Flashback Friday~PDA surgeries

June 24, 2011 was Day 38 in the NICU.

This was the day of the PDA surgery for Carlos and Sofia.

Marcos had to wait another week because he was getting over pneumonia.

About 10 days prior, Carlos was switched to the high frequency ventilator.  He was really sick.  A blood culture was taken to check for infections. Also, his x-rays began to show that his right lung was slightly elevated than his left.  Doctors were never really able to explain why or how this happened. The only explanation we got was that his right diaphragm did not function correctly.  Diaphragm paralysis.  It was something that we had to wait out and see if it resolved itself.  Luckily it did and a major surgery was avoided. Carlitos had the most difficulty getting off the ventilator. He failed extubation several times and was on the vent for about 8 weeks.  

Around the time of the surgery, Carlos was weighing around 910 grams while Sofia, my smallest, was 785 grams.  

The surgeons didn't want to operate when they were smaller.  

They were both receiving hydrocortisone to help treat their premature lungs.

Pictures from the morning of the surgery.  Scary times.  

Carlos getting prepped for surgery.

Praying with Sofia

Carlos

Post-op....Carlos

Sofia

Special Feature

 Soon after starting this blog, I began to "meet" some pretty amazing families.  I feel as if I have formed my own little on line community who provides support, encouragement and inspiration. I love reading their blogs and learning about their journeys. How else would I get through each pumping session?

One of the blogs I follow is Life As We Know it With Two Twinkies and a Tot.

Her family was chosen to be the March of Dimes 2012 Ambassador Family for her county, such a great honor! You can read all about it here.

Every Tuesday this past month (and April), this blog has been featuring families that have been affected by prematurity.  

Last week, our family was featured and you can read about it here.

World Prematurity Day

Today is World Prematurity Day, a wonderful day to celebrate the trio's half birthday.
Six months ago our lives were turned upside down...At merely 25 weeks gestation, our triplets were born.

Triplet A: Carlos Alberto weighed 1 lb, 4.1 oz

Triplet B:  Marcos Alberto weighed 1lb, 4.8 oz

Triplet C:  Sofia Maria weighed 1 lb, 2.3 oz

I quickly learned that my babies fell into a special category.  They were not just premature but were considered micro preemies; meaning they weighed less than 800 grams and born before 26 weeks gestation.

Today I am so blessed to have 3 healthy miracle babies home.

Will we ever forget?

Prematurity has touched our lives significantly.  I wonder if it will ever be a thing of the past.  I have become a bit obsessed reading information and blogs about premature babies.  As I write this, I struggle with the fact that my kiddos already have a label.  I sometimes think I should remove myself completely from the preemie world.  After all, the more I read and the more knowledge I gain, the more I anxiously await their future.  There has to be a balance. Some stories bring me fear while others give me hope. 

As a mom I will never forget the first time I laid my eyes on them.  Those first few hours of their lives, those first few days, those first few weeks will always be a part of me.  I have never felt so much uncertainty.  Not knowing what each day would bring is the worse feeling.

I will always remember what my babies looked like with tubes and IVs fighting to survive.  I wish beeping sounds would not remind me of their monitors and machines their lives were dependent on. I wish I could forget the days my babies turned "dusky" on me and the ups and downs of the NICU.

It just was not fair for my babies to come into the world so early and to experience such trauma.  I look at them now, and I am blessed.  They are doing so well.  I feel fortunate.  Our NICU experience included a long intubation for all three also knows as Bronchopulmonary Dysplasia (BPD), or chronic lung disease, 3 PDA ligations, 3 lasic surgeries for ROP and 2 inguinal hernia repairs.  Now I know that all of this is quite common in the micro preemie world.   I also know not everyone is as fortunate as us.  I think of the baby girl in our room who did not make it.  I pray for that family and for everyone affected by premature births. 

