Tru Grace

melanibg - 06:02pm Jul 28, 2005 EST

My precious baby girl Tru Grace was born at 23 weeks on February 17, 2005. This was my second child. I had my son 9 years earlier, so it was like starting over. This pregnancy was different from the beginning. I was not as sick with Tru as I was with my son, but my blood pressure started and remained on the high side. On February 15th I had been on bed rest for over a week and I just didn't feel good. I went to sleep and when I woke up I couldn't see out of my left eye, it was as if someone stuck their thumb print on my eye. My husband came home from work and I told him what was happening and we immediately called the doctor and he had me go to the hospital. When I arrived at the hospital the nurses took my blood pressure and it was 220/140. They began giving me medicines to lower it and tests were ran. 24 hours later they careflighted me to Baylor hospital in Dallas where the OBGYN on duty came in and said we have to deliver the baby or one or both of you could die. I was so scared. Tru was born at 12:30pm weighing 1lb 4oz and 11 3/4 inches long. The fighter that she is cried out loud when she was born. At that time all I could think about was that she was alive and very small. Nothing could prepare me for the emotional roller coaster I was about to take. She was the smallest baby I had ever seen. She was so stubborn from the beginning. She had her honeymoon period while I was at the hospital, so I thought that everything was going to go as smoothly as the first 24-48 hours. I left the hospital without my child which was very weird and very depressing. But the staff in the NICU was so helpful and understanding. I had been home for a week when she was put on the ventilator. She wasn't gaining much weight and the doctors weren't giving her much hope if she didn't gain weight and get of the ventilator soon. She had a breathing tube for almost 2mos. The first time I was able to do Kangaroo Kare was the best day of my life with Tru. She started striving from that moment on. She was put on cpap for a few weeks and started gaining weight a little every day. She was finally strong enough to go on the nasal cannula and take a bottle 3 mos after she was born. After that there was no stopping her. She was taken off the oxygen and moved to the step up nursery at 4mos after she was born. Mind you I had a job, a 9 year old son, 11 year old step daughter and a husband at home. I was exhausted. But seeing her thrive helped me so much. I also so the power of prayer. God helped me when I would cry after leaving her or feel I wasn't giving my family enough time. On June 21, 2005 Tru came home weighing 7lbs 3ozs, 19 1/4 inches long. I am so blessed that she has not had any medical issues since she was in the hospital. She has to have visits with the eye doctor, but her eyes are growing out of the prematurity. I thank the lord everyday for my daughter and I am so blessed to have her in my life.

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July 4th.bmp