Premie Care For Dummies

We really don't think any of you reading this are dummies, but we thought we would give you an explanation of everything in English so that you know what all the wires and IV's are for that are going into McKenna and so you have a better understanding of her treatment.

She has four wires attached to her, one is a temperature probe to make sure she is staying warm and the other three monitor her heart. The red light that moves from different spots on her body is checking her oxygen saturation; this is the same thing that adults get placed on their finger. She had umbilical lines when she was first born, one in the umbilical artery, the other in the umbilical vein. The nurses were able to draw from the umbilical artery. Once those lines were pulled a PICC line was placed in her arm. She gets her parenteral nutrition (PVN) through this line. The PVN provides her if vitamins, sugar, protein, and electrolytes. She is still getting lipids (her liquid fat) also. Often she has an IV that gets moved around (currently she has one in her head). The nurses can give numerous medications through this line. She was on two antibiotics for the first week. Gentamicin and Ampicillian, as prophylactic treatment. Her blood transfusions utilize this line, and also her caffeine. The liquid Mt Dew is to help her remember to breathe. She has also been on insulin since her pancreas hasn't been doing the job completely due to her prematurity. The last line that she has goes in her nose, and that is called a NG tube which goes down to her stomach. This is how she is getting Mommy's milk, which she loves. I hope this helps you better understand all of McKenna's treatments.

I would like give a special thank you to my dear Suzanne. She has been helping me with the updates the last couple days and I have been getting a lot of good reviews. I am not able to take all the credit. Along with helping me with the updates, she has also been a great support for me through this very trying time. Thanks honey!!