Collection of E-mail Updates
Clara arrives home and enjoys resting on her living room floor!
6/19/03 5:50 PM
Yesterday Clara had an appointment with the eye specialist in Columbia.
It all went well. Her prescription has stayed the same so she doesn't
need new glasses. They still look at her retina since she had ROP
and laser surgery while in the hospital. The retina looked good and they
don't
think she'll have any problems in the future. She is just near-sighted.
We will continue to go back every 6 months for a check-up. Clara has really
started walking. She loves being outside! She is getting more teeth and
saying more words. Hope you are all enjoying your summer, we are!
Love, Diana
5/22/03 2:30 PM
Clara is now 18 months old! It is hard believe how far she has come.
Yesterday she had an appointment with her high-risk doctor. First we met
with physical, occupational, and speech therapists. They all thought
she was doing great. They still look at her corrected age (14 months) when
evaluating her. They will do this until she is 2. The physical therapist
thought Clara's muscle tone might be a little low but still in the normal
range. Clara is not walking much on her own. She will take a few
steps alone and cruise along anywhere holding someone's hand. She has good
balance and will probably take off anyday. I am not in a hurry for
her since I can barely keep up with her now! The low muscle tone could
attribute to her not walking yet. However, they were not concerned
and said she was still in the normal range. Her overall development is
right on
target and ahead in some areas. Clara "talks" all the time (I guess
she gets that from her mom) and says about 10 words. She loves being outdoors
and eating. She weighs almost 16 lbs. and is 28 1/2 inches tall.
We are blessed with how well Clara has done and am thankful for all your
thoughts
and prayers. A friend of ours went into preterm labor (30 weeks
along) on Tuesday. Sherri, the mother, is still in the hospital and they
have been able to stop the labor for now. However, they don't know how
long this will last. Please pray for Sherri, Jamie, and their baby boy.
Love, Diana
11/11/02 11:45 AM
Clara celebrated her 1st birthday on Sunday, Nov. 10, 2002 with some
family and friends even though her birthday is Tuesday, Nov. 12th.
A new picture has been posted on her web site where you can see Clara enjoying
some of her birthday cake. Clara was not feeling real good.
She has had a cold and cough with some fever the past couple of days.
We are sorry some of you with younger children could not attend Clara's
birthday party because Clara did not want to share any germs. Clara
did not have a good night. Her cough got worse and the fever returned.
Diana called the Marshall hospital emergency room about midnight.
They suggested just watching her closely until this morning. Diana
and Grandma Annette took Clara to the clinic about 8:00 AM. A chest
x-ray showed that her lungs were still pretty clear. Dr. Newman recommended
that Diana purchase a breathing machine for Clara that is used four times
a day for about five minutes each time to administer a prescription to
help break up the congestion. She also prescribed an antibiotic.
Clara will be back home about noon.
10/23/02 4:00 PM
Diana took Clara this afternoon to see Dr. Civis in Kansas City for
a second opinion about Clara's eyes. His exam determined that Clara
does need glasses and the prescription written in Columbia was close to
what he would have written. Diana was very impressed with Dr. Civis
and will probably take Clara back there for a checkup in six months.
Clara's glasses do need to be resized but Diana will probably send them
back to Columbia for adjustment. Clara has not fought wearing the
glasses very much, but they do tend to slide down her nose. We again
thank everyone for they continued prayers.
10/11/02 3:20 PM
Diana took Clara to Columbia for her eye exam. Her last eye exam
was about six months ago. Today's exam shows that Clara is near-sighted
and needs to be fitted with glasses. The family was hopeful that
her eyes might have improved and she would not need glasses, but the near-sightedness
has actually gotten a little worse. The good news is that there is
no ROP and the laser surgery earlier is all cleared up. This basically
means that blindness now would be very rare. The doctor told Diana
that Clara would adjust quickly to the glasses and that with time her near-sightedness
could improve. Diana is down a little, but is still thankful for
the miraculous overall progress Clara has made with God's help and your
prayers.
