Diary of a Stay At Home Dad: An update – bullet dodged.

A mishap lasting about two and a half weeks has caused a little setback.

Everything is fine now but for the past couple of weeks we thought we might be at the end of the line.  Anne Marie was vomiting the different formulas they were trying, her heart rate drops, known as Bradycardia, were coming in bunches, she was unresponsive to sound or touch, and she was limp as a rag doll.

The incredible nursing staff, and one nurse in-particular named Paula, felt this was not some virus or bacteria, something was wrong with the medication.  In making their point to the doctor, the pediatric pharmacist overheard and joind the conversation.  She started putting the pieces together and disappeared with the doctor.  A while later they came back with the news.

Once the adult doses of cerebral palsy medication were discovered and removed, Anne Marie started to recover immediately.  She wasn’t sick at all.  She was stoned on adult doses of muscle relaxers meant to un-stiff the limbs of palsy patients. No long term effects are expected.

Anne Marie is back to her old self.  She’s back to pulling out her feeding tube.  She has become so proficient at this and can do it at will, the nurses have basically given up on the tape, the pins, swaddling, and anything else designed to keep the tube in her mouth and down her throat.  They removed the tube and re-routed it through her nose.   They may have stymied her this time.

Currently at 4 pounds 2 ounces and 17.2 inches long, Anne Marie has graduated from the incubator or Iso-box to a normal bassinet.  More importantly, the formula that appeared to make her sick is causing no problems at all.  We may have dodged the rickets bullet.

Although the pharmacy, and I suspect one pharmacist specifically, will be feeling the pain of all this, the NICU staff is to be commended again.  They believed their eyes and used their brains when all data and history of the drug they thought they were administering said otherwise.  It’s one thing to recover from your own mistake, but it’s another level of smarts entirely to figure out and reverse someone else’s mistake.

They saved our daughter, again.

Here is a very bad picture of Anne Marie in her very own normal bed.

Either signaling Touchdown! or using the force to turn down the lights.

13 comments on “Diary of a Stay At Home Dad: An update – bullet dodged.

  1. Sounds like she’s pretty feisty when she’s her usual self. Keep fighting Anne Marie!

  2. Dawn Simone says:

    Thank God for smart nurses! I am so glad she’s doing so much better! Glad to see her putting on weight. Mangia!

    • fmlinardo says:

      Thanks Dawn. Trying not to get too excited. The NICU motto is “two steps forward, one step back.” We’ve been on that track pretty much the entire time.

  3. tracye1 says:

    Awesome does not begin to describe these nurses. You are so right; to figure out someone else’s mistake and to stick with “gut” feelings and ACT on them….truly amazing! God bless and wow, 4#??!?! Pretty soon she’ll be sporting a double chin, and won’t that be a great day!!!! 😉

  4. Chris Coyne says:

    In this corner, a southpaw from Tennessee, by way of Jersey…a true fighter…Anne Marie Linardo.

    Already planning her takeover…:)

  5. Carol says:

    That niece of mine is one fiesty little girl! The nurses always have their finger on the pulse. God Bless all of them! Hugs and kisses to all of you!

  6. So glad to hear she is doing well.

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