
Slow Day
04/04/2013
Today started rough like yesterday morning. Anabelle was spitting up and still not regulated with her bowels. I called the doctor and spoke with her nurse telling her what Anabelle had been doing. The doctor sent word what to watch for and to continue with our Karo syrup.
The weather is overcast following the rainstorm that passed through yesterday. It is a little cooler and windy. I want to go strolling with Anabelle, but reconsider because she is still recovering from this morning’s episode with constipation. Instead, I spend time reading to her and doing her OT and PT home exercise programs that the therapist trained me on yesterday. Even though I have twenty years’ experience as a COTA, it wasn’t in pediatrics. My specialty was the other spectrum of the age group, geriatrics. The principles of grading an activity to the person’s tolerance are the same, but all the neurosensory techniques and motor development treatment with babies are new to me. I do have four children (didn’t realize how blessed we were that they all had good health) and that experience helps. I find myself wondering how much harder this would be if I didn’t have the prior training with life experience. My heart aches for the families of sick babies when everything is complex and new.
It can be overwhelming I imagine.
I had help with Anabelle this evening allowing me to catch up on my computer work and other responsibilities. Anabelle had her bath and went to sleep around 10:30 p.m. I have started tracking how much Karo syrup, gas drops, and BMs so we can see if there is a pattern on what works best. The doctor gave us the perimeters of how to use the syrup and we will monitor to find the least amount of Karo needed to get the job done.
Tonight’s video is of Anabelle getting her mouth cleaned with a toothette.
Good night