9/5/02 1:45 PM
I took Clara to Columbia yesterday for a follow-up visit. She will
go to this high risk clinic until she is at least three years old. This
way the doctors can watch her development and track her progress. First
she met with speech and occupational therapists. They laid her on the floor,
gave her toys, and watched her activiy. They said she was the best 23 week
baby they had ever seen. Next she met with her high risk doctor. She weighed
11 lbs. 6oz. and was 24 inches long. He checked her over and said she looked
wonderful. Our next appointment is set for December 18th. Clara is
really wanting to crawl. She gets wherever she wants to go by rolling and
scooting. She loves her toys especially the ones she can hold and make
noise. She is now eating baby food twice a day and can't get enough. I
plan on putting some new pictures on her website soon. Thanks for checking
in on us.
Love,
Diana
8/15/02 1:30 PM
I took Clara to the doctor yesterday for a cold. She has a runny
nose and cough. They always like me to bring her in to be on the safe side.
It is nothing serious and we got some cold medicine to help. Since we were
there they went ahead and did her 9 month exam (it was scheluded for next
week). She weighed 10 1/2 lbs. and was 23 1/2 inches long! She has really
grown this past month. Dr. Newman said she was doing great with her development.
She is grabbing everything and passes things from hand to hand. They still
consider her as a 5 month old. This is her corrected age based on her due
date. So she is doing some things ahead of schedule and some things right
on time. They aren't seeing any setbacks with her development. Jacob and
I enjoy watching her now. She rolls over all the time and is scooting to
get where she wants. She is still the center of attention with all the
family and loves it! We still keep in touch with some families we
met in the NICU. One of the little boys, Josh, is scheduled to have an
important eye surgery tomorrow in Detroit. Please pray for him and
his parents, Chris & Cheryl.
Love,
Diana
7/3/02 3:00 PM
Diana just called from Columbia where Clara met with her doctors.
Dr. Bland said that Clara is doing "amazingly well." She weighs 9
lbs. and is 22 inches long. She also met with a speech pathologist
and an occupational therapist and they both said she is doing very well
and has good muscle tone. Clara then visited the NICU where she spent
the first 105 days of her life. Dr. James and all the nurses and
staff were pleased to see Clara again. We all continue to thank God
for this miracle we have witnessed and the support received from everyone.
6/26/02 3:00 PM
Clara rolled over for the first time today! She rolled from her
tummy to her back. So I just had to brag on her. We are taking her back
to the doctor in Columbia next week. She is doing great and we hope to
get a good report.
Diana
6/12/02 9:45 AM
Clara is 7 months old today! That is hard to believe. She has now
been home as long as she was in the hospital. We weighed her last night
on our scales at home. She weighed a little over 8 pounds! Although her
0-3 month clothes are still big, she is growing. She now gets to start
eating baby cereal twice a day. After a couple days of taking the cereal
she loved it. We will be taking Clara back to the high risk doctor in Columbia
on July 3rd. We will keep you updated.
Love,
Diana
5/22/02 - 10:15 AM
Clara had her six month checkup yesterday. She now weighs 7lbs 8oz.
and is 21 1/2 inches long. She grew 2 1/2 inches in the past 4 weeks! I
think she is going to be tall like her daddy. The doctor said she was doing
wonderful. She was amazed at her strength and how well she is developing.
We are suppose to practice sitting up with her. The doctor wants us to
sit her up and help hold her for a little while each day. She said her
head is strong enough she just needs to work on her back. It won't be long
before she is rolling over and sitting up. The past few weeks Clara has
become a lot more alert and active. She loves sounds and looking
around. She does not sleep as much during the day. She loves her playtime.
The doctor gave us the ok to start her on baby cereal. So we tried
it for the first time last night. I think more came out than went in, but
she did like it. We will try again tonight. I took some film in yesterday
to get developed. Hopefully we will have some new pictures on her website
by the beginning of next week. Thanks for keeping up with us.
