Baby Craig: Craig Michael Irlbeck, son of Mike and Megan
Irlbeck of Bayard has been in the Des Moines Mercy Medical Center NICU
since his premature birth on Dec. 29. At birth he weighed one
pound, three ounces and was 11 1/2 inches long. His story will be
aired during the Variety—The Children’s Charity, March 3 and 4,
2007. In this photograph, Craig is seven weeks old and
weighed three pounds, one ounce and was 14 1/2 inches long. Megan is
the daughter of Bruce and Polly Raasch of Odebolt. (Ida County Courier
photo
by Steve Loger)
VarietyTM—The Children’s Charity of Iowa’s annual telethon will air this
weekend, March 3-4, on KCAU TV, Sioux City. The Des Moines-based feed of
the telethon begins on KCAU on Saturday, March 3 after the late news at
10:30 p.m. KCAU will do periodic, local cut ins on Sunday from 7 a.m. to
6 p.m. when the telethon ends.
Mike, Megan and Craig Irlbeck of Bayard will be featured four or five
times during the telethon. The Irlbecks became familiar with Des Moines
Mercy Medical Center’s NICU (Neonatal Intensive Care Unit) on Dec. 29
with the birth of their son Craig. Megan is the daughter of Bruce and
Polly Raasch of Odebolt.
Since the inception of the Iowa Variety Club telethon in 1975, the
club has raised more than $60 million through its annual telethon and
other fund-raisers. One of those projects is the Des Moines Mercy
Medical Center NICU.
"Mercy NICU is supported by Variety—The Children’s Charity and
is located in a new tower built at Mercy Medical Center that houses the
women’s and children’s services," said Greg Lagan, Mercy Medical Center
public relations director. "The facility opened in 2006 and cost $120
million. Our NICU is the major referral center for the state of Iowa. We
have the ability to send a transport team, via helicopter, to bring
babies to the NICU. To highlight this new center that opened in 2006, we
interviewed some of the families helped with Variety dollars through the
purchase of the latest equipment available to help premature infants.
These families will be highlighted during Variety’s annual telethon."
The Irlbecks found out they were expecting a child on July 27 with an
April 5, 2007 due date. Megan began routine doctor visits in August with
Dr. Michael Slattery at McFarland Clinic in Carroll. At the onset it
appeared to be a normal pregnancy. Megan said she began to feel the baby
kick the first week of December and was looking forward to purchasing
her first maternity clothes, getting the nursery ready and growing
bigger.
All changed on Dec. 15 when she started experiencing chest/upper
abdominal pain. She said the pain radiated into her back and she thought
she’d pulled a muscle or rib building a deck.
"The pain was terrible. I couldn’t sleep and couldn’t find a
comfortable position to sit, lay or stand. There was so much pain on
Christmas Eve and Day that I made an appointment for Dec. 26. Dr.
Slattery did routine lab work and said everything was normal. He
confirmed I’d pulled a rib," said Megan.
Megan said the pain was worse on Dec. 27 and she was unable to sleep
that night. Mike convinced her to go to the doctor on Dec. 28. She saw
Dr. Evans, the OB doctor on call, and had lab work and chest x-rays
done. Dr. Evans told her that the level of protein in her urine was
elevated and there was an increase in her blood pressure indicating a
mild start of preelampsia (toxemia). He told her to collect a 24-hour
urine count, to see her doctor on Dec. 30, prescribed vicodin for the
pain and strict bed rest at home.
"I couldn’t sleep again Thursday night; the vicodin wasn’t touching
the pain. At 3:30 a.m. Dec. 29 we decided to go to the ER and called Dr.
Evans to tell him we were coming in. He advised me to stay home and take
two vicodin and call him in the morning," said Megan.
December 29 dawned and Mike was scheduled to be hauling fat cattle to
Omaha, Neb. all day. He left at 7 a.m. and had his mom and sister come
to stay with Megan for the day. Megan said Dr. Slattery called her at
7:15 a.m. and told her that her blood work from Thursday was concerning
and that she needed to get to Des Moines ASAP.
"He told me my liver function was high and my platelet count was low.
In Des Moines I would see Dr. Hwang, a perinatalogist (a doctor
specializing in high-risk pregnancies). I called Mike and told him he
needed to come home right away and we had to get to Des Moines. We left
the house about 8 a.m. and arrived at Mercy Medical Center about 9:15
a.m."
Megan was admitted to the hospital and within the first half-hour had
blood work, urine testing, an IV started and monitoring started on the
baby. The couple met Dr. Hwang at approximately 10:30 a.m. A technician
came in and started an ultrasound. After the ultrasound, Dr. Hwang
introduced himself and said they were preparing to take the baby.
Mike asked,"When? In a couple days, a week?" The doctor responded
hours.
"Mike and I didn’t know what to think. How could this be happening?
We thought we were going to Des Moines to be evaluated, maybe be put in
the hospital for a week or so and then home on bed rest for the
remainder of my pregnancy. Never in a million years did we think we were
having a baby in December," Megan said.
