Day 29

Friday 5/18

We survived a zombie apocalypse. It feels like a lifetime ago, but in fact, it happened only yesterday. It all began on a cool, spring morning in a NICU that looked identical to the one I’m sitting in at this very moment. A routine blood test was ordered and the results captured a moment in time; a moment when our precious baby Isabelle was acting in a peculiar, unexpected way. The first sign of the apocalypse came with Isabelle’s blood type results- Inconclusive. Yes, you read that right. And if you are like us, the only reasonable explanation must be that Isabelle is a Zombie. Or more accurately, Susan assumes she has a rare genetic disease and I assume Zombie. It must have happened during her last blood transfusion, part baby-part zombie and now her blood type is a mystery.

The blood test also revealed that her reticulocyte count was high, meaning she is starting to produce her own blood cells but in a range that is actually higher than a typical newborn. A high retic count, when coupled with other symptoms could indicate some significant issues; this is when you should stay off google. For the sake of this story, we’ll assume the first google result is Zombie.

Zombies are taken very seriously in the NICU, so after the results came back we had a consultation with the hematology team from Children’s Hospital. They are an excellent team of specialists (like, legit good) so if they are called, you quickly feel partially relieved to have such a good team, and partially scared out of your mind.

The hematology team asked us questions about our ancestry to rule out any genetic blood disorders, and then ordered another round of blood tests. We waited overnight for the results, Zombie? Anemia? Hemorrhage? Intestinal Bleeding? And sure enough, this morning our Doctor told us the news. Isabelle is fine, there is nothing wrong with her blood and the high retic count is probably just a response to being premature. Her bone marrow is ready to make cells, but her body isn’t ready to use them yet. Not common, but not a problem. The inconclusive blood type is probably a result of Susan’s blood still being in her system so the typical protein markers are not as defined as they will be as she develops.

Zombie Apocalypse avoided… this time. I can make light of it now, but the roller coaster ride is still full of surprises. The doctors need to investigate potential issues, but sometimes I wonder if the constant monitoring creates more stress than it alleviates. I think we just need to remember to keep calm as information is gathered because the outcome is almost always not as bad as we fear. (i.e. Zombie)

In other news, Isabelle is growing and is a perfect little baby. She graduated from the CPAP snorkel to a smaller nasal cannula, called a RAM. For my mom- I asked the respiratory doctor what it stands for. Apparently, it was named after the doctor who invented it, he was Indian with a longer last name, so they took the first three letters of his last name. I can’t verify this info but I’ll trust them on this one. The RAM still provides positive pressure and oxygen but it is smaller and lets her feel her face and move her head.

Isabelle received some more art for her room from her cousins in Colorado, she loves the bright colors and told us how much it feels like spring in her room. She also had a few wonderful visitors, including Barb, Liz, Jason, Dwight, Diana, Nick, and Ashley. Nick’s mom made her this adorable little octopus. Thank’s for all the positive energy and treats. Isabelle can’t thank you enough.