Love,
Diana
4/22/02 - 1:45 PM
Clara had a regularly scheduled doctor's appointment today. She
weighed 6 lbs. 10 oz. and was 19.0 inches long. Her blood test showed
she is no longer anemic. She is doing very well. Thanks to
everyone for all your support.
4/10/02 2:00 PM
Clara returned to Columbia today for a checkup. She first met
with the eye specialist. The nearsightedness has improved and is
almost gone in one eye. Last time they expected that she might need
to be fitted with glasses about now. Now they are probably going
to wait another six months and then check them again. Clara then
went to the High Risk Clinic. There they said she is doing great.
She weighed 6 lbs 4.5 oz. is is at the 5 percentile on the weight chart.
Her length was 18 1/2 inches which is not quite on the chart. However,
they said she is growing properly and will probably catch up to a normal
size by her first birthday! They decided to completely take away
the oxygen because she has not used any for four weeks. They also
want Jacob and Diana to take her off the monitors at least during the day.
Clara will go back in three months at which time they will probably turn
in all the monitors. We thank God for his miraculous healing and
we thank everyone again for your prayers.
3/27/02 4:30 PM
Clara is resting on my lap right now as I try to type. She is doing
very well. Tomorrow she will be off oxygen for 2 weeks. She had a visit
from her
Home Health nurse today. She had to receive an RSV shot. This is
to help prevent her from getting the RSV virus. Clara now weighs 5lbs.
10oz. and is 18 inches long. It is amazing how much she has grown! We hope
you all have a very Happy Easter!
Love,
Diana
3/18/02 2:15 PM
Clara has just returned from her doctor’s appointment. She weighed
5 lb. 2 oz. and is 17.5 inches long. She received four shots today
so her leg is a little sore now. She continues to do very well.
She can start to get a little water between feedings if desired.
In about two months she should be able to start on some solid food.
There is still some risk of flu so she needs to stay home as much as possible.
She will probably get another RSV shot in May. Sometime in the next
two weeks, Clara may visit Grandpa’s office and be on the live camera if
anyone wants to see her. You can test the camera now if you are not
familiar with it. It normally looks at the Carrollton square and
is located at http://www.carolnet.com/livecam. We continue to thank
God for his care.
3/11/02 1:00 PM
Clara is back home from the doctor's visit. They ran an EKG and
it appeared normal. Dr. Newman has advised Jacob and Diana to put
Clara back on the oxygen for at least part of the day. Clara may
be working too hard to get all the oxygen she needs and she may have just
gotten tired. Clara continues to need our prayers as she grows and
matures. She is still quite small and susceptible to many viruses.
3/11/02 11:00 AM
Clara is 17 weeks old today. This morning she has had apparent
slow downs in her heart rate at least four times. It is uncertain
if it is Clara or the monitor. Jacob, Diana, and Clara our on their
way to see Dr. Newman to have it checked.
3/10/02 5:30 PM
Clara continues to do well. Tomorrow she will have been home
for two weeks. She has been off any supplemental oxygen for the past
two days. She now weighs about 5 lbs. She still has two monitors
connected to her. I will post a couple of new pictures tonight and
maybe a movie clip on her website. Thanks
to everyone again for your support.
3/4/02 2:00 PM
We took Clara back to the eye specialist on Friday. They were amazed
at how well her eyes looked. Clara had her previous eye surgery because
of ROP. This is prematurity of the retina. The doctors said this
is now totally resolved. Her chance for loss of vision is gone! They did
determine that she is near-sighted in both eyes. This is probably due to
her being on high levels of oxygen for so long. She will be fitted for
glasses when she is around 6 months. We will go for another checkup on
April 10th. Saturday night Jacob and I gave her a bath at home. She loved
it. I am afraid she is getting a little spoiled to being held. But she
deserves it!
