What a day. The tech from Nuclear Medicine came by around 9:30 to inject Griff with the radioisotope/contrast media. It looked like something out of a movie -- it was in a syringe encased in a thick silver casing. Everyone made sure she did it nice and slow, b/c we don't want to lose that scalp IV. Then they plastered stickers everywhere -- on his crib, on his monitors, on his IV pole saying he was "radioactive" until August 15th. How many people can say they've been radioactive, let alone at 13 days of life??? They gave me a sticker to keep for his baby book. It'll be a pretty cool "show and tell" item in the future. For the next 3 days Griff's diapers are considered hazardous and we need to use gloves to change him and dispose of them in a special receptacle. Wow. Anyway, Griff was supposed to go for his scan at 1:30, but wouldn't you know they didn't take him until after 4, so again it was a day of agonizing waiting. As luck would have it, they came to take him while I was pumping so I said "just go and I'll catch up with you." Thus ensued a fairly stressful pumping session, followed by my running through the St. Jo's tunnel (SO not fun with lactating breasts) trying to find my baby. Radiology had moved, and I'd never been to Nuclear Medicine, so it took a while, but I finally found my guy. He was transported in an isolette with portable monitors, etc. Once there, they put him on what looked like a CAT scan stretcher and literally taped him to it. They put a towel between his legs and taped them to it to make them stick out straight, and taped his head so he was looking straight ahead. He handled it all in typical Griff fashion -- stoic and adorable. The women in the room (the tech and his nurse) could not stop commenting on his cuteness and how easy he was. He was perfectly still during the procedure and we headed back to our home base. As soon as we got there, I changed his diaper and lest you think Griff never makes a peep -- he is NOT a fan of diaper changes. He hates having a dirty diaper, but since he is usually changed right before he gets fed, he is not a happy guy while getting cleaned up. I swear he looks at me like "Mom, can't the changing of the pants wait until after I eat?" Speaking of which, he is eating like a champ. Any worries I had that his prematurity would affect his suck/swallow/breathe ability -- not uncommon in late preterm infants -- was COMPLETELY unfounded. He nurses and takes a bottle like a pro. In fact, he generates a lot of chuckles among the nurses in his room when he takes his bottle b/c he gulps it down like he is starving.
As far as the results of the bone scan, I wish I knew. When we were having the scan, the tech -- who was so sweet -- called the radiologist and told me he usually leaves at 5, but b/c it was a bone scan on a neonate, he wouldn't leave until he'd had a chance to read it. When she thought she'd gotten all the views he would need, she called to make sure and by the time she got off the phone she said "he's dictating it right now." Well, I waited around until 6:30, when visiting hours are over, and still no word. The NICU Attending on tonight knows me very well, and said he'd keep checking. I just called, and there is STILL nothing in the computer. It has been dictated, but needs to be transcribed and uploaded to the computer. It's maddening. So much, like Griff's entire treatment course, hangs on the balance of this result, and it's there and we can't get it. I'd like to say "oh, it must be fine or the radiologist would have made a point to call and tell the attending," but that's so not always the case. So we're back to playing the waiting game. The good news is, the bone scan was a total non-event and Griff did beautifully. Now let's just pray the scan is completely normal, and his IV keeps holding out as his little afebrile negative-culture eating-great self continues to thrive. Think good thoughts!
-Sheila
2 comments:
I can't read the fine print on the sticker - are you sure it doesn't say "CAUTION - too cute!!" I love the little boy you describe - he is SUCH a wonderful character. Not many kids would lie still while being taped into shape - he's gutsy. But so are you - I giggled (sorry) thinking of you 'bouncing' painfully around the hospital looking for Nuc. Med. Have a really great day!
Caroline
I was *feeling* your pain bouncing down the halls of CHOC.... I have a rather unflattering picture of me laying in bed with baby Jesse, megan and the cats and lets just say, anyone who knows me can tell from the photo that I was rather engorged that day, ouch! If it hasn't happened already, I've found that there is serious 'training' to do with Megan about not pushing up against me any more (double ouch!) or doing her running tackles :P
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