DAY 7 of L's life

Thursday, September 18, 2008

Some updates abt L: His jaundice level went up. It was at 166 on Sat, when L was 3 days old. Over the few days, his body became more yellow, and he was sleepier. We decided to bring him to the polyclinic for a review yesterday though his scheduled appointment is supposed to be today (thank God we made that decision, if not consequences would be more drastic).

From the blood test at the polyclinic, L's jaundice level has increased to 326. Considered high for a Day 7 baby. He had to be admitted to the hospital immediately. We rushed him to KKH Children's emergency and got him admitted. I whispered a little prayer near his ear on the journey to let him know that God will give him strength. Poor L. He only had about 20mins of nursing time at the polyclinic. By the time he was admitted at KKH, he was probably hungry for more than an hr. The nurses stripped him of his clothes. Naked, he kept crying and screaming loudly. ZY and I heard him loud and clear when we stood outside the nursery. He was given photo therapy (exposed to UV light) immediately, for 6 hrs.

During this whole time, close friends sent their concerns through SMS. Thank you, all of you for the comforting words and prayers. They kept me strong 

However, at around 3am this morning, I received a call from the doc. Bad news. Despite being given the photo therapy, L's jaundice level still increased- to 344 now. Dangerous level. We had to go to the hospital immediately to sign a consent form for him to receive blood transfusion if the condition worsens (jaundice can cause brain damage in infants). 

Again, we rushed down. Could see that ZY was anxious to get there as fast as possible, as he beat 2 traffic lights. L was transferred to the Special Care Unit where he received intense photo therapy now. When we reached, we saw him lying peacefully receiving the uv light. He is a strong boy, withstanding all these (not being able to see, alone, cold, not being cuddled, strange sounds etc) happening to him. The doc explained all the procedures they'll take, risks and side effects of blood transfusion (like getting diseases from donor blood, infections etc) and got me to sign the form. I hesitated, coz the consequences may be very serious if anything went wrong. 

After waiting for close to an hr for his 2nd blood test results, we received good news! Thank God for that! The bilirubin in his body has decreased due to the intense light therapy! It's now at 286. No need for any blood transfusion for the time being!

He is now still being closely monitored. Receiving intense photo therapy in the Special Care Unit. We're waiting for the doc's call to tell us of his latest blood test result. 

Ch's present to L when she first saw him at KKH

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