend some quality time with two of her kids. When the trio returned to the hospital, Grandma got to spend some time with her beloved grandson. They read a couple of books, one from Collin's loving Grandma MaryJo and talked alot about growing up and being healthy. The following are pictures of Collin's beautiful Mama, sweet Collin and the three at lunch. Grandma N looks VERY goofy, but proud! lol
As promised, here are more pictures of Grandma N's trip to Omaha in early May. The weekend was a whirlwind, but it was wonderful. Collin gets wheeled around the hospital in a big, plastic "stroller" that most five year olds could fit in comfortably. The first picture is of him snuggled in it, on top of a bundle of blankets. He seems pretty happy with the ride! (Does the "giraffe" blanket look familiar? It was made for Collin by one of Nana V's co-workers in ND.)
Grandma N was able to take Collin's mommy and his Uncle M out for a fabulous Mother's Day lunch at one of her favorite Omaha restaurants, Greek Islands. The conversation was hilarious, the food was delicious and best of all, Grandma N got to spend some quality time with two of her kids. When the trio returned to the hospital, Grandma got to spend some time with her beloved grandson. They read a couple of books, one from Collin's loving Grandma MaryJo and talked alot about growing up and being healthy. The following are pictures of Collin's beautiful Mama, sweet Collin and the three at lunch. Grandma N looks VERY goofy, but proud! lol
Sunday, May 20, 2007
Sunday, May 20
Just a quick entry, hopefully we'll have some free time to make write more later this week. Collin continues to grow, he is almost 10 lbs now! His feeds were increased to 13 mL today, which is outstanding. His dad's pcs has gone through (unoffficially), the paperwork should be completed and he should pcs officially by June 7. Collin's mom and Collin will be moving into the Nebraska House early this next week, which will allow them to stay on the campus of UNMC, but they will not be on the patient floor. Home health care nurses will visit often, but Mommy will be doing most of his care.
Collin's Godfather, Uncle R, is currently in Omaha visiting his sister and his wonderful little nephew. We can't wait to get pictures, we will post them for you all to enjoy when we do. We're so happy for Collin's mom to have her little brother there for support and entertainment. We're also thrilled that Collin and Uncle R finally got to meet face-to-face!
Collin's Godfather, Uncle R, is currently in Omaha visiting his sister and his wonderful little nephew. We can't wait to get pictures, we will post them for you all to enjoy when we do. We're so happy for Collin's mom to have her little brother there for support and entertainment. We're also thrilled that Collin and Uncle R finally got to meet face-to-face!
Monday, May 14, 2007
Monday, May 14 (Entry No. 2)
Collin's Big Adventure
One week ago, today, Baby Collin went on the biggest adventure of his life, to date. Mommy and Daddy stayed at the hospital with him all night so Daddy could spend some precious moments with Collin before the trip.
In the morning, Sherry, one of the special angels who cared for Collin (and his parents) in the NICU came up to say goodbye.
After some tears and lots of "goodbyes" from the medical staff, they prepared to leave the hospital. Baby Collin was strapped into his big boy car seat (a gift from Nana V) and the car seat was strapped onto a stretcher.
In the morning, Sherry, one of the special angels who cared for Collin (and his parents) in the NICU came up to say goodbye.
After some tears and lots of "goodbyes" from the medical staff, they prepared to leave the hospital. Baby Collin was strapped into his big boy car seat (a gift from Nana V) and the car seat was strapped onto a stretcher.
They wheeled the stretcher down to a waiting ambulance, which then drove them to the airport.
Mommy nearly fainted when she saw the tiny plane which was to fly them to Omaha!
On board, in addition to Collin and his mom were a respiratory therapist, a NICU nurse and the pilot. Mommy said that she could touch both walls of the airplane if she stretched her arms out!
Collin seemed to enjoy his "Air Evac" cap, he slept the entire trip.
At one point the turbulence was so violent that Mommy pulled out her video recorder because she wanted to document it, thinking no one would believe her. Another ambulance met them at the airport in Omaha and drove them swiftly to University of Nebraska Medical Center.
Collin has a private room which his mommy has made so cozy with his favorite mobile, pictures of Mommy and Daddy and lots of cute, cuddly toys.
There, the nurses, care coordinators and surgical team have been wonderful, answering questions and giving Collin's mom hope. Patients with short bowel syndrome have several procedures that can be done to overcome it. Intestinal rehabilitation (such as lengthening or stretching Collin's small intestine) is an option, as is a small intestine transplant. One such maneuver is the STEP procedure.
The first surgery that will likely occur is the removal of some scar tissue at the point where the first surgeon connected Collin's healthy small intestine to his colon. The doctors would like Collin to grow a few more weeks before they do this procedure, however. The point in removing that scar tissue is the hope that it would increase the transit time for Collin's food intake. (The time frame between him ingesting food and having a bowel movement.)
Collin's mom was thrilled to learn that the surgeon who will likely perform this procedure and who will perform the "intestinal lengthening procedure" is currently the World's leading surgeon in this area.
