| Amanda Update |
| (Last Updated: May 5, 2002) |
| We are so happy to announce that AMANDA IS FINALLY HOME. Back in November, it was impossible to imagine how wonderful it would be to have her home with us. But now she's finally here and we're at a loss for words to describe it. On April 12th, the McTighe family finally walked out of the UCONN Medical Center. After 138 days filled with worry, excitement, grief and joy, it was sad to leave our friends from the N.I.C.U behind. They have played such an important part in our lives and we'll never forget them. We're happy to report that the transition has been smooth and she seems to be thriving. We're working to establish a routine that we can all live with. (Although Amanda doesn't always cooperate) Kim and I remember telling people how excited we were to be taking her home because not having to go to the hospital every day was going to free up a lot of time. I can't exactly say that this is a vacation. There is a lot to do with medications etc, but thankfully, she's a really good baby. She doesn't cry too much....only when she's hungry or has a dirty diaper. Even her sleep schedule isn't that bad. We go to bed about 11pm after a giving her a bottle. She generally sleeps until about 4am. She only stays up long enough for another bottle and then goes right back to sleep. I'm still trying to figure out how when we go to bed there are only two people in the bed and when I wake up, there are three of us. Hmmmn??? It's nice to spend our days at home. We pretty much stay here, but that's OK with us!!! Amanda's poor immune system and lung problems make it dangerous to bring her into public areas where germs could be present. She'll out grow this in time, but for now, she's homebound with some precautions like frequent handwashing, limited visitors, and surgical masks for kids. Mandy has had a couple of doctor visits since her release and the reports have been good. She's sees her pediatrician about every three weeks and then at various times for the four specialists that are watching her progress in GI, pulmonary, eyes, and overall development. So far, we've seen the GI and Pulmonary specialists and they seem very nice. We'll keep you posted on her progress. Thanks for all of your support and concern. It's nice to know we've got friends and family pulling for us. Kim and John PS: Sorry that it's taken so long for this update, but I'd rather play with her than this computer. :-) Don't forget to leave a message in Amanda's guest book on the main page. Thanks. |
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