My Second Day
Tuesday, 26 August 1997

Breathe in, breathe out ...

I certainly slept like a baby that first night. Didn't have much choice I guess. I was pretty drugged up. The doctors wanted me to move as little as possible.

Since I was born so young, my lungs weren't fully developed. I could breathe all right but the doctors figured they would hook me up to the ventilator so that I wouldn't burn up all of my precious body weight just trying to breathe. So they ran a tube down my nose and into my trachea (my windpipe for those of you who don't know your anatomy). The tube is connected to a ventilator which controls the flow of air into and out of my little lungs.

I also got to wear my first piece of clothing -- a little knitted beanie. You see you can't buy clothes small enough for a little guy like me. So these nice volunteers come in and make special clothes for me and my mates here in the ward.

Dad and Ammama (Grandma Mercy) visited me but I was eager to see Mum. Finally she came ...