It's a Miracle!

It's a Miracle!

My sister-in-law, Karen, delivered her twin babies on Thursday. They were trying to hold off on the delivery until next week. But Karen spiked a temperature and they feared infection had gone into her lungs. The twins were born via c-section almost two months early.

The babies do not have their swallow reflex so they have to be fed with droppers like lost little birds. One baby needed to be on a c-pap device. This provides a continuous positive flow of oxygen, but it's less invasive and less intense than a full-fledged respirator. As of today, both babies are breathing room oxygen unassisted. They're still in the NICU because of the lack of a swallow reflex.

Karen did not have an easy time with this delivery. She is still in the ICU. About two hours after the c-section she started to bleed out. She was rushed into surgery for an emergency hysterectomy. My brother was given "the talk." You know the one... when the doctor's don't think the patient is going to survive so they assure the family that they are doing everything possible -- but things don't look good, so the family should start to prepare for the worst... that talk.

But my brother didn't need "the talk." My brother is trained, professional paramedic and he understood everything the doctors said. He knew just how grave the situation was.

Even after the emergency hysterectomy they couldn't control the bleeding. Karen was given 14 units of whole blood. She remained intabated in the ICU. Late on Thursday the bleeding was brought under control.

Friday Karen was extabated, that is taken off the respirator. The doctors felt she had turned a positive corner, but decided to leave her in the ICU because her case had "been so surprising."

I spoke with my brother. He said that babies are not normally allowed to be taken out of the NICU. Karen couldn't leave the ICU. John had to push hard, but he managed to convince the Neonatolgist to allow the twins to visit their mother in the ICU. Late Friday night the babies were taken up to see their mom for the first time since their birth. I'm told it was an emotional visit.

Karen is still in the ICU, but the doctors believe she will make a full recovery with time. One doctor told my brother it's a miracle that she's alive.

Thank God!