Emily's Coming Home!

Samantha and Wayne are at the hospital, so it's up to me to give you an Emily update!

The last few days have gone by very fast for us. We have been excited. We have been apprehensive. And today we have been on overload.

Over the weekend, the nurses started hinting that Emily might be getting ready to go home soon. It all started Saturday afternoon when little Miss Emily reached up and pulled out her feeding tube - again - and the nurse practitioner decided to put her to the test and see if she could manage all eight feedings. Surprise - she did!! So, much to our amazement, Emily is scheduled to come home tomorrow! There are a few conditions such as no visitors and no going out for a while, but I think because Samantha and Wayne have been on the go so much the past five weeks this will be very easy for them.


Emily now weighs 4 pounds, 8 ounces.

Emily passed the hearing test for her right ear, but failed the left ear. We are hopeful this was fluid or such.The test was to be repeated today, but we were so busy discussing other issues, we forgot to ask the results. I'll try to find out and let you know later.

Last night we took the mandatory CPR course for preemie parents. I was included out of pity! Thanks to the Gentry's for watching Lila, for I did learn quite a bit!

Today:
Samantha went to the doctor to find out about her thyroid. Bottom line - surgery to remove the left side, tests to decided what to do about the right side. Today she had a biopsy and bloodwork. Tomorrow morning they will do an in depth sonogram which will help determine the course of action. Hopefully on Friday we will get results and find out if all or just the left side of the thyroid needs to be removed. The results will also tell whether this needs to be done right away or if we can wait another month or two. We spent much of the late afternoon setting everything up and trying to figure out what this means to Emily, as the test tomorrow requires dye in an IV. Once again, I cannot say enough about the concern and compassion of the NICU nurses toward Samantha and her situation. They have been so helpful today, finding answers to our questions and support as well as solutions. I will never forget them and their wonderful care.

Tonight:
Samantha and Wayne are "rooming in" with Emily at the hospital all night as planned.

Tomorrow:
Emily may come home sometime in the afternoon. Emily may stay another day so Samantha and Wayne can recoup from today's overload.
I'm guessing Emily will come home tomorrow!!

We praise and thank God for all He has done for us.
We thank Him for giving us such a wealth of support in all of you.
Please pray for us tomorrow and for the tomorrows to come.
In closing, I want you to know how amazed I am at Samantha. As tough as today must have been, she showed incredible stregnth and resolve. Her main concern was and is how everything is going to affect Emily. Please join me in praying for her to enjoy Emily's homecoming to the fullest!