Love,
Diana
2/28/02 3:00 PM
We love being at home! Clara is doing very well. We took her for
her first checkup this morning with the doctor that delivered her. We found
out how long it takes just to load the car for a short trip! She now weighs
4lb. 10oz. Dr. Newman thought she looked wonderful. Tomorrow we are suppose
to take her back to Columbia for an eye appointment (as long as the weather
permits). We had a little trouble at first with one of her monitors not
working correctly. So last night they brought us a new one. It is working
much better. It is because of all of your prayers that we are at home today.
Thank you so much. We truly know the power of prayer!
Love,
Diana
2/25/02 7:30 PM
Clara is home! She arrived home about 6:00 PM this evening.
They had difficulty getting one of the monitors to work so they didn't
leave the hospital until about 3:30 PM. She got her RSV shot at the
high-risk clinic and left Columbia about 4:15 PM. She has had her
supper and is now sleeping in Grandpa Wayne's arms. God has blessed
Clara and her family.
2/24/02 2:00 PM
Clara and her family are still preparing to come home on Monday.
Diana and Jacob roomed in with Clara last night and today and will tonight
also. Clara has lost some weight probably because she was not getting
enough milk. She is taking the bottle better than she is nursing.
They will probably continue with both. Last night she weighed 4 lb.
6.6 oz. The “pulse-ox” monitor they received on Friday to bring home
was not working correctly last night. They had to replace it with
one of the hospital’s monitors. They are supposed to get a replacement
Monday morning. That may delay coming home to a little later in the
day. Clara also must get an RSV shot from the high-risk clinic before
she comes home. RSV (respiratory syncytial virus) “can cause a wide
variety of respiratory disorders ranging from a mild cold to serious and
sometimes fatal disease of the lung in the very young and very old. It
regularly produces an outbreak of infection each year during the months
of January, February, and March and virtually disappears in the summer
months.” Clara will get a second shot next month. RSV is also
one of the main reasons the parents and immediate family must wash their
hands often and why visitors are restricted. We continue to thank
God for His comfort and healing. We thank everyone for their continued
support.
2/21/02 10:30 PM
Clara has had a wonderful day. The eye surgeon examined Clara’s
eyes today and he said he was amazed at how much they have improved.
He said that they are perfect and that the ROP has been resolved!
This is truly another miracle. They will examine them again in two
weeks. Last night Clara weighed 4 lb. 7.3 oz. (2020 grams) and tonight
she weighed 4 lb. 9.95 oz. (2095 grams). Her oxygen use has been
relatively low all day and she has been nursing and taking the bottle very
well. Tomorrow the parents and grandparents will be trained in infant
CPR and on how to regulate the oxygen. The plan is still for Clara
to come home Monday morning. She will still be on oxygen and monitors
and will not be able to get out among people for a couple of months, but
she will be home! Thanks to everyone for your continued support and
prayers. We ask again that you pray for Clara’s friend Sam.
He was flown today with his mom to a hospital in Michigan where they will
attempt again to save his eyesight. They will probably have to be
there for a month.
2/19/02 1:00 PM
Clara continues to do well. She had a hearing test this morning
and it appears to be fine. Her eyes were checked again and they are
still improving. She is still not out of the woods yet, but a second
surgery is less likely as of today. The doctors are making plans
for Diana & Jacob to stay in a private room with Clara on Saturday
and Sunday and then all three come home on Monday!
2/18/02 10:30 PM
Clara was fourteen weeks old today and weighed 4 lb. 6.2 oz. this evening.
She again took all of her milk with a bottle today except a little at one
feeding. Diana tried nursing at 7:00 PM but Clara didn’t do very
well. Clara’s red blood cell count was up to 37 today, which is about
10 points better than the last time they checked it. She did this
all on her own without any medication. Grandma Peggy got to give
Clara one of her bottles today. Dr. James told Diana that they are
now expecting Clara to go home this next weekend! We continue to
be amazed at the progress Clara has made and the miracle God has performed.
