TICU.....

I am learning all sorts of abbreviations these days. For example, TICU is the technology-dependant intensive care unit. Wednesday, the nurses and doctors put the word out that Ivey was heading there. Miranda and I sat trying to decide what the ‘T’ in 'tick-u' stood for. We concluded that it stood for ‘Temporary’, which sounded pretty optimistic to both of us. In my phone call to Matt to tell him the good news about Ivey’s move, he informed me of the correct meaning, technology-dependant.

What more could you expect from two blondes brain-storming anyways?

So…Ivey has moved one floor down - one floor closer to the exit of the hospital - to TICU, a step-down unit. She is no longer on the respirator. Our sweet baby girl is breathing all on her own through her new trach. Ivey is connected to a HTC, another abbreviation which stands for humidified trach collar. A hose extending from a humidifier to her trach supplies moisture to keep her airway from drying. Since she no longer breathes through her mouth this is necessary. Our mouths, which are pretty humid from saliva and body heat, are our humidifiers.

It is heartbreaking to watch Ivey adjust to her new trach. She no longer makes sound when she cries. Air does not pass across her vocal cords, thus, no sound. Ivey is confused and frustrated. She is learning how to breathe and cough - all things which are natural instinct to us. Ivey has dropped weight from 10 pounds back down to 8 pounds. Earlier in the week a doctor looked at me and said in a very sincere and comforting voice, “She is a fragile little thing”. All I could do was nod. Instinctively, I wanted to look him dead in the eye and tell him that she might just be one of the strongest people that either one of us have ever laid eyes upon in a nice petite package. But, from his voice, he already knew that. It is amazing to see her and know that she is fragile and susceptible to medical trivia; however, I constantly am amazed by her endurance and perseverance.

We have not taken the boys to see Ivey - yet. As open as we are with the boys, it is not time for them to see her. She needs adjustment time first. I do not think there would be a way to explain to them her response to this new trach. She needs plenty of time for recovery and no chance for infection from two tiny little germ carriers. Even so, we have been prepping the boys for the first visit with their baby sister. Knox is excited that she now has another ‘hole in her nose’ and her lip ‘fixed’ and he correlates my explanation of her ‘trach with a collar’ to a necklace.

Matt and I are grateful for everyone who has offered a helping hand and support throughout this past week. Finally, seven days have pasted since we set off for Scottish Rite for an easy lip/nose repair. It has felt like an eternity. We have been able to spend some time with family in Atlanta. Thank you to everyone who has sent a card or some type of goody. Encouragement is what we need right now. And on a lighter note, Matt and I have finally resolved that our cell phones are not working well in the hospital, probably due to interference from all of the equipment. After three days of Matt saying, “I have called you, left messages and you are not answering the phone”, which is very frustrating considering he can not just stop in to check on things, the same thing happened to him today while he stayed with Ivey. Once outside of the hospital, missed calls appear out of nowhere. Leave a message we will return our calls, that is if the mailbox is not full.

This great story of Life is unfolding before our very eyes. The apprehension of what is yet to be written is almost suffocating and then in a moment the fear is gone. Now a new chapter of this fairytale with our baby girl and sweet baby sister is unveiling its self. We just have to wait to see what she writes.

Much Love,

Gwen