My wonderful husband and I spent several hours at the hospital ER last night with one of our daughters. That happens when you raise kids. Thankfully, this time it was nothing serious.
The question the nurse asked was really quite simple.....Does she have any medical conditions? As my husband was telling the nurse how healthy this adopted daughter is, my mind went back to the day I met her.
On Sept. 23, 1999, I was notified by our social worker that there was a baby girl in the hospital scheduled to be released the next day. She was to come to our house as a foster baby. I was told she had some medical difficulties and was asked to meet with a nurse in the neonatal nursery to learn how to care for her. With in the hour, I was headed to the hospital with two toddlers in tow.
This baby, who is now our daughter, was born 10 weeks early, weighing only 3lbs and 7oz. She had some serious lung problems and couldn't suck and breath at the same time. She also had three different types of drugs in her system at birth. The first month of her life was spent in a Children's Hospital fighting for her life.
The day I met her was her one month birthday. She was still hooked up to monitors but was now breathing on her own. The feeding tube had been removed. The nurse showed me how many sucks of the bottle she could have before she needed the bottle taken from her mouth to take a breath. I sat there a little frightened by the idea that this child couldn't breath while drinking her formula. As I was carefully feeding her and watching the monitors closely, I notice that her coloring began to change. She literally turned blue in my arms. I called the nurse, who handled this fragile little one so well. The nurse patted her back and got her to breath again.
She did come home to live with us the very next day and without any monitors or medical devices of any kind. That first year was difficult. We were at the ER again a few months later due to her breathing problem and her low body temperature. There were other problems.....eating issues, like not being able to tolerate milk based formulas or milk as she grew older. She also had acid reflux. She had many colds and ear infections as the years progressed.
As I listened to my husband last night tell about how healthy she was, I realized he was right. For the past five years, she has had no major issues. No problems relating to the drugs....not even a learning disability.
She does have a real stubborn streak that I try to remember was what kept her alive as a baby. She is a fighter and has a real willingness to live life to the fullest. My baby isn't that fragile little thing anymore. She is almost 10 years old and as healthy as any child her age. She is a real miracle!
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