Well...the day has finally come!! One of our girls is coming home!! We're planning on bringing Makaila home from the hospital tomorrow. It's been almost 4 months of trips to the hospital, sleepless nights, tears, family visits, typing blog entries, more tears, countless prayers...and FINALLY we get to have one of our daughters at home with us!! Graham and I went out for dinner and a movie last night - knowing that our lives are drastically going to change in one more day. We reflected a bit as we were sitting at 'Ethical Addictions' (a local coffee shop). Are we ready for this??? In one way I would say a resounding "YES!" I have dreamed about this day for soooo long. There is however, a little part of me that is feeling a little nervous and anxious. What is it going to be like having two kids at home? How will Isaiah respond to his new sister? How will we prevent germs from spreading in our house (so that Makaila doesn't get sick)? What if she does get sick...will she need to be hospitalized again? How will I manage with three kids when Faith is discharged from hospital? How much is Graham going to be able to help when he's working full-time and is required to travel with his job? I stayed awake most of the night last night just thinking about all of this.
I've been doing a lot of running around today - buying diapers and other things that I will need when Makaila is here. I'm off now to do some cleaning. I guess as a typical Mom I am experiencing 'nesting'.
Wednesday, February 28, 2007
Friday, February 23, 2007
Update on Faith & Makaila 21
We are happy to report that both girls are doing well. Although Faith had a rough week (she had a relapse with her cold), she seems much stronger now. Just yesterday Makaila's NG tube (a.k.a feeding tube) was removed. She's been eagerly taking a bottle ever since (YEAH!!!) This is a huge step towards coming home. She's managing to feed herself entirely on her own, and she's not getting too tired!!! While she's currently still hooked up to all of the monitors, we know that this will be changing soon. Apparently, as parents, we need to get used to seeing our daughters on their own (free from all computer monitoring that tell us how their heart rate and oxygen levels are doing). As soon as we get used to this (which won't take too long)...we'll be bringing her home! Praise the Lord!
Sunday, February 18, 2007
Update on Faith & Makaila 20
The girls are officially 111 days old today. In some ways the time is flying by, while in other ways it seems like it is taking forever for the girls to come home. I went to the hospital this afternoon for the 5:00pm feed. Once again it was a rather frustrating feed. Faith managed to take 20 ml from me and then we tube fed her the rest. She is taking a total of 53 ml now. Makaila, on the other hand, would not wake up to feed so we had to feed her entirely by tube. This is the way it seems to go - one day the girls are eager to eat - and the next day they are too tired. Apparently this is typical behavior for 'extreme premies'. Whatever we do, we cannot push them too hard, otherwise this will just set them back. Graham and I are both trying to be as patient as possible, but at the same time, we desperately want our lives to normalize. I can't wait to stop all of the visits to the hospital!
It seems like the number one question that most people ask us is: "How much do the girls weigh now?" Well...as of two minutes ago (when I last called the NICU) Makaila weighed 7 lbs 11 ounces, and Faith weighed 6 lbs 5 ounces. As a typical mom, I already feel a sense of sadness when I see them outgrowing some of their adorable premie outfits.
On a different note, Larry's time with us is almost up. He'll be heading back to Victoria at the end of February. He's been living with us for the last 3 1/2 months, and he's been such a huge blessing. I honestly don't know what we would have done without him. He's been our 'lifesaver' when its come to taking care of Isaiah and helping out around the house. Just this past week, he babysat Isaiah for a night so that Graham and I could go to Birch Bay WA for a belated Valentine's Day celebration. After Larry leaves, Graham's mom (Terry) will be coming to stay with us for a few days. My mom will then move in with us for the month of March. Thank you God for the amazing parents that you have blessed us with!!!
Thanks again for your prayers. We are happy to report that both girls are feeling much better.
It seems like the number one question that most people ask us is: "How much do the girls weigh now?" Well...as of two minutes ago (when I last called the NICU) Makaila weighed 7 lbs 11 ounces, and Faith weighed 6 lbs 5 ounces. As a typical mom, I already feel a sense of sadness when I see them outgrowing some of their adorable premie outfits.
On a different note, Larry's time with us is almost up. He'll be heading back to Victoria at the end of February. He's been living with us for the last 3 1/2 months, and he's been such a huge blessing. I honestly don't know what we would have done without him. He's been our 'lifesaver' when its come to taking care of Isaiah and helping out around the house. Just this past week, he babysat Isaiah for a night so that Graham and I could go to Birch Bay WA for a belated Valentine's Day celebration. After Larry leaves, Graham's mom (Terry) will be coming to stay with us for a few days. My mom will then move in with us for the month of March. Thank you God for the amazing parents that you have blessed us with!!!
Thanks again for your prayers. We are happy to report that both girls are feeling much better.
