Wednesday: A Tough Day

So today was a bit rough. Sophie was getting an Impedance Study done. This entailed a tube being inserted into her nose and threaded down her throat into her stomach. On the outside end this is attached to a little machine. I have to push one button when she begins eating and when she finishes; another button when she lies down to sleep and when she gets up and another when she takes her meds. It will be in for 24 hours.

She wasn't allowed to eat after 5 am. The sleep study ended at 4 am (in the Sleep Disorders department of the hospital) and we were then moved back to our room. I fed her a bottle and put her back to sleep. The nurse woke her up at 5 am for bloodwork (who thinks any baby is going to take kindly to being stuck with a needle at 5 in the morning?!). The tech woke us up at 6 am to do vitals. And the doc came in at 7 am to talk to me. After only about 3 hours of sleep, I had a hard time focusing on what he was saying!

 So that began our day. It didn't improve, let me tell ya!

 Around 9 (5 hours after her bottle), they told us they would be in shortly to do the probe. An hour later, they finally arrived and did the probe, amid much wailing and gnashing of teeth from poor Sophie. We then waited 2 hours for X-ray to arrive to make sure it was in the right place. X-ray came at 12. I was told she could have a bottle as soon as the radiologist had read the x-ray and made sure the probe was in the right place. An hour and a half later (during which our nurse sailed happily off to lunch and couldn't be found), they came in to tell me that the probe was NOT IN THE RIGHT PLACE. What?!! I made sure they knew I was upset that time. Everyone up in arms that Sophie isn't bigger, needs to eat more etc. And then they proceed to starve her for 10 hours!

Poor baby was faint with hunger after waiting 10 hours for a bottle!

This time I couldn't even stay in the room, I was so upset. They had to pull out the probe and then insert another one. My nerves just couldn't handle hearing her scream again. I felt awful, as this is the first of all her procedures this year that I haven't been there for. My brother in law Sean had very kindly come over to bring me lunch and he stayed with me and then even came down with us when we went to get the second x-ray done. It was really great to have some support. We still had to wait another half hour for the x-ray to be read, before she could eat.


Unbelievable!

After Sophie had eaten and taken a decent nap, we toured the halls in a fun red wagon to keep her occupied. On our travels we met a great little boy named Aidan and his mom. Aidan visits sick kids in the hospital and befriends them and plays the harmonica for them. Sophie was enthralled with Aidan and his harmonica and gave him the first smile of her hospital stay! Aidan's cousin Lauren was a couple of rooms down from Sophie on the ward, so we made friends with her and her mom too. It's so nice to get to know people a bit when you're on the ward for a while.

Sophie captivated by Aidan's harmonica playing

The day ended on a much better note than it had begun, with a visit from DADDY!!! Who brought along some gorgeous roses for his girls :) What a nice pick-me-up!

Sophie and I were thrilled to see Daddy!