2/17/02 10:15 PM
Clara weighed 4 lb. 5.7 oz. this evening. She has taken all her
milk feedings today with a bottle. Her use of oxygen is still going
up and down. Earlier today she was not needing any and then later
she was up to 100. This will probable continue to vary as her lungs
mature. The doctors are talking more about the day Clara will go
home. One even suggested it could be only a week away! Whether
it is one week or four weeks, Clara has made tremendous progress.
2/15/02 12 Noon
Clara may get to come home in about 2 weeks! A few of the nurses and
doctors said that she is doing very well. She is doing good with her bottle
feedings and is lower on her oxygen this morning. The eye specialist came
for another checkup this morning. He said there is some improvement and
she is responding favorably to the surgery. He also said she is not out
of the woods yet and they will continue to check her every few days. Clara's
red blood cell count is still low. However, they can do a test to see if
she is producing red blood cells on her own and she is. So they will continue
to watch this closely but will wait to see if she can bring it up on her
own. Clara has improved so much over the past 13 weeks. She is truly a
miralce thanks to all the prayers!
2/14/02 11:30 PM
Clara continues to do well and gain weight. Tonight she weighed
1902 grams or 4 lb. 3.1 oz. Uncle Jesse got to hold her this evening
for the first time. Dad gave Clara her bottle at 9:00 PM and she
took nearly all of 47 cc. Clara was dressed in her red Valentine
dress. She got her first Valentine card from Joshua, one of her roommates.
She sent cards to Joshua and Sam. Sam was having eye surgery again
this evening. The surgery went well, but it will be a few days before
they know if it is helpful. Clara’s eyes have not been examined for
a couple of days. We expect the doctor to look at them probably on
Friday. Clara and her family send you their love on this Valentine’s
Day and thank you for your continued prayer support.
2/12/02 10:30 PM
Clara weighed 4 lb. 0.4 oz. this evening! She certainly has come a
long way since Nov. 12th. She took two bottles of milk today and they will
try giving her three bottles tomorrow. The swelling in her eyes from the
surgery has improved a lot. This surgery is not always successful. One
of Clara's roommates, Sam, is showing signs of detaching retinas. He has
had two surgeries. Please include Sam and his parents in your prayers.
2/11/02 2:30 PM
The eye specialist just came to check on Clara. He examined her
eyes and said they were responding to the surgery. They will continue to
check her every 3-4 days. Last night she weighed 3lb 14.2oz. This morning
she took her whole bottle of 40cc. They are going to increase her to 42cc
(30cc=1oz) at each feeding. They are also going to have her take a bottle
or nurse twice a day. The other feedings she will receive through her feeding
tube. Yesterday they told me that she would probably get to come
home in 4-5 weeks. She needs to take all of her feedings from a bottle
or nursing and require less oxygen. Thanks for your thoughts and prayers!
Love,
Diana
2/9/02 9:30 PM
Clara has had a pretty good day. Her eyes are a little swollen
from the surgery on Friday, but she was resting well late Saturday afternoon.
They gave her some Tylenol for the discomfort. She is still taking
her milk well and is beginning to gain weight again. Last night she
weighed about 3 lb. 13 oz. The Lord continues to watch over her and
bless her and her family.
2/8/02 5:00 PM
Diana just called and Clara is out of surgery. She went through
the surgery very well. She is off of the ventilator necessary for
surgery and back on a cannula. She will be back in her own bed in
about an hour. It will be about a week before the effectiveness of
the surgery is known. Thanks to everyone for your prayers.
2/8/02 2:00 PM
Clara went into surgery at 2:00 PM. It is expected to last 2-3
hours.
2/8/02 11:15 AM
Clara’s eye surgeon was in this morning. They are planning the
surgery for this afternoon, but do not know the exact time. They
say Clara is the third “add-on” so they cannot give a specific time.
