Alastair's Hospital Diary
Tuesday 31st July 2001
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Born 4:47pm on Tuesday 31st July 2001 at St. Mary's Hospital, Manchester
Weight: 5lb 9oz
Alastair was born five weeks early, and has had a little bit of difficulty breathing because
his lungs are not up to full strength yet. At first, he was "grunting", which is a kind of
repeated little whine that sounds like a car alarm that's fed up. Babies often do this to keep
their lungs working (or due to other reasons which don't seem to apply here). Alastair was taken
to the special baby unit at St. Mary's and put into an incubator as you can see here. He's the
biggest baby on the unit!
Click on the image for a bigger picture.
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Wednesday 1st August 2001
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This picture looks blue because Alastair is having "photo therapy". This is an anti-jaundice
sun bathing type device. The levels in his blood were just on the border line for giving him
this treatment, so he shouldn't need it for long. While he's under the lamp, he gets to wear
foam shades. Earlier in the day he had a pipe with
oxygen up his nose to make breathing easy for him. This let him stop grunting and gave him
a rest. Here, he has a bit of extra oxygen in his air, but is otherwise breathing by himself.
You can see that his chest is depressed a bit in the picture - this is because he's working so
hard to get his lungs going properly. He's holding Lynda's finger, and you can see Eeyore under
her hand. Piglet is hiding where you can't see. He has a dummy because he was screaming the place
down for something to eat, and is putting everything he can find to his mouth. They don't like
to feed babies when they're having trouble breathing because it makes the breathing even harder
for them. Alastair doesn't understand this and is not happy about being hungry. The thing on his
left arm is a glucose drip, so he is getting some nourishment directly.
Click on the image for a bigger picture.
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Thursday 2nd August 2001
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Alastair was doing better today. By the end of the day he was breathing normal air without
extra oxygen, although his lungs are still not as strong yet as they need to be. Without his
hat, goggles and many cables, he seemed a lot more comfortable. He had a spell out of the
incubator with Mum and Dad, and also took time out to pose with his new friends. Soon he should
start to feed a little bit.
Click on the image for a bigger picture.
Click for a video of Alastair - over 2MB, so will take some time to
download.
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Friday 3rd August 2001
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Alastair continues to improve. Today he was taking some milk through a tube in his nose - only
a tiny amount at first to get his insides working. He had another half hour outside with his Mum,
sporting this year's fashion in hats to keep his head warm. After going back inside due to being a little
cool, he kicked his blankets off in half a minute. Later in the day he was more awake, as
you can see here. He managed to pull off his heart and respiration monitors, which the nurse replaced
with stronger sticking versions. Alastair then loosened the plaster holding the tube in his nose and
pulled it out a bit. Once the doctor had put the tube and plaster back, Alastair pulled the tube out
of his nose completely. He doesn't like having things stuck on him.
His eyes move together and followed his Dad looking through the side and the top in turn - back and forth.
Yesterday, he sent us this card.
Click on the image for a bigger picture.
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Saturday 4th August 2001
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Today, Alastair had over an hour with Mum, which he spent sleeping.
Other than that, he concentrated on sleeping. Later on, he went back under the sun lamp
as his jaundice levels were a bit high. True to form, he managed to remove his goggles
whenever they were put back over his eyes.
His milk intake is up a little bit - as this gradually increases he'll be able to take less
from the drip. Eventually he can give that up altogether and just have milk.
Click on the image for a bigger picture.
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Sunday 5th August 2001
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Alastair spent more time with Mum today. He's been feeding a little bit, in addition to
taking more milk through his nose tube. Still under the sun lamp much of the day, to get
his jaundice levels down, and still removing his goggles every 2 minutes. His breathing
is so much better now that he's been moved out of intensive care into "room 2". Although
still in his incubator and being monitored, this room is much quieter. He'll stay here until he is feeding
properly and gaining weight.
Click on the image for a bigger picture.
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Monday 6th August 2001
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Today Alastair really got the hang of feeding and has been taking and digesting more milk.
This is him post-feed having a rest. His jaundice levels are down, so he has got rid of his
goggles for a bit. Later on he had a more lucid phase where he was looking at things. Mostly,
he still concentrates on sleeping.
Click on the image for a bigger picture.
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Tuesday 7th August 2001
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Today was Alastair's 1 week birthday, and Lynda's 21st birthday.
