Cuz this is how we roll

We have rolls! Sorry, I personally think that for a kid that was born weighing 2 lbs 9 oz., being up to 4 lbs 9 oz. is awesome. Especially since he hasn't gotten much longer, so the fat is just collecting. :) And, this weight gain (which puts him at 2070 grams) makes him eligible for a crib. We put in the request last night. So, as soon as one is available (the NICUs only have a limited number of them, which is understandable considering that most of the babies in there are required to be in isolets), he will be moved over into one. He is also being tested on the low flow. He is not doing overly great with it yet, but 15 minutes is 15 minutes. They are going to try changing him to that when he is handling, which usually he tends to saturate high during that time, so I am hoping that will ease him into it. Going to be heading up to the hospital shortly and they will try that today (we have a long day, since we also have the CPR course tonight from 6-9).

I guess in a way, with him still being in the isolet, it is a good thing that he is still on the CPAP, though, as good lord does the boy have gas. Seriously, I don't know how such a smell can come out of such a cute and tiny little bottom. Seriously dude, it is enough to fell a horse at 60 paces. When you can smell it through a big, insulated, plastic box, it is bad.

I have also discovered that we are not immune to having some very dim nurses. We had one call last week to tell us that we needed to bring more milk in. Fine, we did, only to discover that she apparently failed to actually look in the freezer, as there was already a very large bag filled with my milk. But whatever, they just have extra (as our primary nurse said "well, at least you don't have to bring milk in again...ever"). So on Monday, this same nurse calls around 11:30 a.m. telling me that I have to bring in milk, as they only have 3 bottles left. The conversation went as follows:

RN: We have no milk. When are you coming in?
Me: Well, we aren't coming in until later on this evening, for the 6 o clock handling. But there is about a 3 month supply of milk down there already. We brought more in last week when you told us, only to find out that there was a full supply already there.
RN: Then I need your permission to give him formula.
Me: No, you don't have my permission. There is more than enough milk there.
RN: There are only 3 bottles, so I will be giving him formula.
Me: No, no you aren't. You don't have my permission to give him formula. I will call in and speak with the doctor and let them know that no permission has been given, if that is what it takes. Please go look in the freezer.
RN: We don't have any, but I will go check again and call you back to get your permission to give him formula.
Me: Yes, please do that.

****20 minutes later****

RN: I found the milk, but it was in a different compartment. You have too much milk here.
Me: Yes, I am aware, but was told that it was fine; just means that I don't have to bring anymore in at all.
RN: But you are taking up two compartments.
Me: I am aware of that as well, but you told me last week you had none, so more was brought in.
RN: What if someone else needs that space?
Me: Not my problem. I was told to bring in more, I brought in more. This is why the freezers are supposed to be checked before someone is told to bring in more milk.
RN: Maybe you should take some back home?
Me: No, but while I have you on the line, how did the eye exam go?
RN: They found a spot on his eye and would like to follow up in 2 weeks.
Me: What do you mean spot? What sort of a spot? What does that mean?
RN: I don't know. Nothing serious.
Me: Ok, is this a normal, standard follow up?
RN: No, I told you, they found a spot on his eye.
Me: Well what kind of a spot?
RN: It's nothing serious.
Me: Ok, but if they want to follow up on it, it must mean something.
RN: Yes, but I don't know what.

I hung up at that point. Really, not very helpful, especially with the telling me to bring in more milk, then telling me there is too much there. Grrrr! So, it turns out that there is nothing at all wrong with his eyes. I am guessing she looked at the little picture that they drew, and figured since they drew a mark on the eye on the form to indicate where his veins are, she took that to mean that he has a mark there on his actual eyeball. I don't know, and gave up trying to figure it out. These are the days that I miss our primary nurse when she is away.

On other gripes, I have learned to hate the protesters. If you live in Ontario, you know the ones I am talking about. Seriously, you wanna walk and protest a cause, go for it. But don't do it in front of the freaking hospitals...don't block the four main hospitals in Toronto...especially when 2 of those hospitals deal with many children. Do you seriously think blocking people from seeing their ill and, in some cases, terminal children is the way to go about garnering support? Do you think that I will support or at this point even listen to anything you have to say when you are causing what should be a 20-25 minute drive to take almost 2 freaking hours? I just want to see my son, and your group is deciding that standing in the middle of a highway is the appropriate protocol, or blocking all major streets in the downtown core that lead to the hospital is a great way to get attention? Well yes, you are getting attention. But I can guarantee that as far as I am concerned, it is definitely not the kind of attention that you would want. I mean, I look at you now with contempt for keeping me from seeing my infant son. I fear every time we head down because I don't know where you are going to be and in what way you are going to screw my visit with him. And I hate that due to the fact that it is peaceful and only disrupting the lives of anyone trying to get in or out of the city, or trying to get to one of those 4 hospitals, that there is nothing the police can do but assist you in your inane parades. Seriously, if you are stupid enough to stand on a freaking highway, you should not be provided with police intervention blocking said highway. If I was dumb enough to do that, rather than thinking I was making a point, I would expect to get hit, or arrested, or both. And then, after making a drive into the city an absolute nightmare because you have blocked rush hour traffic out of the city, you expect that I am going to gladly take the pamphlet you are trying to hand me through the car window? No. Seriously dude, no.

And then it makes me bitter and turns my thoughts elsewhere. Like do these people not have jobs? I can guarantee that if I took off as much time as this group seems to to stand around and march and block others who are trying to get in and out of the city, most presumably to their jobs, that I would not have my own job for very much longer. And I get most upset at this, as I am sure that there are many of them who, like the rest of this country, have been laid off. And in those circumstances, they are likely collecting EI, for which I filed almost 6 weeks ago, and still no decision has been reached. And I hate thinking like that, but seriously...why the hell are any of them receiving EI to stand around and make life pretty freaking difficult for everyone else, while I am battling with EI for my claim to go through because I simply want to be able to see my son and spend time with him without going completely broke?

Honest, this is not racially motivated anger. I would feel this way at this point in time no matter who the hell it was shutting down the damn city and putting everyone on edge (not to mention making those outside the city fear what they are going to be dealing with if they have to actually come in to Toronto). And I am sure that they have brought up issues that could be taken into consideration at some point (like when they blocked Front Street right in front of Union at rush hour a few months back), but at this point, after all the trouble that it has caused not only me, but others who are trying to get in and out of the downtown core to visit family members, children, etc., I really don't give a flying f*ck at a rolling donut what their damn point was.

Ok, rant over. (Yes, I realize that it will not make a difference and likely this weekend while I try to head down to spend some time with my son, they will screw my drive in over and I should plan to leave here at 6 a.m. to make it down for 3 p.m.)

ttfn
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