Reporting on the Front Lines, From the Sidelines

Rachel and I just got home from visiting the babies in the hospital. I am still trying to work out some details on my mission that I discussed earlier today, so please be patient. I will have it up soon.

Today we split the visits up, with Rachel and her mom spending the day with Malorie to facilitate nursing, and me sitting with my buddy Micah. Rachel got to come over to tell Micah goodnight, and I gave Mal a big good morning hug and kiss, but aside from that we were separated all day.

The H1N1 test results are expected back tomorrow night. Several parents, ourselves obviously included, are praying that the worker tests negative. Should that happen, we may get a relaxed policy on the quarantine, but no one is getting their hopes up quite yet. Oblivious to the hoopla that surrounds him, Micah is making great strides. He quietly ditched the oxygen tube and IV tube for a while, but was back on the O2 by the end of the day. He had only one Brady episode today, but is still struggling with desats. Yet another blow for Micah today was that he tested positive for the MRSA bacteria. I will not spend time addressing this bug that causes staph infections, mostly because Rachel and I are still doing our homework on it. However, we do know that just because Micah tested positive, doesn't mean he has an active infection. He will be treated with antibiotics for the next five days, and kept in quarantine. Following his release, whenever that may be, he will have a low immune system and may be a carrier for the bacteria, and therefore will not be visiting anyone other than family for a while.

Malorie is still just as cute as a baby doll, and is getting stronger now that she is back in an incubator. They finally got a tube that would go down her nose last night after we left, and she has been alternating bottle feedings and tube feedings. Today she had a very positive nursing session with Rachel, and we are hoping for more progress tomorrow. She tested negative for the MRSA strain, but will likely be exposed once she comes into contact with her brother. Again, exposure does not mean infection, so we are researching information about proactive measures to keep her, and her little bitty immune system safe.

Rachel is coping well. We appreciate all the calls and well wishes that have been streaming our way, but I'd like to reiterate that right now is a very chaotic and stressful time. If you'd like to contact us, please post a comment on the blog, as we read the comments nightly (Glad to see you on there Mom and Grandpa). If you need to talk with us sooner, please send us a text message, and we will return it when able.

I'd also like to give a quick thanks to Nicole, Jenna, Natalie and Kat, who have all had a hand in posting updates for my family this past week. Your help, and more importantly your friendship, is invaluable to us.

Here is a quick link from WebMD concerning MRSA that Rachel and I found very helpful.

http://www.webmd.com/skin-problems-and-treatments/understanding-mrsa-methicillin-resistant-staphylococcus-aureus