While there were baby sitters available, we had our first meal out since the birth!
Alastair continues to improve his feeding technique, which reduces the amount that he takes through his IV.
They're hoping to be able to remove his IV altogether in the next day or so, which he will
like very much as it frees his hand.
His yoga position for the day doesn't look very comfortable, but it was a free choice, and he
seems very contented. Being in a quieter room and eating a lot seems to suit him, which must be
hereditary. His jaundice levels have risen again, however, so the shades are back on, this time
stuck directly to his head so that he can't remove them (they think), and he's under the sun lamp.
He was weighed today, and was 5lb 1oz, which is very good. Babies always lose weight after they are
born, and Alastair is doing well to be only 7oz under his birth weight at this stage.
Click on the image for a bigger picture.
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Wednesday 8th August 2001
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Alastair has stopped taking his IV today, although it is still attached while they monitor how he's doing -
he continues to take on more milk and make good progress.
He had hiccups today, but didn't seem distressed by them - they soon went away.
Increasingly, he is having lucid phases where he looks at things, although he sometimes
gets so interested in his Mum's shirt that he lets milk dribble out of his mouth. Today's position
is legs crossed and arms up.
Click on the image for a bigger picture.
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Thursday 9th August 2001
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More progress today - Alastair is doing so well that he has had his IV and most of his monitors removed,
and is dressed in the current baggy trousered fashion.
He'll soon be sleeping in a cot next to Mum on the normal ward -
once the doctors are happy with him keeping his temperature up and feeding happily they
will discharge him from special care (which means no more tubes and monitors at all!).
Then it's a question of putting on weight in the normal ward so that he
can come home. He had some time with Dad, which obviously helped a lot. His red colour in the bottom picture is
due to messing with the photo because it was dark - he's more the colour of the top picture really!
He had his rebellious phase today, which should make his teenage years easier.
Today's position probably has his feet together - there's a fair bit of growth left in that baby grow!
Click on the image for a bigger picture.
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Friday 10th August 2001
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Alastair was discharged from the special care unit today, and moved down to the ward with Mum.
All his monitors were removed (hurrah!), and he was dressed in waif and stray hospital clothes.
Later today, he had clothes brought in, so soon he will be wearing his own things.
He continues to feed well (his weight was the same today as the last time, which is good), and is increasingly alert. Piglet in particular needs to be watched carefully (just in case).
Alastair had his hearing test today, which he passed fine. The mark on his cheek is from the plaster
for his nose drip. Now he is free of such things, and just needs to feed well while keeping the jaundice at bay (his
level was low again today).
He should be coming home within the week now.
Click on the image for a bigger picture.
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Saturday 11th August 2001
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Today saw Alastair continuing to improve, feeding well and asserting his own views on where
hands and feet ought to be placed relative to his clothing.
Each day he is increasingly alert and interested in his surroundings.
So far, he's being very good natured, and is sleeping longer between feeds already - we live in hope!
Tomorrow he'll be having his first bath. On Monday, he should be able to come home.
Click on the image for a bigger picture.
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Sunday 12th August 2001
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Alastair doesn't like baths - he was clinging to the edge. He's all clean now,
and just has to keep an eye on Pooh and Piglet, who seem to be up to Something.
His jaundice levels are up a bit, although well below the treatment line -
we're still hoping to get him home tomorrow. He's been weighed again, and he's put on
an ounce and a half, so jaundice looks like the only reason that they might keep him in.
Click on the image for a bigger picture.
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Monday 13th August 2001
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As he's had his jaundice for nearly two weeks, Alastair needs one more test before he
can come home - which should be on Tuesday. This will make sure that there are no
long-term problems with it. He's continuing to feed well, and gets more alert
every day, having a very long session of being wide awake (in an Alastair sense).
Today's position is the Starfish.
Click on the image for a bigger picture.
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Tuesday 14th August 2001
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Alastair came home today!
His tests were all OK, so he was cleared to come home.
He got his new tailor-made hat, and had a very alert session for a long time.
By the time everthing was ready to go home, he was quite tired.
Everything that looked tiny before, such as his car seat, looks enormous with Alastair in it!
Click on the image for a bigger picture.
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Wednesday 15th August 2001
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Now that Alastair's home, we won't be updating his web site every day, but will be
adding new things at irregular intervals.
Click on the image for a bigger picture.
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