Sunday, February 11, 2007
Update on Faith & Makaila 19
Faith and Makaila have both had colds the last two days. They have been stuffed up and have had a difficult time coordinating their sucking with their 'plugged' little noses. As a result, my efforts to breastfeed have been rather frustrating and we've resorted to feeding by tube instead. With their colds, they have also been very exhausted and have spent most of the last two days sleeping. Yesterday our nurse moved Makaila to an incubator to help her with her breathing (the humid air is much easier to breathe). Faith is still sleeping in her cot, however, she may be moved to an incubator as well if things don't get better soon. Apparently last night both girls experienced spontaneous episodes of 'brady' (low heartrate) and 'desats' (low oxygen levels), which required giving them oxygen (with a mask) and chest compressions to remind them that they needed to breathe. I've been told that there have been fewer incidences the last few hours - so that's good!
With the exception of the fact that the girls are sick right now, we did have some positive things happen this week. On Wednesday morning when I visited the girls, I found them 'co-bedding' together in a crib. They looked so cute snuggled together in their cozy pink blankets - just like it was meant to be. Makaila was wide awake staring at her big sister who was just inches from her head. She looked quite excited and was moving her little arms around - almost like she was trying to grab Faith's hand. This was a moment that I had been waiting for since I first found out that I was carrying twins. My girls - together as last!! Needless to say, I was quite 'teary-eyed'.
I talked to our pediatrition this week (Dr. Cohen), and she said that while Faith may still be in the hospital for at least one more month, Makaila could come home earlier (depending on how her feeds continue to progress). At this point, I just want them to both be healthy again. I get quite emotional just thinking about the fact that they are having a difficult time breathing. Yet again - we feel the up and down motion of the roller coaster continue.
Graham and I can't wait to get off the ride.
Thanks so much for your prayers.
With the exception of the fact that the girls are sick right now, we did have some positive things happen this week. On Wednesday morning when I visited the girls, I found them 'co-bedding' together in a crib. They looked so cute snuggled together in their cozy pink blankets - just like it was meant to be. Makaila was wide awake staring at her big sister who was just inches from her head. She looked quite excited and was moving her little arms around - almost like she was trying to grab Faith's hand. This was a moment that I had been waiting for since I first found out that I was carrying twins. My girls - together as last!! Needless to say, I was quite 'teary-eyed'.
I talked to our pediatrition this week (Dr. Cohen), and she said that while Faith may still be in the hospital for at least one more month, Makaila could come home earlier (depending on how her feeds continue to progress). At this point, I just want them to both be healthy again. I get quite emotional just thinking about the fact that they are having a difficult time breathing. Yet again - we feel the up and down motion of the roller coaster continue.
Graham and I can't wait to get off the ride.
Thanks so much for your prayers.
Wednesday, February 07, 2007
New photos!
We have posted some new photos on our family photo blog (mcmahon-family-photos.blogspot.com) so be sure to check them out! We have some more recent ones from the MSA hospital in Abbotsford that will be posted soon. Enjoy!
Blessings,
Graham
Blessings,
Graham
Sunday, February 04, 2007
Update on Faith and Makaila 19
The girls have been at MSA hospital in Abbotsford for one week now and they are both doing well. Makaila weighs almost 7 lbs. and Faith is approximately 5 1/2 lbs. They are even starting to outgrow some of their premie clothing! I (Karyn) have been going to the hospital for two feeds every day. This takes about 4 hours. It's quite a long process to feed two little girls who are just learning how to suck. Right now they are both doing a combo of breastfeeding, bottle and tube feeding. As they get stronger and can suck for longer periods of time, the tube feedings will eventually stop. While both girls are considered stable, we were reminded the other night just how fragile they still are. Faith had a massive "brady" (low heart rate) and "desat" (low Oxygen level) following one of her feeds. She turned blue and took a few minutes to recover. Needless to say, it was a very scary moment for myself and Grandpa (who was also there to witness everything). I left the hospital that night feeling relieved that they are not at home with me yet.
So far nothing has been said to us yet about when we can expect the girls to come home. We know the date isn't too far off though, so we're busy getting our home ready. We've recently been trying to get Isaiah accustomed to sleeping in his "big boy" bed - which has been a challenge. We were hoping that we could contain him in his crib a little longer (until he was 2 maybe?), but he started climbing out of his crib last week and had a few rather painful crashes onto the floor. He still doesn't understand that he has two sisters who will be joining our home shortly...so we're trying to do everything that we can to make the transition as easy as possible.
As always, thanks again for your ongoing support. We cannot thank you enough for your encouragement, visits, cards, gifts and most importantly...prayers. We have felt people around the world praying for us. Our God is so amazing! I feel absolutely overwhemed with thanksgiving that Faith and Makaila are both doing so well. They are truly MIRACLE babies!
We love you all...