The risk of the surgery is considered low and the surgery normally corrects
from 2/3 to 3/4 of the ROP problem. Often a second surgery is performed
to correct a little more. The greater risk is in not having the surgery,
which could lead to loss of vision. Overall, Clara is doing very
well. She weighed 3 lb. 10.8 oz. last night. She has lost a
little weight but that is probably due to the fact that she is doing more
work and is now in an open bed where it takes more calories to keep her
body warm. Clara’s extra work is in breast and bottle feeding.
This morning at her 3:00 AM feeding, she took all 40 cc of a bottle for
the first time! Please pray for Clara’s surgery today.
2/7/02 8:30 PM
Clara had a pretty good day. Diana was able to nurse her some
and she took 21 cc of milk from a bottle. Her blood is making new
red blood cells and it is improving. Last night she weighed 3 lb.
11.3 oz. The eye doctor examined Clara’s eyes again today.
They have not gotten worse but they have not improved either. Therefore,
they have decided to have laser surgery on both eyes sometime tomorrow.
The surgeon is coming in tomorrow morning about 9:00 AM to examine Clara
and will then schedule the surgery probably sometime in the afternoon.
Please keep the surgeon, nurses, and Clara in your prayers.
2/5/02 10:15 PM
Clara had an eventful day today. This morning for the first time
Diana was able to breast-feed Clara and she did pretty good. They
are not sure of course how much milk Clara got, but they think it may not
have been very much. That is because tonight she weighed a little
less than last night. Her weight tonight was about 3 lb. 10.5 oz.
Clara stopped breathing today for almost a minute. The nurses and
doctor eventually got her to start breathing again. This may be related
to her red blood count being a little low, but they are not sure.
The blood test showed that her white count was good and that she has the
ability to produce red blood cells on her own. They are not going
to give any transfusions at this time. Clara got a new 2nd cousin
yesterday evening, Jenna Rose Korff, born about 6:15 PM. Clara is
12 weeks older, but she will have to grow to catch up with Jenna Rose at
8 lb. 4 oz.
2/4/02 10:45 AM
Clara got moved to a big girl bed last night. It is an open bed
that is not enclosed so we can see her a lot better and hold her more.
She was keeping her body temperature up on her own so they thought she
would be fine with the move. Last night she weighed 3 lb 10.2 oz.
She's gaining weight everyday! Jacob got to bottle feed her for the first
time yesterday. He did the best out of all of us. She took 24cc. They will
continue to try bottle feeding her once a day and then through the feeding
tube the other times. The eye specialist came and looked at Clara again
this morning. He said that her eyes weren't any better but weren't any
worse. They don't want to rush into surgery because they could correct
themselves on their own. He will continue to check on her every 3 days.
He said there is a 50/50 chance that she will still have to have the surgery.
But we all know how Clara can beat the odds!
Love,
Diana
2/1/02 12:45 PM
The eye specialist looked at Clara's eyes this morning and there is
a slight improvement in one and no change in the other so they are not
going to do the surgery today. They will check the eyes again in
a few days. Clara did much better with the bottle feeding this morning
taking a total of 12 cc. Clara continues to be evidence of God's
love and care.
1/31/02 10:00 PM
Clara is really gaining weight. Tonight she weighed 1572 grams
or 3 lb. 7.5 oz. She remains on the cannula and is doing very well.
Clara has not taken to the bottle very well so tomorrow a therapist is
coming to help the nurses and Diana learn how to train Clara. Also
tomorrow Clara’s eyes will be examined again. It is possible that
she will actually have surgery on her eyes tomorrow. Diana plans
to be at work and the hospital will call her at least two hours before
they schedule any surgery. Although this surgery is performed frequently,
it still requires very precise and careful hands. We pray God will
guide the surgeon’s hands.
1/30/02 2:00 PM
Clara and her mom had an exciting morning today. The governor’s
wife paid them a visit. Channel 8 TV was doing some kind of story
on newborns. Josh’s mom was interviewed and will be on TV this evening.
