98 Days: One Family's Journey Through the Nicu

By Joleen Padgett

When we found out we were pregnant, we were ecstatic. After what seemed to be progressing as a normal pregnancy, crisis ensued. Being new parents to a micro-preemie, we searched libraries and had difficulty finding personal stories we could look to for inspiration. After fielding multiple calls from the hospital and our doctors offices, we decided to share our NICU journey and experiences with families who find themselves in a similar situation.

• Language: English
• Publisher: WestBow Press
• Release date: Jun 26, 2012
• ISBN: 9781449756482

Joleen Padgett

Joleen Padgett resides in South Florida with her husband and daughter. She has been a stay-at-home mom since the birth of Laken. Recently, Joleen has become a home room parent for Laken’s kindergarten class and a temporary substitute teacher at the preschool affiliated with Laken’s elementary school. In addition to this book, Joleen has begun writing a series of children’s books. It has been a fun challenge and affords her the opportunity to work closely with her best friend of many years on illustrating the books. Joleen has a BA in marketing and advertising from Columbia College, Chicago, Illinois.

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Copyright © 2012 Joleen Padgett

All rights reserved. No part of this book may be used or reproduced by any means, graphic, electronic, or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, taping or by any information storage retrieval system without the written permission of the publisher except in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical articles and reviews.

ISBN: 978-1-4497-5649-9 (sc)

ISBN: 978-1-4497-5650-5 (hc)

ISBN: 978-1-4497-5648-2 (e)

United States Copyright Office pending (1-694937188)

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Library of Congress Control Number: 2012910609

To our beautiful little girl

Daddy and Mommy love you so much!

Even though you began this life being so little,

You have persevered and fought to be such

a healthy, happy, beautiful girl.

Our wish for you is that all your dreams come true!

Laken Riley’s Song (written by Daddy)

Da Da Da DaDi Di Di

Ma Ma Ma … MaMi Mi Mi

La La La … La … Laken Riley

Everybody loves Laken Riley

Apple of her mama’s eye

Daddy’s little sweetie pie

Your nana and your papa think you’re cute as can be

I just think you look like me

Contents

Acknowledgments

Introduction

All About Mommy and Daddy

And Baby Makes Three!

Hurry Up and Deliver

Getting a NICU Education

That Darn Bottle!

NICU’s Exit Door

How Do We Pay For This?

A Brave Little Fighter

Ready, Set…Drive!

Heading to Two

Take Three

In Four Stitches!

Oh my…she’s five!

Six…Really?

A Few Special Photographs

Glossary

A Handful of E-mails

Notes to Glossary

About the Author

Acknowledgments

John, Laken and I could not have made it through our NICU experience without the support and love of our family and friends.

Our gratitude for the doctors, nurses, and other staff of West Boca Medical Center and its NICU Department is immeasurable. We also wish to express our thanks to Laken’s current team of doctors, who continue to track her amazing progress to this day. A special thank you to Laken – your drawing from your first day of kindergarten could not have been more perfect for the cover of our book.

Introduction

On December 3, 2005, my husband John and I unexpectedly found our newborn daughter facing a minimum of three months in the neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) at West Boca Medical Center in Boca Raton, Florida. Her time in the NICU would allow her to grow big and strong enough to come home with us by March 17, 2006, the date that we originally expected her to be born. After only twenty-five weeks in the womb, Laken Riley was born weighing a mere one pound three ounces—a very scary situation for her first-time parents. At this tender size, she fell into the category of micro preemie. The hospital staff, who was extremely supportive and informative, recommended that I visit the library to research follow-up care for babies released from the NICU. Unfortunately, there actually wasn’t much information available to me. My husband and I desperately wanted information to help us prepare for bringing Laken home, but instead of finding personal stories to guide us through the process, I only came across medical books. I really wanted to read or hear about other parents’ experiences handling the sensitive and overwhelming challenges of caring for a premature baby. I was disappointed to find such resources lacking.

After our daughter came home, we began receiving calls from the NICU and from the doctor’s office asking if I would mind advising other parents of NICU babies. Looking for support and encouragement, these parents were eager to hear about our daughter’s journey. For this reason, I decided to write our story, not only for our daughter, but also for all the families that have found themselves in a similar situation. For those of you who face this challenge, your time in the NICU may seem like an eternity, but it really is only the beginning of a long journey for your family. There is so much to learn while interacting with everyone in the NICU; to this day we remain friends with the staff who cared for Laken.

All About Mommy and Daddy

I was born and raised in Chicago, Illinois. After graduating from high school, I spent one year at the University of Iowa and then transferred to Columbia College in Chicago to earn my BA in marketing and advertising. I was fortunate to get a six-month internship in the promotions department of a Chicago radio station, WNUA Smooth Jazz. I made a lot of great contacts and friends there.

In November 1993, I landed a full-time position as the promotion assistant at WJMK/WJJD Radio in Chicago. I was blessed to work with such radio legends as John Records Landecker, Dick Biondi, and Clark Weber,