Karyn, Graham, Isaiah, Faith & Makaila
So far nothing has been said to us yet about when we can expect the girls to come home. We know the date isn't too far off though, so we're busy getting our home ready. We've recently been trying to get Isaiah accustomed to sleeping in his "big boy" bed - which has been a challenge. We were hoping that we could contain him in his crib a little longer (until he was 2 maybe?), but he started climbing out of his crib last week and had a few rather painful crashes onto the floor. He still doesn't understand that he has two sisters who will be joining our home shortly...so we're trying to do everything that we can to make the transition as easy as possible.
As always, thanks again for your ongoing support. We cannot thank you enough for your encouragement, visits, cards, gifts and most importantly...prayers. We have felt people around the world praying for us. Our God is so amazing! I feel absolutely overwhemed with thanksgiving that Faith and Makaila are both doing so well. They are truly MIRACLE babies!
We love you all...
Karyn, Graham, Isaiah, Faith & Makaila
Sunday, January 28, 2007
Update on Faith and Makaila 18
The girls are on their way to MSA Hospital in Abbotsford by ambulance as I am typing this! We are very excited that they are coming home and that we can all now live in the same city! This is a huge blessing, and we are so grateful for all of your support and prayers over the past months! We will continue to keep you all updated on their progress...thank you for everything!
Blessings,
Graham
Blessings,
Graham
Thursday, January 25, 2007
Update on Faith and Makaila 17
Wow! I didn't realize it has been so long since I have updated our blog. I guess I was waiting for something different to post, because the girls were so stable and their conditions remained unchanged...which is good news. Now, there's been some changes that are definitely worth letting you know about!
The girls are still in BC Children's hospital, but they are getting very close to being transferred to the hospital in Abbotsford (provided there are two beds available, which might mean a transfer to a hospital closer to us, but not necessarily Abbotsford). Faith just came off of CPAP on Wednesday and is doing well. She is on the nasal prongs with minimal oxygen and is also eating well. She now ways 4.7 pounds.
Makaila has been off of nasal prongs for quite a while now and has been doing very well breathing on her own without any assistance. The only tube she still has in her is her feeding tube. She now ways 5.8 pounds. She had another MRI yesterday and the doctors told us that everything looks fantastic.
So the goal right now is to get the girls to learn how to breast feed and/or take a bottle. Now that they are both off of CPAP, getting Faith off of the nasal prongs and both of them on the bottle or breast are the last things that need to happen before they can come home. We were told last night (Thursday) that there is a good chance that the girls may get moved to the hospital in Abbotsford today, which is very exciting. This is also a bit of a reminder that very soon they will be coming home and that we are still a ways from being ready to have them come home. We have all been sick as of late, especially Isaiah, so we also have to get better in preparation for their coming home.
We will keep you updated on the events of the next few days. If you don't hear anything, it's because they haven't moved and not much has changed. As soon as the girls have moved to Abbotsford, I'll let you know. Thank you for your support and prayers.
Blessings,
Graham
The girls are still in BC Children's hospital, but they are getting very close to being transferred to the hospital in Abbotsford (provided there are two beds available, which might mean a transfer to a hospital closer to us, but not necessarily Abbotsford). Faith just came off of CPAP on Wednesday and is doing well. She is on the nasal prongs with minimal oxygen and is also eating well. She now ways 4.7 pounds.
Makaila has been off of nasal prongs for quite a while now and has been doing very well breathing on her own without any assistance. The only tube she still has in her is her feeding tube. She now ways 5.8 pounds. She had another MRI yesterday and the doctors told us that everything looks fantastic.
So the goal right now is to get the girls to learn how to breast feed and/or take a bottle. Now that they are both off of CPAP, getting Faith off of the nasal prongs and both of them on the bottle or breast are the last things that need to happen before they can come home. We were told last night (Thursday) that there is a good chance that the girls may get moved to the hospital in Abbotsford today, which is very exciting. This is also a bit of a reminder that very soon they will be coming home and that we are still a ways from being ready to have them come home. We have all been sick as of late, especially Isaiah, so we also have to get better in preparation for their coming home.
We will keep you updated on the events of the next few days. If you don't hear anything, it's because they haven't moved and not much has changed. As soon as the girls have moved to Abbotsford, I'll let you know. Thank you for your support and prayers.
Blessings,
Graham
Thursday, January 04, 2007
Update on Faith and Makaila 16
We have good news to report! Faith is doing well on CPAP and has even had two cuddles with Mom! She has also moved out of her incubator and into a crib! This has helped because she likes being wrapped up and she was too hot being wrapped up in the incubator. So now she can be wrapped up and not get too hot (try saying those last two sentences fast). She still needs to get stronger and she still hasn't been on CPAP that long, so keep praying for her...it's working!