Diana gave Clara a bottle again today and she did a little better.
They have increased Clara’s feeding to 36 cc every three hours. Last
night Clara weighed 1443 grams or 3 lb. 2.9 oz. She has now tripled
her birth weight. Clara is still on the cannula and has not been
having any apnea or bradycardia. We continue to trust the Lord.
1/29/02 3:00 PM
Clara continues to do well today. Last night she weighed 3 lb.
0.3 oz.! She only had one episode of apnea last night about midnight.
Today Diana was able to give Clara a bottle for the first time. She
did suck a little bit, taking in about 5 cc of milk, but she hasn’t quite
learned how to swallow. Diana held her for about an hour while she
was giving her the bottle. The eye specialist examined Clara again
today. The left eye seems to have improved a little, however, the
right eye is now showing some abnormal cells. This condition is called
Retinopathy of prematurity (ROP). This condition can lead to blindness
if not carefully watched. Dr. Pardalos said Clara is probably at
what they call Stage 3. If it gets worse, surgery will be necessary.
They will check her again in two or three days.
1/28/02 9:30 AM
Clara is 11 weeks old today and doing very well! She is fighting
the infection and still receiving antibiotics. Yesterday afternoon they
put her back on the cannula. She is only receiving between 25-50cc of oxygen.
This is lower than she has ever been. Last time she was on the cannula
she only got down to about 100cc of oxygen. So she is definitely getting
stronger and growing. Last night she weighed the same, 2lb 14.5oz. She
is back on milk and getting the same amount as she was before. I am also
feeling a lot better. Thanks for praying for both of us.
Love,
Diana
1/27/02 1:45 PM
Clara is doing pretty well today. The doctors have her on two
antibiotics to fight the infection. She is also still getting caffeine.
Today they started giving Clara milk again. They started with a 5
cc bolus and will increase it by 5 cc every three hours as long as she
is handling it well. Clara had only one episode of apnea and bradycardia
this morning. Her oxygen level is about 33%. Clara is still
on the CPAP, but this morning they had her off of it for about thirty minutes
while they were doing other things with her and she did fine. They
are planning on trying her back on the cannula later today. We thought
Clara would hit three pounds by this weekend and she came close Friday
night at 2 lb. 15.8 oz. Then the infection hit and she was taken
off milk and last night she weighed 2 lb. 14.5 oz. Hopefully this
is just a little setback and she will get back on track this week.
Clara is scheduled Tuesday for another eye exam. God bless everyone
for your continued support.
1/25/02 5:45 PM
Clara’s blood culture is already growing bacteria. This means
she does have an infection again. They have paged the infection specialist
so he can prescribe the best antibiotic for Clara. The only good
thing about this is that an infection can be treated with an antibiotic,
but if it had been a virus, antibiotics would not have helped. Clara
was taken off of her milk today and is being given only fluids. They
may give her some TPN later. She did get a dose of caffeine this
morning and they plan to keep that up for a few days. Caffeine often
helps with the apnea. It also helps with another condition she experiences
occasionally, bradycardia, a slowness of the heartbeat. Clara remains
on the CPAP and is doing okay. Her oxygen is about 40%. Diana
has not been able to see Clara today. She has not recovered fully
from her flu and has spent most of the day in bed. Some of Clara’s
roommates have undergone surgery this week on their eyes – Joshua, Sam,
and Alexia. They made it through surgery okay, but it will be a couple
of days before they know the effectiveness of the surgery. Remember
them too and thanks to everyone for your prayers and support.
1/25/02 9:15 AM
Clara is not doing very well this morning. She had seven episodes
of apnea in one hour and her CO2 level has gone up. They have put
her back on the CPAP and if she doesn't improve they will put her back
on the ventilator. This may be caused by her lung immaturity or she
may be getting sick. They are testing her white blood cell count,
ordered a chest x-ray, and have started cultures on her blood and urine.
