Airplane Rides and Christmas Time

Our next adventure begins with a airplane ride.  Actually, let me go back a little.  

During her first 36 hours, Kayla was hooked up to all kinds of machinery.  There were concerns about her breathing, with her liver, with her heart and with her brain.  

Ultimately, it was decided to send her to BC Children's Hospital.  That brings us to the airplane.

It was a first for Kayla and I, being transported in an ambulance.  Watching your tiny little girl, barely a day old, loaded into an incubator, attached to heart, pulse and oxygen monitors, respiratory equipment, and an IV.  Well, its the scariest thing I have ever seen.  The transporters, not Jason Stathem types, and the attendants were fabulous.  They really knew how to put a worried mother at ease.  

We arrive at Children's around 4 pm on a Friday.  I was on my own for the night as Mike and Kiera weren't able to make it until the next day.

Over the next few days, they ran tests and slowly eliminated most of the issues.  With in 2 days, their concerns boiled down to seizures and jaundice.  They used the bili light on her, which took care of the jaundice, and they put her on phenol-barb for the seizures.  

A week and a half later, they were ready to send us back to our city.  New problem - no beds in the hospital here. They weren't ready to release her to us as she was now having feeding issues, which means she wasn't gaining weight.  

Finally.

On Christmas Day.

We walk into the hospital, after spending the morning opening gifts with Kiera, to find out that they planned to send us home that day.

Really? I mean ... really?

We rush back to where we were staying, pack up, and head back to the hospital as fast as we could.  

We got home at 8:00 pm that night.  It was the best Christmas ever.

Obviously, there is more to the story.  Details about the different tests and diagnosis, but we are home and healthy.  They just aren't important anymore.

During our stay down there, our days consisted of trying to find a balance between spending time with Kayla, and spending time with Kiera.  We never did find the perfect balance.

Luckily, we only had excitement 1 time outside the hospital.  At 6:00 am, the fire alarm in the hotel we were staying in went off.  Mike was in the shower - he thought it was an alarm clock.  

When we joined the crowd outside, we found out that there was a small fire in the electrical room.  We stood outside in our pajamas and coats for an hour before they let us in to quickly grab purses and other items.  Considering everything else going on, it was kinda fun.

Kayla is healthy and happy.  Gaining weight on track, and reaching most of her milestones.  And this is where our adventure ends.  

Or does it?