Makaila is continuing to do well. Today she tried breast feeding for the first time which is a big deal! This is a big step towards being transferred to Abbotsford, however, this is usually a very difficult process because premature infants don't have the same sucking reflex full term babies have and they tend to not eat and breathe well together. They can forget to breathe when they are swallowing so you have to give them a little shake or smack to get them breathing again (we've heard of babies going blue, yikes!)...or they forget to stop swallowing when they breathe and they choke. So, we don't expect this to be a smooth or easy process, but so far so good. Makaila took to sucking right away and took breaks in between to breathe (or so we think) but she only latched on for a minute or two.
While we are still a ways from being transferred to Abbotsford, some of the babies that have been around Faith and Makaila in the NICU are being transferred to other hospitals. This has got us thinking that one day they will be coming home and that day is at least 2 months closer then when they were born. They could be transferred to Abbotsford within a month and then home a few weeks after that (these are generous guesses). We are both excited and overwhelmed: excited to have our girls home, but overwhelmed by what we need to do, buy, and get to be ready for them and do all this while Karyn lives most of the week in Vancouver and while I work in Abbotsford and travel to and from Vancouver (oh ya, and then we'll have two infants and an almost 2 year old in our house to care for...yikes!). We would appreciate your prayers as we attempt to prepare for Faith and Makaila's homecoming.
Blessings,
Graham
Makaila is continuing to do well. Today she tried breast feeding for the first time which is a big deal! This is a big step towards being transferred to Abbotsford, however, this is usually a very difficult process because premature infants don't have the same sucking reflex full term babies have and they tend to not eat and breathe well together. They can forget to breathe when they are swallowing so you have to give them a little shake or smack to get them breathing again (we've heard of babies going blue, yikes!)...or they forget to stop swallowing when they breathe and they choke. So, we don't expect this to be a smooth or easy process, but so far so good. Makaila took to sucking right away and took breaks in between to breathe (or so we think) but she only latched on for a minute or two.
While we are still a ways from being transferred to Abbotsford, some of the babies that have been around Faith and Makaila in the NICU are being transferred to other hospitals. This has got us thinking that one day they will be coming home and that day is at least 2 months closer then when they were born. They could be transferred to Abbotsford within a month and then home a few weeks after that (these are generous guesses). We are both excited and overwhelmed: excited to have our girls home, but overwhelmed by what we need to do, buy, and get to be ready for them and do all this while Karyn lives most of the week in Vancouver and while I work in Abbotsford and travel to and from Vancouver (oh ya, and then we'll have two infants and an almost 2 year old in our house to care for...yikes!). We would appreciate your prayers as we attempt to prepare for Faith and Makaila's homecoming.
Blessings,
Graham
Tuesday, January 02, 2007
Update on Faith and Makaila 15
My apologies for the long gap between this post and the last. We have been in Vancouver for most of the holidays and between being busy with the family and the sporadic internet access, we have found it difficult to get updates up. So, if in the future there is another long gap, just assume that no news is good news! So, here's what's been happening in the worlds of Faith and Makaila...
Makaila has been doing very well on the nasal prongs, only needing just the slightest bit of oxygen to help her with her breathing. She was able to come out of her incubator about a week ago because her body temperature reached 28 degrees Celsius so she is now in a small NICU crib. This is great because we have easier access to her and it's just one more step in her journey towards coming home. Her weight is now 1790 grams (almost 4 pounds) and she is looking more like a little baby girl rather than a premature baby.
Faith needs a lot of prayer right now. She went in last Friday to have her bronchial tube examined because there was a chance that she might have scar tissue forming as a result of the reflux she had been experiencing. They were able to conclude that her bronchial tube was fine and that her airway was simply small because of her premature age. They put her on CPAP the next day and she has been on it since, but has really struggled at times. The medical staff (and Karyn and I) really don't want to see her go back on the ventilator because this will set her back another two weeks. She's had several dips where her heart rate and oxygen levels have dropped, and at one point needed chest compressions to get her heart rate back up, which it quickly did. They have given Faith a dose of caffeine and plan to do give her more tomorrow, so we hope this will help her to remember to breathe. So, if you could pray that Faith would be able to stay on CPAP and catch up to her little sister, we would really appreciate that! Faith currently weighs 1465 grams (almost 3 and a quarter pounds). She was much closer to Makaila a short while ago, but has slowed down in her weight gain.
So, that's it for now. We will be posting updated photos of Faith and Makaila soon, so check out mcmahon-family-photos.blogspot.com
Blessings,
Graham
Makaila has been doing very well on the nasal prongs, only needing just the slightest bit of oxygen to help her with her breathing. She was able to come out of her incubator about a week ago because her body temperature reached 28 degrees Celsius so she is now in a small NICU crib. This is great because we have easier access to her and it's just one more step in her journey towards coming home. Her weight is now 1790 grams (almost 4 pounds) and she is looking more like a little baby girl rather than a premature baby.
