Giving Thanks Challenge ~ {Day #1}

Today begins a 30 day challenge of giving thanks {if you missed yesterday's post, you can read it here for the explanation}, but not just your typical "think of something each day for which you are thankful."  I have done that before and think it is great; but this year I wanted to do something different~something that made me put more effort and thought into the season.   So I decided to choose one topic and find 30 different aspects of it for which to be thankful.  Several have said they will take up this challenge with me, and I am excited to see how some are already beginning to be encouraged and to pray for others as we embark upon this endeavor to purposefully give thanks each day of this month.  We still welcome anyone who would like to participate with us and encourage you to share each day as well through this month.  I pray this sets a pattern for my life that will continue far beyond the 30 days of November and this Thanksgiving month, and I hope it does the same for you.

I had originally planned a different type of post for today, but that changed when I saw and read some stories regarding NICU evacuations during Hurricane Sandy and was reminded of something else in Noelle's situation for which I am thankful.  So the original post will just have to wait for another day as this is now on my heart.  Updates on Noelle will continue to be provided throughout the month as well and will be woven into the daily posts when we have new information to share.  So, for what aspect of your topic are you thankful?

Thanksgiving Challenge ~ Day #1
Topic: Noelle
Title: Forsyth Medical Center NICU

~Today, I am thankful for the incredible NICU in which Noelle lived for so many months and the protection that God provided while she was there.  As I watched the news today and read reports on the aftermath of Hurricane Sandy,  I saw and read stories of various preemie babies who had to be transferred through the chaos of the storm in the middle of the night, due to a loss of power.  The pictures and emotions of parents that were described brought back a flood of memories and my own emotions.  We went through one somewhat traumatic transfer (here), but we were with Noelle almost the entire time and never had to worry about power, flooding, carrying our less than 2 pound baby down flights of stairs, bagging her to help her breathe because of loss of power, and the list just continues.  I can only imagine the stress and anxiety these families experienced in this situation, on top of their already difficult NICU experiences; and it made me incredibly thankful, once again, for our NICU family at FMC.  I know there are many misconceptions that NICU nurses, respiratory therapists, nurse practitioners, and neonatologists simply rock and feed babies all day long, but nothing could be further from the truth.  On the contrary, I believe that the NICU team has one of the most difficult jobs within the medical field.  I know there are other challenging fields, but my point is that while the job is sometimes very rewarding, the path to that reward is often an incredibly long and difficult struggle as these precious people fight to do everything possible to save babies' lives.  Their patients never speak to them to tell them how they are feeling or where it hurts; they must instead closely follow the clinical signs for how to treat them.  They use monitors and lab results, ultrasounds and x-rays; but when it comes down to "the rubber meeting the road," they rely on their knowledge, experience, and instinct to respond to so many situations that happen and then change from one minute to the next.  So when the power goes out, and they are left without technology, they rise to yet another challenge and continue to do their job in providing the very best care for the tiniest and sickest babies that are born into this world.  Respiratory failure, organ failure, heart failure, brain bleeds, bowel perforation, and infection are only a few of the items that they handle on regular basis; and yet they return to each shift with a passion and a love that is unrivaled.  I think that is what amazes me the most~the care and concern and the communication with the parents through the process.  A lot of bad news is delivered to various parents on a daily basis in the NICU; and yet they handle it with honesty and deep compassion.  If I wrote a book on this, I could still never do these incredible people the justice they deserve.  I wish I could adequately explain even one hour in the NICU and give you a true glimpse of what they actually do, but I hope you understand that it is far more than rocking and feeding babies.  I know not every NICU is as incredible as the one with which we were blessed, and I am forever grateful to our FMC NICU family for your faithful service, your incredibly hard work, your tireless efforts, your sweet optimism, your endless hours of answering questions and explaining issues, your gentle honesty, and your undying love for Noelle and our family.  I cannot think of you or speak of you in this way without tears in my eyes and a heart overflowing with gratitude for the impact you have made in our lives.  You will forever be a part of our family.

***Do not forget there are only a couple of weeks left to submit your entry for the book project for Noelle's birthday.  You can read about the project and the deadline by clicking here .  We are enjoying the submissions we have already received but would love to hear from you, if you are willing to participate.  Thank you so much for helping us make Noelle's first birthday a special time of remembrance!!***