How Does Respiratory Therapy in a NICU Compare with Gods Love for Us?
Posted: Thursday, March 26, 2009
by Ken McCreless
RMS1437
Greetings Fellow Travelers
I have many times had cause to consider this very question. We can see God's handy work in every aspect of our lives, right? So, how would the bedside care, at least the Respiratory Therapy aspect, I can't speak for the nurses, give us some insight into how and why God treats his children as He does?
The majority of the babies I see in the NICU are there because of problems associated with being born prematurely. Lungs are not developed enough to provide sufficient gas exchange in order to maintain proper levels. The child has profound oxygen requirements which, if not brought in line, can lead to a condition called Retinopathy of Prematurity, ROP. This is partial or complete blindness caused by excess oxygen dilating the blood vessels at the back of the eye causing a tearing away of the retina, the area where images are focused by the lens of the eye.
Now, I have seen so many times where these tiny little babies, with weights around a pound or so, require so much support that the danger of ROP hovers like a salesperson at Conn 's. What did the baby do to deserve this? The child has been given DNA and chromosomal abnormalities, or has been subjected to stress from mom's health condition, was born prematurely, and now has to deal with all this. Mom's condition and/or environment was shaped or influenced by her parents, which was shaped or influenced by their parents, and so on.
Our goal, one of our goals, is to do anything we can to minimize a baby's oxygen needs. And, as an RRT, my job is vital to this cause. After all, survival of the human species is dependent on ABC, Airway, Breathing and Circulation- and we as RT's are responsible for the first two.
But here we are. We have a baby on our hands whose body could fit on your keyboard about 2 and a half times, whose life will be profoundly shaped by how well we do our jobs, and who has absolutely no desire to participate in her own healing!
Seriously, these children will fight you every step of the way. One example is this, and I must warn you that the following might be considered quite gross and upsetting by some, when the baby needs to be suctioned.
For those of you dear readers who have little or no experience in the medical world, suctioning is the insertion of a catheter into the nasal airway. The application of vacuum will draw out the secretions and mucus that will obstruct the baby's airway and cause dangerous respiratory distress. Sounds uncomfortable, right? A tiny baby will have no influence on this procedure, right?
Wrong!!
This smidgen of a child will reach UP AND DO HER LEVEL BEST TO STOP YOU FROM SAVING HER LIFE!!! These children, whose heads are just a bit larger than a tennis ball, will cause as much grief for you as possible. Sometimes the infants do not survive, and that, even as many times as I have seen it, breaks my heart. The good news is that most do make it, and a good portion of them will come away with little or no lasting effects from the tons of support required to keep them alive.
The payoff is when mom and dad, or, more often, mom and grandma, (God Bless ALL you grandmas out there, you know who you are!!), bring the children back for a visit after several months or a year or two. These children carry no clue of the care that brought them to this point and gave them a chance to have a good life after such an awful start.
I could never understand why things happened in my life as they did. Why, after having had my childhood robbed from me, forever, would God not give me a pass for some of the bad things?
Seems God knows what He is doing after all
I have many times had cause to consider this very question. We can see God's handy work in every aspect of our lives, right? So, how would the bedside care, at least the Respiratory Therapy aspect, I can't speak for the nurses, give us some insight into how and why God treats his children as He does?
The majority of the babies I see in the NICU are there because of problems associated with being born prematurely. Lungs are not developed enough to provide sufficient gas exchange in order to maintain proper levels. The child has profound oxygen requirements which, if not brought in line, can lead to a condition called Retinopathy of Prematurity, ROP. This is partial or complete blindness caused by excess oxygen dilating the blood vessels at the back of the eye causing a tearing away of the retina, the area where images are focused by the lens of the eye.
Our goal, one of our goals, is to do anything we can to minimize a baby's oxygen needs. And, as an RRT, my job is vital to this cause. After all, survival of the human species is dependent on ABC, Airway, Breathing and Circulation- and we as RT's are responsible for the first two.
But here we are. We have a baby on our hands whose body could fit on your keyboard about 2 and a half times, whose life will be profoundly shaped by how well we do our jobs, and who has absolutely no desire to participate in her own healing!
Seriously, these children will fight you every step of the way. One example is this, and I must warn you that the following might be considered quite gross and upsetting by some, when the baby needs to be suctioned.
For those of you dear readers who have little or no experience in the medical world, suctioning is the insertion of a catheter into the nasal airway. The application of vacuum will draw out the secretions and mucus that will obstruct the baby's airway and cause dangerous respiratory distress. Sounds uncomfortable, right? A tiny baby will have no influence on this procedure, right?
Wrong!!
This smidgen of a child will reach UP AND DO HER LEVEL BEST TO STOP YOU FROM SAVING HER LIFE!!! These children, whose heads are just a bit larger than a tennis ball, will cause as much grief for you as possible. Sometimes the infants do not survive, and that, even as many times as I have seen it, breaks my heart. The good news is that most do make it, and a good portion of them will come away with little or no lasting effects from the tons of support required to keep them alive.
