Took a couple days off from writing to really soak up the last couple days of vacation and now I’m back!
Today I thought I’d talk about our experience in the GBMC NICU.
Overall I am one million percent in love with GBMC. I had surgery there years ago and I’ve been seeing the same GBMC OBGYN ever since. I tell everyone I know to go see her (well, all the ladies that is.) She’s super calm and matter of fact and I am routinely the opposite of that in stressful situations so I think it’s a good fit.
Unfortunately she wasn’t on call the night Isaac was born so another doctor performed my C section. He was probably the only time I was like what the fuck is happening at GBMC. He talked about his love for machine guns literally while he was sawing me open. Come on guy, this is the scariest moment of my life and you’re talking about the second amendment and shooting your big guns?! Everyone else in the room was amazing, as was everyone else the entire rest of our stay at GBMC.
Isaac spent 17 days in the GBMC NICU before he was transferred to the University of Maryland Medical Center in Baltimore. I can’t say enough nice things about the doctors, nurses, respiratory therapists, etc. etc. etc. They were all wonderful to us and took care of Isaac with the most love and care. They didn’t just care about how the patient was doing, they cared about Chris and I as well, and always made sure we knew what was happening. We were always included in rounds and invited to ask as many questions as we wanted/needed. It felt like home.
The nurses would shift every couple of days and we loved every single one. Each time we got a new one we were skeptical, and each one we loved just as much as the others. It takes a special kind to work in a NICU. I can’t imagine how rewarding and also saddening that job must be, but I am so, so thankful for everyone at GBMC.
I can’t write about our love for GBMC without mentioning the genetics department there. We spent so much time there getting ultrasounds and tests before Isaac was born, and once he was born they worked tirelessly to figure out what was wrong with him. Special shout out to Amy and Dr. Kline, we wouldn’t have any of the information we have today without you.
After Isaac passed away I wrote a letter to the president and CEO of GBMC. I just felt like everyone at GBMC had gone so above and beyond and it had to be acknowledged. I think I also suggested he give everyone raises, not sure if that worked out or not but they definitely deserved it. I definitely wasn’t expecting a response, but a couple weeks later I got one, a letter thanking me for reaching out. It meant a lot.
I should probably end this blog post before it becomes a full-fledged paid advertisement for GBMC!
AmySchoedel 