On the mend

Tanner is almost all better...no more nebulizer, no more humidfier, almost done with this round of antibiotics, and all signs of thrush are gone. He has been sleeping better through the night; and therefore, WE have been sleeping much better. I also decided to remove one of the four pumping times for our routine. I chose the middle of the night time slot! This has greatly improved the amount of REM sleep that Tobin and I get each night.

The seasons are definitely changing and our time outside has diminished. Tanner has begun to grow hair on his head again, but there is no where near enough to keep his lil' head warm, so he has become the king of many hats. Luckily he will keep them on. I receive many comments on them, but they are not necessarily a fashion statement. I just have to dress him warmly these days! There were many outfits that he never got to wear because the weather changed! We have still gone on a few strolls around the neighborhood, but for the most part, we have had to stay indoors. He LOVES the time outside, and it was a great way to get him to nap, but it has been too chilly and windy here lately. Plus, this may be the nervous 1st-time-mommy in me, but I am afraid of RSV season and what can be caught just by air-borne particles. I'm sure it is nothing compared to what he can catch, and has caught, at daycare, but with lung issues and a history of respiratory illness, I don't want to take any chances.
Speaking of that, we have been denied TWICE for the Synagis medicine for RSV. I appealed it once and then, due to my frustration, I handed it over to his pediatrician's nurse. She has been wonderful and very diligent, claiming that "it isn't over yet! I'm going to get him this medicine!!" I received a phone call that clearly stated, "As soon as you get the medicine in the mail, please give us a call so we can set up the appointment and get Tanner his monthly shots. A nurse will come to your home and administer these shots." Then, in the next voicemail, he was denied on the basis of only having one risk factor...excuse me? Don't even get me started! Way to get my hopes up and then shatter them! His risk factors are plenty (and were all checked on the form provided by them):

• gestational age of 33.3 weeks
• less than 6 months old at the beginning of respiratory illness season
• received 4 doses of surfactant while in the NICU to keep his lungs from collapsing
• was on a CPAP while in the NICU
• 20 days in the NICU due partly to respiratory/breathing issues
• attends daycare 5 days/week
• 2 dogs/2 cats in and out of the home
• on medication for acid reflux

So, his nurse has been wonderful and currently has phone calls out to several key people, including the higher ups at the insurance company as well as the provider of this drug. She feels confident that this is all a big misunderstanding, especially since the drug rep that visited her office said that Tanner should qualify on the basis of being 7 weeks early alone, no other risk factors needed. Too bad that guy doesn't make the final decisions because time is ticking and we are getting further and further into the season for illness. So glad that he is on the mend for now!