Let there be light!

Monday, we had Tanner's first doctor appointment.  Our boys see Dr. Katz at Plano Pediatrics and we LOVE him.  However, he didn't have great news for us.  Tanner's billi count was high.  Which means he was jaundiced.  We'd guessed that by looking at him.  He'd gotten yellow/orange in his skin since we came home.  But his number were very high.  17+ I think it was.  To put that in perspective for you, when we left the hospital 2 days before that, his number was at 7.6.  Yikes!

So he was prescribed light therapy at home 24/7 then us coming back in to recheck his count.  Things got a little crazy then.  The lights were supposed to be delivered to our door that night.  Nothing.  So I called the doctor office first thing in the morning to find out why.  No one knew what was going on, but they promised they were on it.  Meanwhile we still had to come in to see if his count was going down on it's own. 

In we went only to find out his numbers went UP.  To over 19.  Ugh. 

With a promise things would get sorted out and the lights would come that day, we made another appointment for the next day and left. 

Then there was the insurance madness.  The home health service called me telling me my insurance was denying the claim, saying it was terminated at the end of December.  Of course, that caused a massive amount of panic on my part, since my baby boy was already a day behind in this treatment.  I started bawling and sending emails and calling my doctor and the home health service, etc. 

It all got worked out, eventually, and the lights showed up that afternoon.  We were given instruction on how to use it and Tanner's 24/7 therapy began.  Of course, we take him out to change him and feed him, but that poor nugget has to spend the rest of his time tucked in his light bed.  :(

Luckily, it's warm and cozy and he sleeps well in it.  But when he's awake and looking around with his sweet baby eyes, it breaks my heart that I can't pick him up.  But we set the bed up in the pack n play downstairs and we can pull it right up to the couch, so we can interact with him while he's awake.  It's still sad though.

Strapping in the baby straight jacket

Lights on!

 

We went back today, yes, we've been every day.  Tanner's numbers didn't change at all after a day with the lights.  :(  But, at least they didn't go up. 

 

To be continued.  Yeah, we're going back again tomorrow.