Eric and I have started to settle into a routine. We wake up in the morning, get ready and Eric immediately begins working. I pump, make both of us breakfast then walk down to visit Aiden. I get all updates from the doctor’s rounds (how much to feed him, oxygen levels, number of de-sats over night, caffeine intake, any concerns, etc.) and text to Eric. Aiden and I have skin to skin for 90 minutes (he always does so well during that time, little sweetie), pump, then we meet to eat lunch. I either go back down with Aiden or nap, call my family/friends, call insurance company, work on paperwork for my leave or read. Eric finishes work, we cook dinner and visit Aiden. Eric has his skin to skin for 90 minutes (he does really well with Dad too) and we are back home around 11 PM. We sleep, I pump throughout the night and we are back at it again the next day. I have no idea how the time flies by but it does.
We want to share where we’ve been staying: The Ronald McDonald House BC. We are beyond thankful this is an option for us during this time and will support this charity for the rest of our lives. We pay an extremely reduced rate per night and are only half a block away from the BC Women’s Hospital where the NICU is located.
The building is only a couple years old. It offers four chef kitchens, garden, fitness center, lounge rooms, multiple activities including massages donated by the local massage school (what??), dinners and breakfasts cooked and donated by local businesses, and other on-site classes to help families forget about the struggles they are experiencing.
Families staying here are in a similar situation to us or have children in the BC Children’s Hospital, which is connected to the BC Women’s Hospital. A lot of kids have cancer or other debilitating diseases, it is astonishing how they (and their families – mom, dad, brothers, sisters) persevere. We are all a lot stronger than we think.
Aiden is doing okay, last night we had a scare when blood came out of his vent after his feeding. The vent is an empty syringe connected to his feeding tube to allow air and milk to escape. His stomach gets full and he needs to vent it out in order to digest. They quickly gave him an x-ray and nothing alarming came back. They think the feeding tube may have irritated his stomach and caused it to bleed. He struggled all night but felt better today. When I cuddled with him this morning he fell into a deep, settled sleep.
aiden james elliott 