Tukk's First Birthday!

The Tukkster turns 1 year old today. This milestone seems a little extra special to us, considering what it took for Tukk to make it to the big 1. In honor of our little miracle man here’s a timeline flashback of his life so far.

• April 15, 2008 (15 weeks pregnant): My water breaks, but the doc just thinks I’m peeing my pants.


• May14 (19 weeks): We head for Mexico, not realizing that, since I don’t have an in-tact amniotic sac to protect Tukker, it would be extremely easy for me to get an infection that would have killed him.
• May 29 (21 weeks): The perinatologist confirms that my water has broken and tells us Tukk has no chance for survival and that we should terminate the pregnancy. Two days later I have a bleeding episode that lands me in the hospital, scared to death that Tukker is being born.
• June 26 (25 weeks): Another bleeding episode and I’m back in the hospital to stay.


• July 11 (27 weeks): Tukker is born! It took the NICU team an hour to get his lungs to open enough so they could ventilate him, and in that first few days they maxed him out on his blood pressure meds and told us if his little heart didn’t start responding soon there was nothing more they could do for him.
• July 17 (1 week old): We get to reach in the isolette and touch Tukker for the first time. Two days ago he had his first platelet transfusion and yesterday his first blood transfusion. Yesterday he also got to take a tiny amount of breast milk through his feeding tube.


• July 20 (1 ½ weeks old): We get to change Tukk’s diaper for the first time and “feed” him by squirting the milk into his feeding tube.
• July 22 (almost 2 weeks old): Tukker develops chylothorax, a potentially fatal complication where the lymphatic system leaks fluid into the chest cavity. He can no longer be fed breast milk, because the fat it contains can make the chylothorax worse, so he’s back to IV nutrition only. He has bilateral chest tubes placed to drain the fluid.

• July 30 (almost 3 weeks old): Tukk has surgery to place a Broviac line in his chest and does very poorly afterward. We almost lose him until he finally stabilizes about 3 days later.


• August 11 (1 month old): Tukk’s oxygen needs are stabilizing and he’s finally losing a little of the swelling that’s plagued him since birth.


• August 12 (1 month 1 day old): He contracts a staph infection and an infection of the GI tract and begins swelling again. Back on tons of antibiotics to help fight the infection, and oxygen needs increase as his body swells and puts pressure on his lungs.


• August 24 (6 weeks old): His infections are gone now, but he’s developed a new ball of infection in his heart. He’s also begun pooling chyle fluid in his abdomen, as well as his chest, so in addition to his chest tubes he has needles inserted in his belly to drain the fluid.


• September 4 (8 weeks old): We get to hold Tukker for the first time!!!! Plus his chylothorax finally seems to be getting a little better, so we’re able to start feeding him fat-free breastmilk. One of his chest tubes slipped out on its own earlier this week, so his doctor decided to just leave it out and see how he does, and the infection in his heart is nearly gone.


• September 6 (8 weeks old): Tukker develops pneumonia and has a very difficult couple of days. His oxygen needs increase dramatically as his lungs fight off the infection. The chest tube goes back in, so he’s got two again. Milk feedings stop. He starts swelling… again.


• September 8 (8 ½ weeks old): Tukk is recovering quickly from the pneumonia. Both chest tubes come out tonight! Feedings resume.


• September 15 (9 ½ weeks old): His pulmonary hypertension has magically disappeared after 8 weeks of it being severe with no improvement at all. He’s been weaned off his inhaled nitric oxide, and they begin weaning him off morphine, which he’s addicted to.


• September 18 (10 weeks old): Tukk finally comes off the oscillator ventilator and is moved down to the less-intense VIP vent.


• September 23 (10 ½ weeks old): Tukk comes off the ventilator! He’s breathing on his own!


• October 2 (12 weeks old): He’s finally weaned onto regular milk, instead of fat free. He’s able to come off CPAP and go on a cannula for his oxygen needs.


• October 9 (13 weeks old): Tukker’s due date. He’s doing well. The NICU staff is weaning him down on his oxygen and we start teaching him to eat by mouth.


• October 18 (14 weeks old): He moves from nursery A (the sick baby nursery) to nursery B (the feeders and growers nursery).


• November 3 (16 weeks old): Tukker comes home after 115 days in the NICU!!!


• November 12 (18 weeks old): Tukk is diagnosed with hip dysplasia.


• January 19, 2009 (6 months old): Tukk has hernia surgery.
• July 8 (almost 1): He comes off oxygen completely! As my friend Elaine said, we finally upgraded to the wireless baby version!
  
  So to sum up, Tukker is awesome. :) He’s doing fantastic now, and we’re so blessed to have him here with us still. Happy birthday little man. We love you!