The Little Peanut That Could

Eleanor has been growing like a weed! Using little to no energy to eat allows for all those calories to be stored, aside from the hundreds she burns kicking all day long. 

Eleanor had a swallow study this week where it was determined she needed thicker milk. There are no thickeners for breast milk that are NICU approved so she, reluctantly, is now trying out formula. She gets to attempt one ounce via a bottle and the remainder through her ng-tube. The remainder is still breast milk, so we’re not completely throwing in the towel. 

Thicker food has made a significant difference in the feeding process. What used to be terrifying and stressful, as Eleanor would choke and stop breathing, is now a wonderful experience. The only problem is Eleanor often just gums the bottle and isn’t actually drinking anything. But she’s still happy, so we’re okay with it. 

This weekend she is to repeat her stim(ulation) test. Recall from the last post, this is the synthetic injected into the body to test whether the adrenal gland has reclaimed its natural duty post-steroids. She will get an IV and several blood draws for it. Eleanor couldn't truly care less about any type of poking, so we aren’t too concerned about it. It’s just a bummer it has to be repeated, adding additional stress to the little lady. But it is all in preparation for a big day Monday!...

Eleanor is scheduled for g-tube surgery for placement of the feeding tube that will allow her to GO HOME!! 

While we are nervous about any surgery, it is a tiny laparoscopic procedure, and she will only be under for a small amount of time. After everything else her tiny body has endured, this should be no big deal. 

In the days following, she will have several breathing tests to see what amount of oxygen, if any, she will need once at home. She briefly tried no nasal cannula on Wednesday and thoroughly enjoyed having no prongs up her nose. Her oxygen saturations weren’t ideal, but she didn’t completely tank, so she shouldn’t need oxygen for very long if (when) she does come home with it. 

She will also need to complete a car seat challenge, which we initially thought was a challenge for the parents to use a car seat properly (lol). It is actually a challenge for the peanut to stay in the car seat for an hour and a half without causing alarm. We know she will ace this, as she is a big fan of sitting up, and a car seat is more relaxed than an upright position. 

We will also spend the week getting comfortable using her g-tube as a feeding mechanism. Again, we are not too concerned, as it is very similar to her ng-tube, which we connect and disconnect on the regular. 

And now, for the most epic portion of this update: ELEANOR CAN GO HOME roughly 4-7 days post g-tube procedure (which would mean next weekend)!!!!! I am just beside myself as I type this.

Prayers appreciated for everything to go well! The light at the end of the tunnel is shining so bright.

-Kim