Being in Omaha has it's advantages and disadvantages for Collin's mom. Advantages include the closer physical proximity to Nana V and Grandma MaryJo as well as the other Ohio relatives; being admitted to the best intestinal rehabilitation/transplant hospital in the world; having tons of family and friends in Omaha to visit Collin and his mom and it's a really nice, middle sized town. Disadvantages, of course include not having Daddy there yet, not having a house or a car and being away from the loving medical team at UMC in Tucson. (**Erin asked me to send a shout out to Sherry, Beth, Gene, Dr. Tai, Debbie and all the other docs and nurses who took such good care of our Collin while he was there. They miss and love you guys!**)
We continue to pray constantly for our family to remain strong and committed to our little family, for Collin's continued growth and good health, for Collin's dad to be stationed in Omaha very soon, and for continued strength and faith for Collin's mom. Thank you for joining us in our prayers!
Friday, May 11, 2007
Friday, April 11
As you can imagine, Collin's mom is very busy with appointments, testing and just taking care of Baby Collin. Today the surgeon told her that Collin has 37 cm of small intestine and all of his large intestine intact. We were aware that the original "estimate" of 20 cm might be off; the original surgeon told us that over time when the swelling went down that they might find more small intestine. However, 17 cm seems like alot to us lay folk! Collin seems to be doing better now that he's getting used to his new surroundings, it's still pretty stressful on his mom. Going from the NICU where there is always a nurse on hand, to UMC where he is in a private room (and she's there 24 hours a day) is difficult.
I will be visiting them over the weekend, just a quick overnight stop, and will be bringing some of Collin's favorite things from home. Hopefully I will be able to convince his mommy to get out for a bit and at least breathe some fresh air!! I will also bring back photos of Collin's new abode and Collin, of course! Please keep us all in your daily prayers!
I will be visiting them over the weekend, just a quick overnight stop, and will be bringing some of Collin's favorite things from home. Hopefully I will be able to convince his mommy to get out for a bit and at least breathe some fresh air!! I will also bring back photos of Collin's new abode and Collin, of course! Please keep us all in your daily prayers!
Monday, May 7, 2007
Monday, May 7
Breaking News: Collin and his mom arrived in Omaha safely. Collin has been "admitted" and now they are just unpacking and getting used to the room. Collin has a small private hospital room with the World's Largest Crib (according to his mom), a single bed and a bathroom, so his mom will be staying at the hospital with him. Apparently the bi-plane they arrived in gave them quite the turbulent ride, but Collin slept the entire time. His mom said that she was really sad saying "goodbye" to his nurses and leaving Tucson, but as soon as they arrived at UNMC, she knew it was where Collin is supposed to be. She really needs a nap because she got little or no sleep last night, and a doctor was arriving so we cut our conversation short. When we talk next I will let her know of all of your sweet messages of support and love. Suddenly I feel like I can breathe again!
Saying “goodbye” is never easy, but it’s harder when you are sending away a piece of your heart. Our precious grandson, Collin Matthew, left for Omaha, Nebraska a few short hours ago and he took huge hunks of our hearts in his tiny hands.
I know it’s not easy for his parents to be separated for the first time in their young marriage; they would fight it if it weren’t for the potential to save their baby’s life. They have faced and overcome more in the first eight weeks of his life than most parents (thank God) will ever have to deal with in their entire tenure as parents. However, lovingly and skillfully, Collin’s mom and dad have met each challenge as if they were professionals. Each blood transfusion, every procedure, the tubes and the bags and the i.v.s, handled as easily as if they were no more than binkeys, rattles or diaper wipes.
So, now our precious grandbaby is en route to the “promised land”, where they perform procedures on newborns like “intestinal rehabilitation” and “intestinal or liver transplants”. Now OUR baby, my husband’s first child, is heading out, alone with HER firstborn. Please join us in our prayers and support for our little family; Collin and his parents, Erin and Matt.
During this time, please give them a chance to acclimate to their new surroundings. Please don’t call their cell phones unless it is an emergency; they may not be able to answer pages or texts for several hours. Please be assured that when Collin’s mom or dad is able, they will contact all of their family and friends to update us on their situation. Your love and support (and prayers) are so important to us all, and so very appreciated!
Saying “goodbye” is never easy, but it’s harder when you are sending away a piece of your heart. Our precious grandson, Collin Matthew, left for Omaha, Nebraska a few short hours ago and he took huge hunks of our hearts in his tiny hands.
I know it’s not easy for his parents to be separated for the first time in their young marriage; they would fight it if it weren’t for the potential to save their baby’s life. They have faced and overcome more in the first eight weeks of his life than most parents (thank God) will ever have to deal with in their entire tenure as parents. However, lovingly and skillfully, Collin’s mom and dad have met each challenge as if they were professionals. Each blood transfusion, every procedure, the tubes and the bags and the i.v.s, handled as easily as if they were no more than binkeys, rattles or diaper wipes.
So, now our precious grandbaby is en route to the “promised land”, where they perform procedures on newborns like “intestinal rehabilitation” and “intestinal or liver transplants”. Now OUR baby, my husband’s first child, is heading out, alone with HER firstborn. Please join us in our prayers and support for our little family; Collin and his parents, Erin and Matt.
