We need a bigger house....

Don't get me wrong. I'm grateful for all of the supplies that are arriving on my doorstep - bottles of formula, feeding bags, tubing, etc. But it all arrives in bulk; one month's worth of supplies at a time.

Our house was "cozy" before Oliver arrived. For nearly nine months, we worked at cleaning out closets. We reorganized to make more room. We bought a small storage shed. And when Oliver arrived in August, our house became a little "cramped" with teeny clothes, play mats, swings, diapers and such.

Then, in December, the equipment began arriving. At first, just a CoughAssist and a pulse oximeter. Neither had much in the way of additional supplies (or "consumables" as the insurance company likes to call them). Then we got a couple good-sized boxes of SimplyThick to add to the breast milk. Then we switched to formula with the SimplyThick added.

In February, the newest addition to our equipment family arrived: a nebulizer. And several little boxes of albuterol to go with it. A mask or two. Some tubing. A makeshift adapter with a T-connection so Ollie could have his treatments while lying down. We'd gone from a little cramped to surrendering the coffee table to the equipment family.

We got home from the hospital on Tuesday with a couple of patient belonging bags with 5mL and 3mL syringes to flush the tubing for his feeds. Several Y-site extension tubes to make it easier to administer medicines via g-tube. A couple of 60mL syringes to vent his g-tube and give feeds via gravity. A few bags to hang feeds in case we got a pump.

Then Wednesday rolls around. The home medical equipment and supply company delivers a Kangaroo Joey feeding pump with small backpack. More feed bags. A pole to hang the feeds and mount the pump.

Today, a box of 30 feed bags arrives. Along with more Y-site extensions. Plus four cases of ready to feed formula. And one can of powdered formula. The tubing that runs from Oliver's Bard button to the Y-site extension tube hasn't even arrived yet.

Busy Day

Whew.

I am trying to process all that has happened today and my brain and body are just so tired. I'll attempt to give you a quick run down now and a more detailed post tomorrow.

Oliver is still doing fabulously well. His incision is healing nicely and his Bard button is doing well. He is now receiving formula via g-tube. Every three hours they increase the amount by 10mL and decrease his IV by 1mL. He was seen by a speech therapist and occupational therapist today. He took 2 ounces of thickened Pedialyte and about 4 spoonfuls of peaches. Oliver was ecstatic to be eating with his mouth again! Everything looked good so we'll be doing a swallow study tomorrow afternoon. And hopefully - cross your fingers - we'll be able to go home sometime after the swallow study.

While Ollie was in the PICU, they swabbed his nose to check for the presence of MRSA. Today we found out that his swab was positive. Now don't freak out on me. It's not that big of a deal. But it does mean that all visitors including doctors and nurses have to put on a disposable gown and gloves.

I'll post more later. Right now I've got to get to bed and get some rest.