We spent what time we could with Nathan over the next few days.
Bekah was still recovering and had to split Nathan time between his two grandmas.
I tried as best I could to balance work and being at the hospital.
When we were able to be with Nathan at the hospital, it was hard not to feel helpless and in the way.
The ECMO machine took up the entire right side of Nathan's bed area. The oscillator and nitric gas took up the entire foot area of the bed. There were also two medicine pump poles that were usually squeezed in somewhere. In addition, Nathan had two full-time nurses -- one to care for him and one to monitor the ECMO macine for problems like clots.
That left us a small (for 2 people) area on the left side of the bed where we could sit and be with Nathan. Bekah would sing to him. I would read to him. Mostly we would just be there and tell him that we loved him.
Nathan would just lay there. The monitors would beep frequently. And sometimes the nurses would ask us to move for a few minutes so the could give meds, change a diaper, check his vitals, etc.
And then each night we'd drive 45 miles back home so we could rest and do it all again the next day.
No comments:
Post a Comment