Faith needs a lot of prayer right now. She went in last Friday to have her bronchial tube examined because there was a chance that she might have scar tissue forming as a result of the reflux she had been experiencing. They were able to conclude that her bronchial tube was fine and that her airway was simply small because of her premature age. They put her on CPAP the next day and she has been on it since, but has really struggled at times. The medical staff (and Karyn and I) really don't want to see her go back on the ventilator because this will set her back another two weeks. She's had several dips where her heart rate and oxygen levels have dropped, and at one point needed chest compressions to get her heart rate back up, which it quickly did. They have given Faith a dose of caffeine and plan to do give her more tomorrow, so we hope this will help her to remember to breathe. So, if you could pray that Faith would be able to stay on CPAP and catch up to her little sister, we would really appreciate that! Faith currently weighs 1465 grams (almost 3 and a quarter pounds). She was much closer to Makaila a short while ago, but has slowed down in her weight gain.
So, that's it for now. We will be posting updated photos of Faith and Makaila soon, so check out mcmahon-family-photos.blogspot.com
Blessings,
Graham
Friday, December 22, 2006
Update on Faith and Makaila 14
Today has been a good day in our journey with Faith and Makaila. This morning we went in to the hospital for around 7:30 because Faith was going in for her MRI scan. We got there in time to see her all strapped into the MRI incubator (there will be pictures soon). We walked her into the MRI room in the hospital and then went back to their private room to wait. I got to have a cuddle with Makaila while we waited. Around 9:00am she came back and an hour later the neurologist came in to give us the results...and everything looks good! Her ventricles (the spaces within her brain) are a little bigger than expected (by only a few millimeters) but this is most likely due to her premature age. The ventricles haven't enlargened since her brain scan a few days after her birth which rules out the need for concern. The doctor said that two months from now the ventricles will most likely be the same size but the brain will be 50% larger. Next week the neurological radiologists will be in to confirm the doctor's findings, but he is confident they will be just as positive. So, we are relieved and excited about the results to say the least. They also hope that by next week she will be ready to try going back on CPAP. They want to wait until after Christmas so we can just focus on being with her, cuddles, and not worrying about putting her through the trauma of switching her over to CPAP. Sounds good to us!
As I mentioned earlier, I was able to have a cuddle with Makaila today. It has been weeks since I have been able to cuddle either of them so I made up for it with a 3 hour session! Makaila looks more like a little girl than a premature baby, especially with her little clothes on. She was squirming around at first, looking up at me, probably the most alert I have ever seen her, but then she settled down and slept soundly (and I got to catch a few z's too!) until it was time to move her back into her incubator. The cuddle definitely made my day and I realized how much I missed being with them for long periods of time. I am definitely looking forward to the next week!
Thank you for your continued support and prayers. We greatly appreciate them!
Blessings to you in this Christmas season,
Graham
As I mentioned earlier, I was able to have a cuddle with Makaila today. It has been weeks since I have been able to cuddle either of them so I made up for it with a 3 hour session! Makaila looks more like a little girl than a premature baby, especially with her little clothes on. She was squirming around at first, looking up at me, probably the most alert I have ever seen her, but then she settled down and slept soundly (and I got to catch a few z's too!) until it was time to move her back into her incubator. The cuddle definitely made my day and I realized how much I missed being with them for long periods of time. I am definitely looking forward to the next week!
Thank you for your continued support and prayers. We greatly appreciate them!
Blessings to you in this Christmas season,
Graham
Wednesday, December 20, 2006
Update on the McMahon Family
Well, I've been keeping everyone up to date as best I can with Faith and Makaila but haven't spent much time talking about the rest of the family. For the past 5 weeks my father has been living with us in Abbotsford taking care of Isaiah. This has helped immensely because it has given Isaiah a routine that keeps him grounded. My Dad has him in swimming lessons, play groups, and out for play dates with friends. My Dad and Isaiah are out in Abbotsford usually from Sunday to Thursday afternoon and then we all go into Vancouver to be together as a family for Thursday night, Friday, and Saturday. We have had the huge blessing of staying in a condo in False Creek right on the water next to the Burrard Street Bridge and across from Granville Island. This condo is owned by a wonderful man in our church named John Wiebe and he has been gracious and generous enough to let us use his condo as a home away from home until the girls are released from BC Children's Hospital. We are going to stay their as a family with my Mom, Dad, and Brother over Christmas. We've even been able to decorate the place up a little for Christmas!
When Karyn has been in Vancouver on her own she has been staying at a house two doors down from the hospital owned by friends of my parents (Gwyn and Michael). She stays in a guest room upstairs and can walk to the hospital that's literally across the street. We have been so blessed by their generosity because we don't have another car and without their hospitality Karyn wouldn't be able to stay in Vancouver and be with the girls.
