Update

So we're a week into having NEC, and we're starting to look towards progress again.. which is scary! Addie is still on the sump to help rest her gut, still on two antibiotics to kill the bacteria, and she is still receiving nourishment through her IV of TPN and lipids. Thank God for all of the amazing things He has allowed us to discover in medicine.. .she is living, and even growing / gaining weight, on the TPN and lipids while not putting any strain on her intestines thanks to the sump keeping her stomach cleared of everything.. .it's really fantastic when you think about it.

Addie is back on room air temperature, wearing clothes again since they aren't having to measure her stomach as often. She is being very fashion forward and wearing everything off of one shoulder ...granted that's primarily to keep from having to bother her PIC line by pulling it in and out of sleeves.. . I think that will be the only step in her recovery that isn't terrifying. I'm looking forward to doing "Addie laundry" again!

The road to recovery IS scary. She's no longer having daily Xrays, which leaves us in the "unknown" as far as how her gut is looking. That's scary. We are trying her with the sump but with the suction turned off on the sump to try to let some of the disgusting looking bile digest on through her intestines and see if they will work without food yet. That's scary. Next step would be to take her off the sump altogether. That would be great as far as making her more comfortable without that thick tube down her throat, but again.. .it's scary to think of that dark "gunk" passing through her body. And then the next step would be to try to reintroduce food.. .the scariest of all. At any point she could have a perforation as her gut starts working again.. the bacteria could still be present.. .she could get NEC again.

It's enough to make you crazy with anxiety. But we are going to trust our doctors to make smart decisions, our nurses to watch her closely and help the doctors as they make decisions, and most importantly we're going to trust that God's hand is in this and on Addie. He loves her more than we do - which leaves me speechless if I really think about it. I don't know why she's had to have everything go wrong that could go wrong, but I know He's carried her through each set back and each trial, even and especially during the moments when we didn't know if she would make it. Without His hand and His miracles, our little girl wouldn't be here fighting today. He strengthens her daily, and I have to trust that He will carry her - and us - over this hurdle as well. He must have huge plans for our tiny girl.. .He's already using her to touch lives even as she has fought for her own.