First off, just so everyone knows - Monica’s birthday is tomorrow, February 24! Be sure to send her an email at monic AT amedwards.com  

Also, just under a month away is Alijah’s due date / adjusted birthday! We hope to have him home by then (March 21) with us. He is taking great strides, but as the story goes in neonatal intensive care, something can always happen that keeps him there longer. However, we do look forward to his “graduation day”!

The latest problem he had was that his IV infiltrated into his skin. What this means basically is that his vein exploded at the IV site, so instead of the fliud going into his bloodstream, is started leaking out into his skin. The calcium in the solution causes a burn, so now the whole side of his foot is just a big burn. Steps are being taken to heal it, but its just another thing - and what angers me most about it is that this could have been prevented if the nurses watched the IV more closely. It sounds like they had it in longer than they should have. He will
probably end up with some scarring on his foot, and if it scars at the joint then he will need plastic surgery to get rid of the scar tissue as it may impair ankle mobility.

We just started getting the insurance EOB’s for Alijah’s hospital care, and it isnt pretty! Basic healthcare is just so expensive now, let alone hospital stays, surgeries, blood transfusions, and the like! Hopefully we can work something out with the hospital as far as repaying the assorted medical fees!