Between these two places, Karyn has been able to spend every night of the week in Vancouver which means she has been able to see the girls almost every day since they were born. She comes in to Abbotsford for church on Sundays and sometimes for a night or two on occasion. I am usually in Vancouver with her at the condo somewhere between 3 and 4 nights a week and we're all together (Karyn, Isaiah, and I) a couple of nights a week. We've gotten into a pretty regular routine which makes it easier to plan our week and to know what to expect, but it continues to be hard on all of us. At some point throughout every week, one member of our family is on their own without the other two, we're only together as a family for barley 48 hours, and we're never truly a family with the girls in the NICU. We are really looking forward to being all together for a week over Christmas at the condo in Vancouver.
Well, when I get another chance, I will continue to let you know more about how we are doing and how we are coping during this journey. We continue to covet your support and prayers. Thank you for all of your comments and prayers.
Blessings,
Graham
When Karyn has been in Vancouver on her own she has been staying at a house two doors down from the hospital owned by friends of my parents (Gwyn and Michael). She stays in a guest room upstairs and can walk to the hospital that's literally across the street. We have been so blessed by their generosity because we don't have another car and without their hospitality Karyn wouldn't be able to stay in Vancouver and be with the girls.
Between these two places, Karyn has been able to spend every night of the week in Vancouver which means she has been able to see the girls almost every day since they were born. She comes in to Abbotsford for church on Sundays and sometimes for a night or two on occasion. I am usually in Vancouver with her at the condo somewhere between 3 and 4 nights a week and we're all together (Karyn, Isaiah, and I) a couple of nights a week. We've gotten into a pretty regular routine which makes it easier to plan our week and to know what to expect, but it continues to be hard on all of us. At some point throughout every week, one member of our family is on their own without the other two, we're only together as a family for barley 48 hours, and we're never truly a family with the girls in the NICU. We are really looking forward to being all together for a week over Christmas at the condo in Vancouver.
Well, when I get another chance, I will continue to let you know more about how we are doing and how we are coping during this journey. We continue to covet your support and prayers. Thank you for all of your comments and prayers.
Blessings,
Graham
Tuesday, December 19, 2006
Update on Faith on Makaila 13
In our last entry Faith was going on CPAP and Makaila was continuing to do well on CPAP. Faith lasted for 16 hours but wasn't able to stay on it. She had too many apneas and so was put back on the conventional ventilator. We were a little discouraged but were happy that she made it as long as she did and she continues to do fairly well on the ventilator. When they put her back on the ventilator, they discovered some swelling in her throat at the top of her trachea. The swelling is caused by acid reflux, which is common amongst premature babies, but her reflux is particularly acidic. They put her on medication to change her pH levels and this seems to have done the trick; the swelling has gone down. Faith was supposed to have an MRI early this week but has been bumped to Friday instead. We are eager to hear the results and hope that everything comes back normal.
Makaila has been doing really well on CPAP. So well, that they took her off of CPAP a day and a half ago. She now only has oxygen prongs in her nose to keep a constant flow going. This is far less evasive and a great sign of her growing stronger. A few days ago Karyn went in to visit the girls only to find that they had been moved from their usual spots in the NICU. It turns out that they needed the space so Faith and Makaila have been moved to their own private room. This is great for visiting because we have our own room to ourselves, can decorate it how we want, and it's set up better for longer visits. The only drawback is that we won't see the other parents as much whose children have been Faith and Makaila's neighbors for the past 8 weeks. We'll just make sure we go in and visit them on our way in and out.
Thank you for your continued support and prayers. We greatly appreciate them!
Blessings,
Graham
Makaila has been doing really well on CPAP. So well, that they took her off of CPAP a day and a half ago. She now only has oxygen prongs in her nose to keep a constant flow going. This is far less evasive and a great sign of her growing stronger. A few days ago Karyn went in to visit the girls only to find that they had been moved from their usual spots in the NICU. It turns out that they needed the space so Faith and Makaila have been moved to their own private room. This is great for visiting because we have our own room to ourselves, can decorate it how we want, and it's set up better for longer visits. The only drawback is that we won't see the other parents as much whose children have been Faith and Makaila's neighbors for the past 8 weeks. We'll just make sure we go in and visit them on our way in and out.
Thank you for your continued support and prayers. We greatly appreciate them!
Blessings,
Graham
Tuesday, December 12, 2006
Update on Faith and Makaila 12
Since our last entry, not much has changed with Faith and Makaila which is good news. Makaila continues to do really well on CPAP and has had a cuddle with Karyn almost every day she has been at the hospital. Late last week Makaila had an MRI done as she is part of a research project that studies the brain development of premature infants. We are very fortunate to be able to be a part of this study because there are only a few neurologists in the world that specialize in infant neurology (like maybe 8) and Canada has one and he is one of the best and is at BC Children's hospital. The MRI incubator cart they put Makaila is the only one in Canada and is worth $400,000. We are so fortunate to have this kind of care for free! Makaila did really well throughout the MRI, sleeping through it all. Karyn was able to find out the results within an hour of the MRI and we have been told that everything looks great. The doctor doing the MRI said he saw more fluid between her brain and the inside of her scull then he thought there would be, but said it was not something to be concerned about and they would simply monitor it in the MRI's to come.
