Saturday, January 16, 2021 - Sloan Admitted to Medical City Children's

Pop noticed there was blood coming out of Sloan's belly button. Of course, we had no clue why so we called our Pediatrician. Because it was the weekend, Mama and Pop got the After Hours Nurse Line. Nurse Jody asked questions to access Sloan's health. She gave Mama and Pop the umbilical cord protocol for cleaning and caring for the bleeding. The last thing she needed in order to close the case was Sloan's rectal temperature. Pop did the rectal temperature a few times, and it was reading 95.6. Nurse Jody felt that the thermometer was likely faulty so she told us to go buy a new one, and she would call back in an hour to get the new temp. Mama bought a new thermometer specific for baby rectal temp, but even the new thermometer gave a reading of 95.3. Nurse Jody informed Mama and Pop that protocol for a temp less than 98 for babies is to take Sloan to the ER.

Mama and Pop took Sloan to Medical City Children's ER immediately. We told the ER that Sloan is a Tet baby. Sloan was admitted to the ER with a 96.9 temp and oxygen saturation in the 40s. The ER team put Sloan under a heat lamp to get his temp up and connected him to oxygen to get his saturation up to the mid 70s.

Sloan was lucky Nurse Brooke was able to quickly insert an IV in one of his tiny veins. He did not complain one bit. It could have been the binky laced with sugar water that kept him quiet, but let's just say it was a combination of the nurse's skill and the sugar crack. Nurse Ashley took great care of Sloan and Mama while we waited to be admitted to the CICU. 

Because of his low temp, the ER team concluded an infection was causing the low temp so they gave him x-rays, took blood and cultures, gave him a catheter to get a urine sample, and Dr Haddock did a spinal tap on him. 

Because Sloan was admitted as Tet baby, Dr Manzuri and his respiratory therapist, Morgan, from Medical City Children's Congenital Intensive Care Unit (CICU) came to the ER to check on Sloan and his vitals.

Not long after, a CICU Nurse, Amanda, and Nurse Technician, Sterling, came to the ER to transfer Sloan from the ER to a CICU room. Originally, Sloan was initially put in the CICU overflow room, but because his oxygen saturation dipped and heart rate climbed so sporadically and quickly, Sloan was moved to the main CICU where Dr Das could keep a closer eye on his vitals and get him stabilized with fluids and meds.

Nurse Emily and Dr Das worked on tweaking Sloan's meds throughout the evening to the next morning. She got his oxygen sats and vitals stabilized, and Sloan was comfortable for the first time since we arrived to the hospital. 

I am getting the best care at Medical City Children's CICU, and all the doctors and nurses comment on how cute I am when they come visit me.  I had to get a few IVs, but Mama said I was brave and took it like a champ.