Lucy 20 weeks & CF Update

This picture was on the morning of my birthday! I couldn't think of a better gift than Miss Lucia!

Well, I'm catching up the blog this evening as Lucy is having an extra sleepy day. Things have been going well here at the Webster Home - she's growing by leaps & bounds, tipping the scale today at 18lbs. 3oz! At last check her length was 27.5 inches, she's in the 99th percentile for length & the 98th for weight - and in the closely followed (by the CF clinic) weight to length ratio she is in the 62nd (goal on that one is >50%). Lucia is still visiting the Mary Bridge CF Clinic monthly & has been seeing Dr. Bisher Abdullah at those visits in addition to either Dr. Larry Larsen or Dr. David Ricker. We are beyond pleased with each of these physicians & feel so appreciative for the nurses, respiratory therapist, nutritionist & social worker that we see at the visits as well. Lucia continues to be asymptomatic but on her medications including pancreatic enzymes, vitamins, salt & Zantac. Occasionally when she is resting quietly I have heard a very slight wheeze as she exhales & I mentioned this to Dr. Larsen at her recent appointment. He felt it's from a bit of mucous being in her airway & she probably is easily able to clear it when awake with a cough or cry. Because of this, he felt it was a good time to begin the latest preventative treatment - 7% Saline through a nebulizer. We trialed it in the office & she did surprisingly well with it - it's just saline so there are no real side effects, but I wasn't sure how she'd do with the wet air blowing in her face - we don't have to strap a mask on, just hold it near her & she tolerates it for 5 min or so pretty well. However, after 4-5 days of this treatment, she developed a wet deep cough that I'd hear every hour or two... The CF Clinic is so on top of things, I called to let them know & they had an answer from Dr. Ricker back to me in no time. We ended up stopping the treatment for now & will probably restart it at a later age. I suppose it was a good little teaching lesson for Randy & myself in preparation for the lifetime of treatments that Lucy will have. I'd be lying to say it wasn't a bit emotional when they brought in the nebulizer stuff at the appointment, I felt like the CF diagnosis was a bit more real... But, I just reminded myself that we're doing these things not because she is sick, but because we don't want her to get sick. Optimism always helps give me strength, courage & hope. Needless to say, other than a funky little sore on her noggin that's got her on a dose of antibiotics, she's doing fabulously!