One step forward, two steps back. It’s our common jig nowadays. 
Cece started off really great yesterday off the cpap and on high flow O2. Her NG feedings we’re slowly increased to 20ml/hr continuously and she was tolerating it well. Last night she was due at 2am for her IV cefepime, but the IV in her hand had stopped working. No biggie, she’d had it in since Friday anyways. It took 4 nurses and about 8-10 pokes before a NICU nurse came up and was able to start another IV in her scalp. Cece peacefully slept through all the pokes while sucking away on her pacifier.

Todag, her respirations were really fast, between 80-120. She also pulled her NG tube out once, then coughed it out the second time. I noticed too while I was holding her that she sounded more congested and like her lungs had more gunk and she was coughing more. Another chest x-Ray was done, and it showed her lungs had again worsened with increased atelectasis in the upper right lobe and lower left lobe. The doctor showed me the x-Ray from yesterday where her lungs looked beautiful and clear, and then the one done this evening, and the change was drastic and very noticeable.

So back on the cpap she went. And let me tell ya: our 9lb pipsqueak did not make it easy for that respiratory therapist to put the mask back on her! She had just been bragging about how she has no problem hooking up babies by herself, and then Cece was having none of it today. It took another nurse and myself assisting to get her hooked back up, and the whole time she was thrashing and throwing little baby punches. Mini but mighty, that’s for sure for our feisty girl. 

After that battle, Cece was worn out and promptly passed out, which was good because her scalp IV had infiltrated in the process of getting her back on the cpap. So she endured some more pokes, and slept through all of them. Her veins are so tiny and apparently she has tough skin, making it difficult to start an IV. She ended up with another scalp IV on her right side now, and they had to shave some of her hair to ensure the tegaderm and tape sticks and the IV doses t dislodge. I was sad about her losing some hair, but I also don’t want her to be poked anymore, so whatever it takes I guess to keep this IV in place! 

She is now sleeping soundly, and we will see what tomorrow brings. Hopefully our feisty girl’s lungs will improve again and stay improved so we can move onto a new dance. At least I got to hold her briefly today in case it’s a few more days before I’ll get to hold her again.