Day 385 - Endocrine Appt & Blood Labs 💉🩸

Wednesday, January 19th, 2022

Current Weight: 8.865kg (19 lb 8.7 oz)

Current Height: 65.3 cm

Today we had our Endocrine appointment and we got a current height and weight on James. It was just Mom and the nurse today. A little tricky but only one person is allowed in the room at a time. The nurse was asked to stand in the hall. 🤷🏻‍♀️ Even though we work very closely together all day? That being the case... Mom needed to take James out of the stroller and move him to the scale and measurement counter without the stroller tipping over from the weight of the ventilator. 

The doctor decided we should get labs done to see if we could wean him off of sodium chloride and/or calcium. These are the two meds that are prescribed by the endocrinologist. James already had a lab order from the pediatrician to check his lead levels as well as a hemoglobin count. Mom wanted to limit the number of times James would get stuck with a needle and put off the pediatrician lab order from last week until we could have this appointment today knowing we would get more labs ordered.

After the appointment, we waited in the waiting room and it just so happens that our NICU Patient Care Advocate saw Mom and stopped by to say hello. She was able to catch James when he was waking up from a short nap and of course he remembered her. Mom spoke with her almost daily for 6 months in the NICU so they were very close. Mom let her know that she would like to be of help to the hospital in anyway possible, especially to parents with trach babies that are overwhelmed and don't know where to start.

Everything went well and James only had to get stuck once on his right wrist in the lab. Mom requested someone specifically from the IV team and that did the trick. Although James did cry hysterically before anything even started. 😢  We can't wait to get the results of the labs to find out if we can get off some of these meds.

In the evening, we received a package 📦 for James from Juju, Aunt Robin, Champ, and his brother Tommy. It was the Guess How Much I Love You Book and stuffed nut brown hare. James loves watching this British show on YouTube. It's a very gentle and cute show based on the books.

Eye patching & teething!

Baby it's cold outside.

James checking out people on the elevator.

Trying to eat his bandage.

Waiting for valet outside at the hospital.

P.S. Do you follow James' journey? James would love to read an email from you. His email is JamesWestonAbramowitz@gmail.com. How heartwarming for him to receive these and fun for you to get a response from him in like 10 years...