Tuesday, April 10, 2012

Mason - this week's feature baby!

Here is Mason's story...


Mason was born at 29 weeks due to HELLP (H -- hemolysis EL -- elevated liver enzymes LP --low platelet count)


Mason was born September 3, 2010 weighing 1 lb 15 oz and 13 ½ inches long.  He spent 64 days in the NICU.


The doctors told me, Mason was breathing on his own when he was born and that they were amazed on how well he was doing. After 2 days the doctors put him on a ventilator because he was shaving quite a bit of trouble breathing. He was on that for 2 days.

Mason was on and off high flow oxygen his entire stay and had a PICC (Peripherally Inserted Central Catheter) for a week or so.


I am truly blessed that Mason didn’t have any major complications and no surgeries. 


Mason came home on an apnea monitor because when the doctors looked at the pneumogram results, they were very abnormal, so he was put on caffeine. He was on the monitor for 3 months.


The hardest part about having a preemie for me was having other people I was close to being pregnant at the same time and not being able to take my little baby home.


Having to spend time in the NICU I look back a year and a half later realizing how lucky and truly blessed I was/am . Besides having a great and amazing outcome from this (Mason being healthy and growing rapidly) I also met some people there who I never would have met otherwise and they will be lifelong friends.


There are days that I look back and still get very teary eyed on how scary everything was during that time, I am friends with one of Mason’s nurses and she and I joke about me being a crazy mom. I called all the time and I had emotional break downs and got mad at the nurses and doctors. I blamed myself for my precious little one being premature, but the best advice the nurse ever gave me was to take a deep breath and to look at the miracle God gave me. To know that Mason is here to do something special and I know anything he sets his mind to he will conquer and succeed.


Trust me when I say it is okay to cry and be emotional.


I understand the NICU is probably one of the hardest things parents of preemies will go through, but remember you aren’t alone and to cherish the small milestones.


Mason is now 18 months old and he weighs a little over 21 lbs. He is walking all over the place and he is a little monkey. He can say about ten words and if learning more each day!