Continuing on...

So when they decided to put her on the ECMO it was really scary, I was still trying to grasp how this all happened and why. But on Thursday afternoon she had the procedure done. The hospital gave us a family room to wait in and it was so nice to be away from all the noise and people in the NICU waiting room. After and hour went by that felt like an eternity the surgeon came in and told us that everything went great and we could go in to see her. Codie and I went in and saw these huge tubes going in and out of her neck and it was just awful. She was totally sedated and also on a paralyzing med so that she wouldn't wiggle and move the tubes. She was a trooper for sure! It was scary to see yet another thing hooked up to her, but we were told that this was a last resort and they wouldn't have decided to do it if there wasn't another option. So if this didn't work, then there was nothing else they could do for her. So she made lots of improvements as Friday and Saturday came and went and even though it was small improvements it was still really exciting and encouraging. Sunday night was tough, for some reason her blood pressure would get so high from nothing really at all and then anytime the nurses had to mess with her at all, even for a little thing, she would get super irritated and start squirming and opening her eyes a little bit and it would break mine and Codie's hearts because she looked so uncomfortable. The hardest part was that there was nothing we could do to comfort her. Touching her would only make it worse so we had to just stand there and watch. But she kept fighting through the night and stayed stable and Monday her xrays were looking good and I was able to take her temperature which was really exciting for me since that meant I got to lift her arm up! The most contact I'd had with her since I had her. Tuesday morning my mom had called to check on her and they said nothing had really changed, she was doing good. Then at 3 in the afternoon the nurse practitioner called me and told me that she was doing great and they wanted to take her off of the ECMO machine! I was so excited and gave my consent over the phone so they could get started. My mom and I got to the hospital around 4 and waited a short time and then were able to go in and see her right after they finished the surgery. They said she took it like a champ and everything went perfect. I was so thrilled to see that wretched machine out of there and those tubes out of her little neck. She was sleeping soundly in la la land not feeling a thing and looked comfy and I could not have been happier! Her oxygen was down to HALF of what it was at before she was on the ECMO and I was so glad. She was over the hump now and it brought great peace to my mind. Though she isn't completely out of the woods yet, I feel so much better and sleep a little easier at night. The NICU nurses always talk about how baby girls are stronger and fight harder than the boys that are brought there. So we've adopted the motto "Fight like a girl!" from the Fight for the Cure campaign! All of the prayers, messages and support are greatly appreciated. Thank you so much!!!