Cultures take at least 2-3 days for results, but the x-ray and white blood
cell test will be known this morning. Diana is feeling better today,
but is staying in Columbia to be near Clara. Clara and her parents
need our prayers.
1/24/02 10:00 PM
Clara is doing very well today in her new surroundings. She remains
on the cannula with the oxygen about the same. Her feeding has been
increased to 33 cc every three hours. Clara's red blood count today
was a very good 54 so they are discontinuing her injections of Epogen.
Last night Clara weighed 1316 grams or about 2 lb. 14.4 oz. She should
make three pounds by this weekend! Diana has been very sick the last
24-36 hours with apparently the flu. She was feeling better late
this afternoon. She was not able to see Clara any today. Grandma
Peggy was able to change Clara’s outfit today and Clara actually smiled
at her. She is looking great!
1/23/02 1:30 PM
Clara is doing so well now they have kicked her out of her private
room. The hospital is expecting to receive triplets soon and need
the room. Normally, when a baby goes off of the ventilator they move
them out. She is in the same area but out in the open more. Last
night Clara weighed 2 lb. 12.8 oz. (1270 grams). She is still using
the cannula and the oxygen is between 75 and 100 cc per hour. Her
feeding has been increased to 32 cc every three hours. We thank God
for Clara’s continued progress.
1/22/02 1:00 PM
Clara has made more progress today. About 11:30 this morning she was
put on a cannula and taken out from under the hood. A cannula is
a small tube placed right under the nose to deliver oxygen. This
is what many adults use when extra oxygen is needed. They started
the cannula with 200 cc of oxygen per hour but were able to decrease it
to 150 cc a short time later. They have increased Clara’s feeding
slightly to 31 cc every three hours. Diana said that Clara looks
wonderful and is doing great.
1/21/02 9:30 PM
Clara was weighed and measured this evening. She is now 15 inches
long and 2 lb. 11.4 oz. (1231 grams). She is still doing very well.
Clara remains under the oxygen hood and the oxygen level is about 38%.
Clara has been having from two to four episodes of apnea (temporary suspension
of breathing) a day for the past few days. This is normal and the
respiratory therapist said some babies Clara’s age and size have as many
as ten per hour. They have discussed giving Clara some caffeine that
can stimulate her slightly. They are also considering giving her
another round of steroids to help her lungs develop and this may cure the
apnea. Diana and Jacob were allowed to dress Clara this evening in
a new outfit. They were very happy. Thanks for all your support.
1/21/02 3:00 PM
Clara is 10 weeks old today! That is hard to believe. She has come
a long way! The doctors are not changing much today. They did increase
her milk to 30 cc an hour. That is 1 ounce. Her chest xrays are still showing
the chronic lung disease. This is something that she will have for a few
years until her lungs get stronger and grow out of it. However, she is
doing well for a baby this small with the lung disease. She is still
under the hood getting extra oxygen. Her oxygen level is around 45%.
If it goes too much over 50% they may put her back on the CPAP. If is goes
under 35% they may try her on the cannula. Clara will let us know what
she is ready for. She is definitely a fighter!
Love,
Diana
1/20/02 1:00 PM
Clara is off the CPAP! They took her off of it at 11:30 this morning
and she is doing well. Usually after the CPAP they put the babies on a
cannula. This is a plastic tube that sits directly under the nose and delivers
oxygen. Since Clara was still in the 40's on her oxygen it was too high
to put her on the cannula yet. So she is covered with a plastic hood. This
is a little tent that she is under and they deliver extra oxygen through
it. When she gets down to the 30's on oxygen then they can do the cannula.
While she is on the hood we cannot hold her, but it is a step forward so
we're not complaining. Right now she does not have any tape or tubes on
her face. She looks wonderful! They will be putting the feeding tube back
in her nose to feed her. Clara is such a miracle thanks to all your prayers!
Love,
Diana
Psalms 61:2, "...when my heart is overwhelmed: lead me to the rock that is higher than I.