Faith is not yet ready for an MRI because she hasn't been stable for long enough and their priority for her is to get her off the ventilator. Faith was taken off the oscillator late last week and has been doing well on the ventilator's conventional setting (she got to have a cuddle with Mom a few days ago). They have continued the process of weaning her off of the ventilator and she has done well on the lower breathing rate and lower oxygen levels. Today they started administering caffeine (yes, our girls are already coffee drinkers) to get her breathing rate up and steroids to keep her lungs strong. This is all in preparation for tomorrow afternoon when they hope to transfer her to CPAP. We are really excited and very nervous at the same time. When they have tried Faith on CPAP in the past she has not lasted more than 30 minutes and it has been very traumatic for her and for Karyn and I. Faith has been doing really well in the last week or so, so we hope that this time she goes on CPAP, it will be for a much longer time so she can learn to breath on her own and grow her lungs. This possibility excites us greatly! Please pray for Faith as she goes on CPAP tomorrow (Tuesday), that she will be able to stay on it until she doesn't need it anymore.
Thank you for all of your support and prayers!
Blessings,
Graham
Faith is not yet ready for an MRI because she hasn't been stable for long enough and their priority for her is to get her off the ventilator. Faith was taken off the oscillator late last week and has been doing well on the ventilator's conventional setting (she got to have a cuddle with Mom a few days ago). They have continued the process of weaning her off of the ventilator and she has done well on the lower breathing rate and lower oxygen levels. Today they started administering caffeine (yes, our girls are already coffee drinkers) to get her breathing rate up and steroids to keep her lungs strong. This is all in preparation for tomorrow afternoon when they hope to transfer her to CPAP. We are really excited and very nervous at the same time. When they have tried Faith on CPAP in the past she has not lasted more than 30 minutes and it has been very traumatic for her and for Karyn and I. Faith has been doing really well in the last week or so, so we hope that this time she goes on CPAP, it will be for a much longer time so she can learn to breath on her own and grow her lungs. This possibility excites us greatly! Please pray for Faith as she goes on CPAP tomorrow (Tuesday), that she will be able to stay on it until she doesn't need it anymore.
Thank you for all of your support and prayers!
Blessings,
Graham
Wednesday, December 06, 2006
Update on Faith and Makaila 11
The last 3 days have seen some improvements in Faith and Makaila's conditions. Three days ago, Makaila managed to remove her ventilator tube again, and so they decided to put her on CPAP. She has continued to do really well on CPAP and her reliance on it for oxygen is very minimal. She has had a few cuddles with Karyn and these have gone very well for Makaila and have been a huge highlight for Karyn, something she has really cherished. We are very encouraged and we just keep hoping and praying that she can stay on CPAP.
Faith is still on the oscillator, but she seems to be doing well on it. Her oxygen levels stay fairly level, she has been crashing far less, and really only needs to have her oxygen levels upped when she is handled. The goal with Faith is to wean her slowly off of the oscillator. This means gradually dropping the pressure, the breathing rate, and the oxygen level. Once she is less dependent on the oscillator, they will move her to CPAP. We are not sure how long this will take, but it will at least be days before she can be switched over. She has yet to be stable enough and long enough for Karyn to have a cuddle with her. We hope that in the next day or two, this will be able to happen.
Thank you for your continued support and prayers.
Blessings,
Graham
Faith is still on the oscillator, but she seems to be doing well on it. Her oxygen levels stay fairly level, she has been crashing far less, and really only needs to have her oxygen levels upped when she is handled. The goal with Faith is to wean her slowly off of the oscillator. This means gradually dropping the pressure, the breathing rate, and the oxygen level. Once she is less dependent on the oscillator, they will move her to CPAP. We are not sure how long this will take, but it will at least be days before she can be switched over. She has yet to be stable enough and long enough for Karyn to have a cuddle with her. We hope that in the next day or two, this will be able to happen.
Thank you for your continued support and prayers.
Blessings,
Graham
Friday, December 01, 2006
Update on Faith and Makaila 10
Not much has changed since our last update. Faith and Makaila continue to be on full feeds and are both still on the ventilators. Faith has had to go back on the oscillator setting because she isn't getting enough oxygen. She had another blood transfusion today and that has seemed to help. Makaila has been put on CPAP to see how she does, but she doesn't last much more than an hour. So, the goal right now is to get them bigger and stronger so they are capable of breathing on their own. The medical staff are adding supplements into their milk as needed to help with this process. So far they remain infection free which is encouraging, and this needs to continue to help keep their bodies focused on growing. They are both reasonably stable as long as they are left alone, so it has been a while since we have had a chance to cuddle with them. Karyn and I are satisfied with how they are doing, but we want them to grow and get stronger as soon as possible so they can get on CPAP. Thank you for your continued prayers and support.
