Visiting with the NICU Nurse

One of my nurses was thoughtful enough to arrange for her favorite NICU nurse to come pay me a visit.  We had already met with one of the neonatologists (you can watch a video about her here), but we hadn’t yet met with a nurse.  These are the people who watch and care for the babies around the clock, so their insight is invaluable.  This nurse is one of the nicest, warmest, and most soothing people I’ve ever met.  I guess you have to be when you work in a place like the NICU.  I mean, you really get the feeling that she loves each one of these babies like her own.  She answered my questions and gave me an idea of what to expect.  I learned that each nurse gets assigned to one, maybe two babies.  She is going to try to get assigned as the LW’s primary evening shift nurse, which I’m absolutely delighted about. 

She also couldn’t speak highly enough of our pediatric surgeon.  This nurse has worked in the NICU for many years, and she said that the gastro babies have never done better.  Ever since this surgeon started treating them they’ve been recovering faster and going home sooner.  Apparently their last gastro baby went home in two weeks!!!  In all my research I’ve never heard of a NICU stay that was that short.  The nurse said that the surgeon just “gets it” and has an amazing instinct for what to do with these babies, which is important because each case is a little different.  She also thinks that the new sutureless closure technique, which this surgical team helped pioneer, has made a huge difference in their recovery time and overall well-being.  You can read more about sutureless closure here (warning: article has medical photos).  I even heard from our perinatologist that the surgeon gives talks specifically about gastroschisis at medical conferences in the Bay Area.  

Now don’t get me wrong, I’m not getting my hopes up for a 2-week NICU stay.  But it’s wonderful to know that we are apparently in the hands of Northern California’s “Gastroschisis Whisperer.”  I’m feeling more and more blessed to be here and under the care of such a skilled and experienced medical team.  It’s really starting to feel like we couldn’t be in a better place!