The payoff is when mom and dad, or, more often, mom and grandma, (God Bless ALL you grandmas out there, you know who you are!!), bring the children back for a visit after several months or a year or two. These children carry no clue of the care that brought them to this point and gave them a chance to have a good life after such an awful start.
I could never understand why things happened in my life as they did. Why, after having had my childhood robbed from me, forever, would God not give me a pass for some of the bad things?
Seems God knows what He is doing after all
Ken McCreless is just a guy who loves to write, and was born to do so. He is a freelance writer with several projects ongoing, including books and magazines. A huge fan of both irony and history, Ken has dedicated his life and his writing to serve the Lord Jesus Christ.
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Top-level comments on this article: (7 total)Ken a real thought provoking article as to why. yet we who believe ralize we think on the human plain. Hvaing no comprehension of God's thoughts, purpose, reasoning. Now we humans do understand this, that child was given life and will live for eternity as will aborted babies. The reasons for the circumstance more complex then we can ever imagine. I would rather be the servant and trust in God knowing why and do all I can with the tools he provided me with and in the poistion he placed me into. There is a reason for that as well. Blessings, Robert.Very true, Robert. But the God that created me gave me a sense of "WHY?" A great curiosity about the world and His place in it.Thank you for reading and commenting, I appreciate it.
It isnt God who causes us to suffer or die tragic early deaths.It clearly appears that each of us has a clear blueprint,developed in Heaven and designed to teach us and others very hard lessons about love,compassion,sacrifice and grief.(When a psychic reads someone,what theyre reading is that very blueprint)I often wonder,tongue in cheek,if theres LSD or alcohol available in Heaven, as some of these carefully contrived lessons often break the heart of us.Thank you, Paul. No, it is not God that causes these things, but is He that pulls us out of them, as described in the article.As for the psychic. Snakewater salesmen, charlatans to be avoided or folks dabbling in things God warns us to stay away from. Bad idea either way. Why whoud you want or need hallucinegenic or any oher kind of drug in heaven?Thanks for stopping by.
Ken, excellent article. I am thankful for you and your specialty. My grandson was in NICU for 6 days - considered an easy patient - for some swallowed meconium, but he was never on oxygen, but may have had a treatment his first day. We were amazed at the delicate and skillful hands of the staff. I remember them saying how strong our little guy was - he kept trying to pull out his IV and did blow it once. Thanks for all you do. I know countless parents and g-parents appreciate you.These little guys always amaze me. You can always see when they have lost the will to live. But it's their willingness to fight for life that is most impressive. How can I give up when these tiny people won't?Thank you for the kind words, Lorrie.
God gave you such a special gift and I for one am glad you use it wisely. It takes a special person to do what you are doing. As to the question why, I only know that some things I won't know until I meet with the Lord. Thank you for sharing from the heart.Thank you, Linda. It is a unique situation, which becomes more evident everyday. I am blessed to have been put there.
Ken, this is a wonderful article. Filled with so many unspoken lessons. Sometimes why is a hard question to stay away from, but all these birth defects and illnesses are a result of sin. And it is sad when we see it play out on little babies. But it is God's grace that pulls us through. All you went through will be used and already is being used for His glory and purpose. I can't imagine those little babies fighting you to keep those tubs away. But it makes sense that they fear this great big person and unknown thing coming their way. What a good picture of how we fight what God is doing in our lives that while on the surface seems harsh, is actually our lifesaver.Thank you for sharing and giving this great lesson! I must say, its great to see a little more of Ken coming to surface. Your vulnerability and being more vocal about your faith has you shinning even brighter than you did before. Keep moving forward!! Blessings to you - your friend and sis, TeresaHi T!Thank you so much for the wonderful response. Yes, I am growing a lot lately. Life has taken on so much more meaning and with a purpose. I will indeed keep moving forward. It's exciting to think about what lies ahead!
This is a question which is asked hundreds of times and no-one ever can give an answer- unless they know the meaning of life.Well said, Connor. God has His reasons and that's enough. Thank you for reading and responding, I do appreciate it.
Ken, resting in the assurance that before we were born and after, we are in God's hands, whether we choose to be, care to be or know it. I am happy many of us have chosen wisely. When my thoughts tend to sway from His Word, I seek Him diligently and He's there. I pray this for each of us so that we can be of good cheer. Christ has indeed overcome the world and as a result, we are overcomers, too!
You've expressed His love for us in amazing detail. Thank you!We are overcomers through Him. It is a gift bought with blood and all we have to do is accept it! Thank you, Avis, for reading some of the not-so-current stuff!Ken, you're welcome. Re: the not-so-current stuff was on my "to do list." What's so refreshingly amazing about the Word of God is, it is a right-now Rhema Word . . . always current, fresh, relative and inspiring. Your writing inspires because it always has a message. There are times you deliver that message with humor. It's enjoyed.
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