Blessings,
Graham
Blessings,
Graham
Friday, November 24, 2006
Update on Faith & Makaila 9
We have continued to be encouraged by Faith and Makaila's progress over the past couple of days. Both girls are up to full feeds which means they have been taken off their IV lines, their PIC lines have been removed, and so have their arterial lines. This means that other than their feeding tube and ventilator tube, they're tubeless! With no tubes puncturing their skin, there are now far less sites that might contract infection, and keeping infection away is a top priority right now: they can use all their resources for growing instead of fighting infections. Both girls have also gained weight over the past days with the increase in their feeds. Faith has broken the 900 gram mark and Makaila has cracked the 1000 gram mark (that's 1 kilo, yay!).
Both girls are still on the ventilator, though they tried Makaila on the CPAP today for a short period of time. She just wasn't ready yet. So, that's the next goal, getting them off the respirator and onto CPAP so they can grow their little lungs. They are currently 28 weeks and 4 days gestationally and if they can get on CPAP soon and stay infection free until 30 weeks, their chances of survival and normal development will be very good.
Being infection free, off of sedation and antibiotics, tubeless, and relatively stable means we have had several cuddles with Makaila and one cuddle with Faith (and hopefully more tomorrow). These have been great experiences for Karyn, myself, and the girls. This week has been very encouraging and our hope continues to grow. Our biggest concern for the girls continues to be remaining infection free and getting them off the ventilators, so keep praying for those two things! Thank you for all of your prayers and support!
Blessings,
Graham
Both girls are still on the ventilator, though they tried Makaila on the CPAP today for a short period of time. She just wasn't ready yet. So, that's the next goal, getting them off the respirator and onto CPAP so they can grow their little lungs. They are currently 28 weeks and 4 days gestationally and if they can get on CPAP soon and stay infection free until 30 weeks, their chances of survival and normal development will be very good.
Being infection free, off of sedation and antibiotics, tubeless, and relatively stable means we have had several cuddles with Makaila and one cuddle with Faith (and hopefully more tomorrow). These have been great experiences for Karyn, myself, and the girls. This week has been very encouraging and our hope continues to grow. Our biggest concern for the girls continues to be remaining infection free and getting them off the ventilators, so keep praying for those two things! Thank you for all of your prayers and support!
Blessings,
Graham
Thursday, November 23, 2006
New Photos Posted!
I have posted 10 more photos of Faith and Makaila, including our very first McMahon Family photo! Go to mcmahon-family-photo.blogspot.com to view them. Blessings!
Tuesday, November 21, 2006
Update on Faith and Makaila 8
The last few days have been very encouraging! Faith and Makaila have improved considerably over the past week. It appears that both of their infections are almost gone or gone altogether. During the time they were sick, neither Faith nor Makaila were able to take any of their breast milk feeds. Now, however, Faith is up to 4 mls of breast milk every 2 hours and Makaila is up to 9 mls every 2 hours. They are receiving these feeds well which means the amount they receive will be increased on a regular basis. When Makaila gets to 13 mls and Faith gets to 11 mls they will be able to come off of their IV lines. Makaila is obviously closer but it will still be several days for her and probably even more for Faith before this will happen. Both girls are now on the conventional ventilator (Faith was on the oscillator in my last update) and are doing well. Their oxygen saturation levels are good, so they are not relying too heavily on the machines.
While things look positive, Faith and Makaila still have a long road ahead. The key is for them to not get sick again so they can just focus on putting on weight and growing. Faith and Makaila have both put on roughly a hundred grams each but are still bellow the one kilo mark (Faith is around 800 grams and Makaila is around 900 grams). Faith's level one hemorrhage in her brain has not increased which means it is still not a concern. If they can make it to 30 weeks (gestational time) without any significant setbacks and they keep putting on weight, then their odds for survival will be very good (we recently found out that when they were born, their odds of survival where anywhere from 30% to 60%). On November 21st they turned 28 weeks so that's two weeks to go!
Please continue to pray for the protection of their health and that they would keep putting on weight and developing those little lungs (we want them on CPAP soon!). Thank you for all of your support and prayers!
Blessings,
Graham
While things look positive, Faith and Makaila still have a long road ahead. The key is for them to not get sick again so they can just focus on putting on weight and growing. Faith and Makaila have both put on roughly a hundred grams each but are still bellow the one kilo mark (Faith is around 800 grams and Makaila is around 900 grams). Faith's level one hemorrhage in her brain has not increased which means it is still not a concern. If they can make it to 30 weeks (gestational time) without any significant setbacks and they keep putting on weight, then their odds for survival will be very good (we recently found out that when they were born, their odds of survival where anywhere from 30% to 60%). On November 21st they turned 28 weeks so that's two weeks to go!
Please continue to pray for the protection of their health and that they would keep putting on weight and developing those little lungs (we want them on CPAP soon!). Thank you for all of your support and prayers!
Blessings,
Graham
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