I can honestly say, and I know Justin would agree with me, that there is no way we would have made it through this nightmare without all the support we were given. There were many times that we needed others to hold us up when we were too exhausted or discouraged to keep going.
Family: Our families were amazing during this. As you know several relatives came and sat with me when I was in the hospital. My mom basically gave up her whole summer to sit with me and then she sat with me and Oliver. She took a leave from her job and made it home on the weekends to see my dad. My dad we nicknamed the zookeeper. He would take in our two dogs and our special needs cat every weekend, and those weeks that Justin stayed in Peoria after each crisis. The dogs ate a few pairs of his shorts during their time visiting. Our cat loved my dad, I mean loved him. Buzz would sleep with my dad and my dad even made a space for Buzz on a table next to the couch so they could watch tv together. Buzz had diabetes and that summer he became insulin resistant so he was getting pretty wacko. He would wake my dad up sometime between 3 or 4 am to feed him. Sometimes Buzz would stand on my dad's clock radio and turn it on in the middle of the night. Dad got a little cranky about that. My aunt, uncle, and cousin would come and visit me as well, although I think my cousin was only there for the student nurses. They and my parents stripped and stained our back deck. It was a horrible project and took a lot of work. They also helped to put together the nursery and my uncle did some plaster work in our bathroom. Justin's mom came and visited a few times and she and his sister also helped around the house and with the nursery. Once Ollie was here they basically purchased his wardrobe. Members of both of our families sent care packages to both myself and to Ollie. Oliver got a lot of mail while he was in the NICU.
After Oliver was home our families continued to help us. Mostly they were an extra pair of arms so that we could sleep or take showers or put the dishwasher away.
Friends: Our friends kept tabs on us. Our neighbors mowed our grass and watched the house. We got a lot of emails and phone calls from friends along with come care packages. Many of my former clients kept in contact with me or called my work to check on me and the baby. I felt awful leaving everyone in a lurch when I was admitted. Those families that I once helped now turned around and helped me. Some of the mothers of my clients had gone through similar situations and understood all to well what it was like. Some of my former clients are part of a support group that I now attend.
The first week I was admitted I met a nun who worked for pastoral care. She explained that if I wanted she would stop in once a week and visit with me and pray for me and my baby. I enjoyed her visits, she was this tiny woman from the Philippines. She would talk with me and who ever was my visitor that day then she would pull out her prayer book and recite a prayer. The morning after I delivered I saw her on the mother baby unit. She told me that she had already been to the NICU to see Ollie. I asked her how she had known that he was down there and she told me that she was given a printout of who was in what room and that my name was now in the mother baby unit so she figured the baby was in the NICU. It gave me some peace that she had been one of the first to see him and that she prayed for him. She would continue to see Ollie once a week while he was in the NICU. She is on our Christmas card list and we send her updates every now and then.
Church: Justin and I belong to a wonderful church. Several of the ministries became involved with us when I was first admitted. I was put on the prayer list and received many cards from other members. My pastor visited me before Oliver was born. I also was visited by other members. Some meals were made for Justin so that he didn't have to eat take out all the time. The morning after Oliver was born his birth was announced during the service. He was put on the prayer list as well. The church started the "prayer bear" for him. It was a great idea, basically there was a stuffed bear with a backpack placed on a table during coffee hour and people would write Oliver or us notes and put them in the bear. Each week we would receive an envelope containing several notes of well wishing. Pictures of Oliver, one of his tiny diapers, and a note on his progress were placed next to the bear. Oliver also received visits from our pastor and some other dear friends of ours. Once we were home we received some meals and Oliver continued to be on the prayer list. I strongly feel that all of the prayers and positive thoughts for Oliver made a huge difference for him. Justin and I and most people who know us feel that God smiled on our child.
No comments:
Post a Comment