During this time, please give them a chance to acclimate to their new surroundings. Please don’t call their cell phones unless it is an emergency; they may not be able to answer pages or texts for several hours. Please be assured that when Collin’s mom or dad is able, they will contact all of their family and friends to update us on their situation. Your love and support (and prayers) are so important to us all, and so very appreciated!
Sunday, May 6, 2007
Sunday, May 6 (Mother's Day, Sort of)
Today we were able to celebrate an early Mother's Day with Collin's mom and dad. The weather was beautiful, the food was wonderful and we were all happy to be together again. Collin's Aunties S and A were especially happy to be able to frolic with their older sister.
Knowing that the road ahead will be long and we won't expect to see Erin and Collin until the end of June is hard; we are sending them with our prayers and all our love.
Your words of encouragement, prayers, comments and calls are so appreciated! However, Erin and Matt need to be able to focus on their new environment and the changes it will bring. Therefore, please resist calling or texting them until they get a chance to call or text you first. We will update this blog as we get word and Collin's other grandparents can update you as well. Thank you for understanding! God bless you all!
Knowing that the road ahead will be long and we won't expect to see Erin and Collin until the end of June is hard; we are sending them with our prayers and all our love.
Your words of encouragement, prayers, comments and calls are so appreciated! However, Erin and Matt need to be able to focus on their new environment and the changes it will bring. Therefore, please resist calling or texting them until they get a chance to call or text you first. We will update this blog as we get word and Collin's other grandparents can update you as well. Thank you for understanding! God bless you all!
Saturday, May 5, 2007
Saturday, May 5 (Cinco de Mayo!)
Update: Collin has been put back on 5 mL of feeds today. His mom has packed up most of his personal items (excluding his rainforest mobile and bedding) so his "crib" looks pretty barren. The cute wicker baskets his mom had stored his supplies in are gone; the pink hospital tubs are back.
Well, it is official. Baby Collin and his mom will be flying to Omaha on Monday morning. Of course all of our nerves are frazzled and there is so much stress and tension...so many unknowns and so many details to attend to; so many people who care and need a response to text messages or phone calls and of course, the inevitable situation where you snap at a someone who is doing nothing more egregious than asking the wrong question or "helping out". Suddenly you have another thing to attend to; the feelings of the person whom you care about but took your frustration out on. So, if you have been on the receiving end of one of us not having enough patience, or tact or time...please understand!
Yesterday Collin had 4 bowel movements, which the doctor deemed "too big", so they have stopped his feeds for now. Collin is currently on 25 mL of TPN and not getting any bottles, which is distressful because the bottles have been such a source of enjoyment for him. Thank GOD he is moving to Omaha, please keep praying for Collin and his parents and his many grandparents! (And his giant, extended family as well!)
Well, it is official. Baby Collin and his mom will be flying to Omaha on Monday morning. Of course all of our nerves are frazzled and there is so much stress and tension...so many unknowns and so many details to attend to; so many people who care and need a response to text messages or phone calls and of course, the inevitable situation where you snap at a someone who is doing nothing more egregious than asking the wrong question or "helping out". Suddenly you have another thing to attend to; the feelings of the person whom you care about but took your frustration out on. So, if you have been on the receiving end of one of us not having enough patience, or tact or time...please understand!
Yesterday Collin had 4 bowel movements, which the doctor deemed "too big", so they have stopped his feeds for now. Collin is currently on 25 mL of TPN and not getting any bottles, which is distressful because the bottles have been such a source of enjoyment for him. Thank GOD he is moving to Omaha, please keep praying for Collin and his parents and his many grandparents! (And his giant, extended family as well!)
Wednesday, May 2, 2007
Wednesday, May 2
Tonight is a very special night for Collin's aunties A and S...they get to see their precious nephew face-to-face (well, through a glass door!) this evening for the first time! We were supposed to do it last night for Collin's Mommy's birthday but life happened. So, we're packing up her gifts and will head up around dinner time to celebrate with her tonight. This is great that it's happening now, because Collin's mom was informed today that they could leave for Omaha at any time, with a few hours notice. She is home right now, packing a bag for herself and for Collin so they'll be ready to go.
Dad's paperwork is at Randolf AFB, hopefully getting approved. We're praying faithfully and believe it will be approved soon. At that point, the Air Force will hire packers to pack up the family's belongings and move them. Dad and Grandpa N will be taking a road trip in the family roadster which will be awesome bonding time for the two of them. :)
We'll keep you posted and hopefully be able to provide you with some cute pictures tonight!
Dad's paperwork is at Randolf AFB, hopefully getting approved. We're praying faithfully and believe it will be approved soon. At that point, the Air Force will hire packers to pack up the family's belongings and move them. Dad and Grandpa N will be taking a road trip in the family roadster which will be awesome bonding time for the two of them. :)
We'll keep you posted and hopefully be able to provide you with some cute pictures tonight!
Tuesday, May 1, 2007
Tuesday, May I
Happy Birrrrthday to youuu
Happy Birrrrrthday to youuu
Happy BIRTHDAY to Collin's Mommy,
Happy Birthday to YOU!
**We all love you! Hope this is the best year ever!*
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