The one thing this whole experience has taught me is not to question God's plan.  I pray every day for patience and strength to accept everything and anything He puts in front of us.

Below are some pictures of their first few days...

And here they are today:

Triplet A: Carlos Alberto weighs10 lbs 4 oz

Triplet B:  Marcos Alberto weighs 11 lbs 9 oz

Triplet C:  Sofia Maria weighs 10 lbs

I love you! You just keep on growing!

Post surgery

Here we are waiting...waiting...waiting...for the anesthesiologist and nurses to take my boy to the operating room to treat ROP with laser surgery in his eye.

Mama liked the gown, Daddy not so much.

 

 Who would ever think this baby weighed 1.4 oz at birth?

 The surgery was a success!  They treated both eyes and my little guy came back from the operating room extubated and hungry.  He was allowed to eat and hour after surgery and no IV was necessary!

This has been the smoothest surgery yet!

We were lucky to be admitted back to the NICU where he spent 98 days instead of Pediatrics.

He had some of our favorite nurses care for him and it was one big reunion.

Everyone is so impressed with his progress! And mama couldn't be happier.

Laser Surgery for Marcos

Here is my Big Guy!

Your are so cute and I love your cheeks!

I'm so sorry mommy almost lost it yesterday, but you were so fussy and so was your brother.

I hate not knowing what's wrong.

Maybe you were getting nervous for today, or maybe you could sense a bit of my anxiety about your eye surgery, everyone screaming and big sis needing attention.  

Many times I feel like screaming!!

May God bless you today and everyone in that operating room.

Marcos, along with brother and sister, were diagnosed with ROP.

Carlitos and Sofie had their laser surgery towards the end of their NICU stay.

Their surgeries were a success

Marcos was able to get away without it then, but unfortunately the activity in his eyes has not stopped, and it is now his turn.

I will miss you so much tonight if you have to be admitted!  

Our first entry…

The first time I held one of my babies, I was scared out of my mind. Sofia was first. She was five day old. I was afraid to hurt her little body, but I did just fine. Sofia is the smallest but the strongest. At birth, she only weighed 1 lb 2.3 oz. She was the last one to be born but she was the first one I was allowed to hold. At 9 days old, the doctors decided to take her breathing tube out. It was painful to watch. I heard her whimper for the first time. I cried. I wanted to help her but I couldn’t. I felt so helpless. I was afraid she would stop breathing. It’s been over 24 hours and the tube is still out. Today, Sofia is the first one to get some of mama’s milk through a feeding tube. I also took Sofia’s temperature for the first time and changed her diaper.

Marcos was second to be held. Weighing more than his sister, 1 lb 4.8 oz. He did not handle it as well as his sister and the team of nurses had to take him off my chest and put him back in his isolette. I was sad. A few days later we tried again, and it was a bit more successful. He was the next one to be extubated. Deep down, I knew he wasn't ready but his doctors wanted to try. He struggled. I could see his little chest and stomach move up and down. It hurt to watch. During these moments, I cannot stop my thoughts. I failed my little guys. I have asked myself a million times, why? This is not the way it was supposed to be. I was so confident that this would not happen, not this early, but we must accept God's plan.

Today I held Carlos for the first time, 9 days after he was born. Carlos weighed less than his brother, 1 lb 4.1 oz. First to be born, and last to be held. It's getting a little bit easier to have a team of nurses around me disconnecting and reconnecting all the lines and tubes that are on their little bodies. Today I tried so hard to ignore the beeping noises from all the machines surrounding his brother and sister. Today, Carlos and I took our first nap together. I felt stronger.

All three babies have a large PDA. An open heart valve that usually closes during a baby's first few hours of life. All three got 2 rounds of indomethacin, a medication to help close it but it did not work. The boys' PDA is larger than Sofia's and there is a possibility of heart surgery, especially for Carlos. Today I did not cry when I found out Carlos's blood pressure continued to drop and the medication was increased. Today was a good day.