The Lung Doctor

Hannah saw the pulmonologist on Tuesday, and he saw her. She got a clean bill of health and we've gotten permission to wean her off two of her four remaining medicines (the diuretic to keep fluids out of the lungs, and the sodium chloride that replaces the salt she loses from the diuretic). She's gone to half doses of each, and if she's still doing fine two weeks later, we'll drop those two completely. The other two meds (Prevacid for reflux and Pulmacort for lung function) will probably be dropped within the next couple months as well.

Hannah's up to fifteen pounds today, 10 times her birth weight (by contrast, most children take 10 years to reach 10 times their birth weight). Looking at her today, it's hard to imagine that when she was born, she weighed about the same as the 20-ounce sodas we bought from the vending machine at the hospital, on our way in to visit her.






I don't go a single day without thinking about all the other children and their parents that are still spending their nights and days in hospitals. Having been there, my heart aches for them and I almost feel guilty for Hannah's miraculous progress. It bothers me that if Hannah had been born perfectly healthy, I probably would have taken it for granted and not realized what an absolute blessing a baby's carefree smile is. You just don't value things properly until they are almost taken away.

Please say a prayer or spare a thought for Ethan, Avery, and every other child still fighting for their health, and for all the parents and healthcare workers that silently shoulder the immense burden of caring for them.