I Love this List!
KATNEM@aol.com
Sun, 10 Mar 1996 19:16:40 -0500
Hi All!
I just signed onto this list after someone posted it on the twins mail list.
I live in the heart of Southern California. The San Fernando Valley to be
exact. Remember the song "Valley Girl?' Well that's me, so to speak. I
endured the worst NICU experience that I would never wish upon anybody. After
just two days on this list, I am begining to feel that I am not alone. A
feeling that I have felt for 22 months. I explained what led up to my
delivery of premature Twins, but not much of my NICU experience. I was at the
"Hospital with the best NICU" in the Valley. Although the doctors were good,
alot was left to be said in their bedside manners. Upon delivery, my babies
were whisked away, I did'nt even get to see them. In the recovery room, the
head neonatologist told me that he did not know whether my babies were "going
to make it". I finally saw them 12 hours later and was told that I could not
touch them, and my visit would be very limited. The head NICU Nurse then
informed me that my little Katrina had Herpes and that I must have given it
to her. I cried, and cried and cried. She did not have herpes, but I was
never apologized to. She had a neonatol (sp?) rash. I found this out after my
OB saw me hysterical and had me confide in him. He made the point to find
out what was wrong. Another Nurse told me that I MUST be a devil worshipper
because I saved the horoscopes from the day of their birth. I reported her,
but she was never disciplined. This was all just the begining. I pumped and
froze my breast milk, which was later thawed and given to the girls. When
Katrina was diagnosed with a small intestine infection, I was told it HAS to
be my breast milk that caused it and they threw away what I had left in the
hospital freezer. They immediately switched her to Bontamil and then to
Isomil. The gatro specialist came in and told me that my breast milk had
nothing to do with what Katrina had. Again, I cried and nobody apologized.
Toward the end of the girls stay, we were assigned a Japanese nurse who was
so rude to us, I can't begin to describe. THEN she found out that my Mother
is Japanese and did a complete about face. My children immediately became her
favorites. It still makes me sick. Granted, most of the terrible stuff that
went on involved the nurses, but the doctors were just as bad. Anyway, Thanks
for listening and Thanks for this list! It has already begun to help me heal.
Susan (Mommy to Katrina & Emily 8.4 weeks early and survivors of NICU Hell)