Bloom Lucia, Bloom!

Lucia was admitted to Rocky Mountain Hospital for Children/RMHC at 1 month old on May 26th, and released from RMHC on June 4th.  She is on oxygen, is monitored on an alarm when she sleeps to alert us of drops in oxygen/desats, she is on some medications, and eats through her g-tube, she is not allowed to eat anything orally.  She has had numerous doctors appointments since but some of the follow ups are on a 'wait and see how she grows' plan.  Some of the 'wait' is over and now it's time to 'see'.  Tuesday night we'll spend the night at RMHC in the sleep apnea area to have her second sleep study.  On June 2nd she showed very severe sleep apnea so we pray that has significantly improved.  We will find out the results in 7-10 days...   The best case is her obstructed apnea has lessened and she won't have to have any surgeries.   If it has not then we will discuss jaw surgery and or a tracheostomy.

The following week, on August 3rd,  we'll have another swallow study to see if eating orally is in her near future.  

Jason and I have been scared of this week and now that the time has come-we THINK we are ready.  We are ready to see what Lu needs to get through these problems.  And as my friend Laura said,  at least there are options.  As bad as the options may seem, at least those options exist to hopefully make Lucia's breathing easier!   Lucia has had 4 consecutive nights of great sleep, meaning little or no alarms.  That is amazing progress and we hope it's a sign of her apnea improvement as well... they are tied together but not completely.   Sounds confusing and it is to us a bit too.  

Lucia will be just 3 months old on Tuesday.  I'm watching her as I type and can't believe how cute she is, how big she's getting, how much Jason and I have learned, how sweet those cheeks and nose are, how much she has gone through, and how it seems like a just a month has gone by and at other times a year...and those toes, those cute cute toes..  

Little Lu little Lu,  We hope that your muscle tone has improved to help your breathing and that you will not have to endure anything painful and too difficult.  You are just a wee little girl and we love you so much.  Whatever lies ahead, we pray that it will make you feel better and help you grow as God intended-strong and beautiful.  One of our friends, Katie Garces, gave us a card for Lucia with this saying- 'every flower that ever bloomed, had to go through a whole lot of dirt first' and she added "BLOOM LUCIA, BLOOM'.  We agree-BLOOM baby girl..we'll help you through whatever dirt it takes to get you there and we know it will happen...

Thank you Brian Flood for your generous donation to PKS Kids, thank you Billy for your inspiring and genuine yoga classes, thank you Aunt Ann for your gift and card to Lucia,  and thank you all for your thoughts, messages, prayers and support.   Lucia would also like to send her love to her new Italian friend, Giacomo.