This got really long. Sorry. Guess I needed to get the story out more than I knew. 
When I was pregnant with twins, my hope was to deliver at the hospital nearest my house, which happens to be where I was born. Unfortunately, that hospital didn't have a Level III NICU, so we knew that if I went into labor before 32 weeks, I'd have to transfer to the university hospital 25 minutes away. I went into PTL locally, and was taken by ambulance to the university hospital, and stuck around on their high-risk unit for 2 weeks before having my babies at 29 weeks gestation.
Ten days into my girls' NICU stay, a baby showed up in the next isolette, and I saw that he was baby B of a set of twins, and that he was a transfer from the hospital near my house, and that he was also a 29-weeker. Without even seeing his parents, my heart went out to his mama, who had obviously given birth in that hospital and was now separated from her babies. Her parents and her husband and brother showed up that night, and I learned that the babies' parents lived 15 minutes from us, and that her water had broken in the middle of the night, and the babies came a few hours later, so she was stuck in the other hospital recovering from surgery. I told them to tell her not to worry, that she would have a friend as soon as she got here, and that I'd watch over her son (and her daughter in the next room) while she was gone.
Two days later, I met her, and we became instant best friends. We sat behind the curtains in the pump room and talked, we sat by our babies and talked, we talked in the morning on the phone, we ate in the cafeteria together, and we cried. Her son was diagnosed with a grade four IVH, and the outlook ranged from severe CP to absolutely nothing wrong. Her daughter had suspected NEC, but they caught it early enough that she didn't require any surgery and recovered on her own. My girls had fewer bumps, but Kate wouldn't kick the oxygen habit.
On a Friday, Beth's son Bobby was discharged to home. The following Monday, her Sarah and my Lillian were discharged. My Kate came home with oxygen 2 days after her sister. Thus commenced the daily, sometimes hourly phonecalls. Beth and I didn't see each other literally for months, but we talked constantly. It was the most amazing experience to have a friend who knew just what I had been through, and to whom I never had to explain myself.
That was 2006. We've stayed just as close since. In the past 3.5 years, there may be 5-6 days upon which we haven't spoken at least once. And usually much more. We get together all year round, shooting for once a week, sometimes more. All four of our children are healthy, happy, and absolute best friends. Her son shows no signs of trouble at all from his bleed.
Yesterday, they all started preschool together, and somehow we managed (a) not to cry hysterically and (b) to get a picture of all four of these amazing children, smiling for the camera.
http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2507/...1264d382_b.jpg (mine are on the left, hers are on the right, obviously)
I hope the story and the photo provide a little bit of inspiration to someone who is still going through the early days of this insane experience. These four NICU grads inspire me every single time I see them.
When I was pregnant with twins, my hope was to deliver at the hospital nearest my house, which happens to be where I was born. Unfortunately, that hospital didn't have a Level III NICU, so we knew that if I went into labor before 32 weeks, I'd have to transfer to the university hospital 25 minutes away. I went into PTL locally, and was taken by ambulance to the university hospital, and stuck around on their high-risk unit for 2 weeks before having my babies at 29 weeks gestation.
Ten days into my girls' NICU stay, a baby showed up in the next isolette, and I saw that he was baby B of a set of twins, and that he was a transfer from the hospital near my house, and that he was also a 29-weeker. Without even seeing his parents, my heart went out to his mama, who had obviously given birth in that hospital and was now separated from her babies. Her parents and her husband and brother showed up that night, and I learned that the babies' parents lived 15 minutes from us, and that her water had broken in the middle of the night, and the babies came a few hours later, so she was stuck in the other hospital recovering from surgery. I told them to tell her not to worry, that she would have a friend as soon as she got here, and that I'd watch over her son (and her daughter in the next room) while she was gone.
Two days later, I met her, and we became instant best friends. We sat behind the curtains in the pump room and talked, we sat by our babies and talked, we talked in the morning on the phone, we ate in the cafeteria together, and we cried. Her son was diagnosed with a grade four IVH, and the outlook ranged from severe CP to absolutely nothing wrong. Her daughter had suspected NEC, but they caught it early enough that she didn't require any surgery and recovered on her own. My girls had fewer bumps, but Kate wouldn't kick the oxygen habit.
On a Friday, Beth's son Bobby was discharged to home. The following Monday, her Sarah and my Lillian were discharged. My Kate came home with oxygen 2 days after her sister. Thus commenced the daily, sometimes hourly phonecalls. Beth and I didn't see each other literally for months, but we talked constantly. It was the most amazing experience to have a friend who knew just what I had been through, and to whom I never had to explain myself.
That was 2006. We've stayed just as close since. In the past 3.5 years, there may be 5-6 days upon which we haven't spoken at least once. And usually much more. We get together all year round, shooting for once a week, sometimes more. All four of our children are healthy, happy, and absolute best friends. Her son shows no signs of trouble at all from his bleed.
Yesterday, they all started preschool together, and somehow we managed (a) not to cry hysterically and (b) to get a picture of all four of these amazing children, smiling for the camera.
http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2507/...1264d382_b.jpg (mine are on the left, hers are on the right, obviously)
I hope the story and the photo provide a little bit of inspiration to someone who is still going through the early days of this insane experience. These four NICU grads inspire me every single time I see them.
hat beautiful children! I'm so happy that things turned out wonderfully for you and your friend. Your story was very touching 
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