Can We Catch a Break?

Another crazy week with many trips back and forth to visit that sweet baby in the NICU. He is growing slowly but surely, now up to 6 lbs. 6.9 oz! He is looking a bit fuller in his face and has noticeably grown, but his pediatrician called him a "lazy white boy" because he would rather sleep than eat. Too true! Here lies Lucas in a bed that's changed for him every day, with all of these darling nurses tending to his every need. He has been there for three weeks now and they all love him. I must admit that he is a darling boy and hardly ever cries. He is a sweet little guy!

Lucas' Mommy was growing a bit sad near mid-week. Progress comes in spurts and then there seems to be a step backward. It is so hard to leave him at the hospital and come home! Things were looking up on Friday because Nick came in from San Diego to be with his little family for the weekend, He has been working hard at school, getting an A on his first big paper. Everything seemed right to have him back. Diana perked up and I was able to focus on my Farmer's Market on Friday while Nick took over my driving duties.

On Saturday afternoon Diana started telling us that her back was hurting quite badly. She asked Nick for a back rub, which he put off because he was involved with something else. Pretty soon she was near tears pleading for a back rub so he said, "let's go down to the couch and I'll give you one." As she stood up she began to cry. She could not straighten up. Brittany got a hot pack for her and Nick dutifully rubbed where the pain was. It was soon time to go back to feed Lucas so she stood slowly and painfully walked all bent over. I felt so badly for her. At the hospital she expressed her concerns to the nurses in the NICU  after Lucas was fed and they sent her straight down to the ER. Diagnosis? Pulmonary Embolism or blot clot in the lung. She has Factor V Leiden just like her Dad and has been on blood thinners through her pregnancy. It didn't matter apparently. The C-section was the trump card. We waited up until after midnight to hear the test results. She spent the weekend in the hospital and was released on Tuesday morning. Nick extended his stay two days so they got to spend some good time together there in the hospital. He just wheeled her upstairs anytime they wanted to visit their son.

I wrote the above on Tuesday. I never got back to it. I find it ironic that I asked in the title if we could catch a "break". Tuesday night late I got a call from one of Rachel's friends telling me that she had taken a bad fall at roller derby practice (yes, I said roller derby) and they thought her leg might be broken. I could hear hear screaming in the background, bad words and all. That was my daughter. We picked Brittany up at her condo about ten minutes later and headed to Provo by about 10:30 pm. Rachel has a spiral fracture in her lower left fibula. We saw an orthopedic surgeon today and were told she would need surgery. The break has torn the ligaments that support her ankle. They will put a titanium plate on the bone to help support the ligaments while they heal.

 

I am so weary. But I suppose it is better to be weary from well-doing than from anything else. Nick's mother Tammi has come from Germany for a pre-planned visit and has taken quite a load off of my shoulders. She has taken Diana to all of Lucas' feedings since Tuesday. The only bad part about this is that I miss doing this....