Dr. Hwang informed the Irlbecks that Megan had HELLP Syndrome (Hemolysis,
Elevated Liver enzymes and Low Platelets), a rare, but very severe form
of preeclampsia. The syndrome strikes very suddenly and progresses very
rapidly. Her platelet count on Thursday was 90,000 platelets and on
Friday morning it was 37,000 (normal 200,000-400,000). Any number below
50,000 can cause the mother to bleed to death instantly. Megan was
quickly taken to the operating room for preparation of a C-section. She
was given a platelet transfusion so she could withstand surgery and not
bleed out.
"Mike and I were still trying to figure out what exactly was
happening, our heads were spinning. Dr Hwang told us surgery would take
anywhere from five to 15 minutes, it was that critical. When I was taken
to OR, I remember the clock said 1:13 p.m. I was put under general
anesthesia and intabated. The next thing I knew I was waking up in
recovery. It took me a little while to realize what had happened. I
remember talking to Mike and all of a sudden the light bulb went off.
What do we have a boy or girl? "A boy.’
"Mike went to see Craig in the NICU and brought back a picture and
footprints. I started to cry and counted each of his fingers and toes. I
remember saying that I feel like I’m on the wrong side of an episode of
ER," said Megan.
"The day Craig was born was hectic. It was the longest day of my
life," said Mike. "We were all on an extreme roller coaster of
emotions."
Craig Michael Irlbeck was born at 1:42 p.m. and weighed one pound
three ounces. He was 11 1/2 inches long. He was placed in a warming bed
called an isolette. He had an endotracheal tube or breathing tube that
was hooked up to the ventilator, which did his breathing. He also had an
Umbilical Venous Catheter (UVC), which is an IV, placed through the vein
in his umbilical stump. He was hooked up to monitors for his heart rate;
heart beat pattern, breathing rate and blood oxygen level. For the first
four days he was under phototherapy lights to help with mild jaundice.
He was receiving IV fluids for his nutrients.
Megan said Craig has had two head ultrasounds for normal brain
development and both were negative. He has had numerous echocardiograms
checking for an opening of a valve. All tests have come back negative or
no opening.
"There are six neonatalogists (doctors specializing in the care of
preemies and sick infants) that take care of Craig. He started getting
breast milk on Jan. 3 via his feeding tube. He started out with 1ml
every six hours. Gradually they increased the volume and frequency. He
is now getting 22ml every three hours. They also fortify it to give him
more calories; he is up to 30 calories. As the milk increased the IV
fluids decreased and eventually stopped.
"He had a PICC line inserted on Jan 4. This is an IV threaded farther
into the baby’s vein than a normal IV. This delivered his IV fluids and
medicine. He has had four blood transfusions and two rounds with
pneumonia that were treated with antibiotics.
"He has had three eye exams. They check for normal growth of the
blood vessels. Preemie eyes aren’t fully developed and if an abnormal
growth occurs, it can lead to blindness. Like most preemies his age,
Craig does have a slight ridge on his retina. This normally corrects
itself, but if it does not, he will have a laser eye surgery.
Craig was extabated and on put on a new breathing apparatus called
CPAP (Continuous Positive Airway Pressure) on Jan 4. With CPAP air was
delivered to him through little tubes that fit into his nose. The
constant force of air kept the air sacs in his lungs open.
"The CPAP was very cumbersome and he hated it. He fought it and lost
weight because he was burning up all his calories fighting it. Because
he was fighting CPAP, he would tire very easily causing him to "spell."
This is when he would stop breathing and his heart rate dropped.
They lasted from 15-20 seconds. It was very scary, but the nurses
kept a watchful eye. He gradually had fewer and when he did have one, he
would correct himself rather than needing the nurse to rub his back to
stimulate him. He has grown out of those," said Megan.
On Feb. 9 Craig went on to a new breathing apparatus called vapotherm.
This is very small tube that fit into his nose and supplies warm
humidified oxygen to him. They can adjust the amount of oxygen he gets
and every day or so they turn downed the amount they were giving him, so
he was breathing more and more on his own. On Feb. 22 he went onto
straight nasal canulas for his oxygen. He is now receiving oxygen just
like you or I would.
Megan said, "He is a big fan of his pacifier. He likes to be
positioned on his tummy or right side, but they don’t let him favor one
way. If they did his muscles would not mature properly. We have started
to introduce him to breast feeding."
Craig receives occupational therapy several times a week to work on
building his motor skills and assess his overall development. He now
weighs three pounds, one ounce and is 14 1/2 inches long.
"Craig started becoming interactive with us the beginning of
February. He will look at Mike and I and recognizes our voices. He
smiles at us. He cries or whimpers and lets us know when it’s feeding
time.
"We can hold him twice a day for up to two hours a time. It’s called
Kangaroo Care—we hold him skin to skin on the chest. Studies show that
babies have better development with Kangaroo care. They have a more
stable blood oxygen level, better temperature and deeper sleep so they
can maintain energy to grow as well as other benefits," Meg said.
Meg says Craig has a very feisty attitude and one of the doctors
calls him "Superstar."
As of Feb. 21, the Irlbecks have been in the NICU for 55 days. The
doctors are still saying that they can take Craig home on the original
due date, maybe a little sooner.
Megan said, "The doctors and nurses in NICU are wonderful! It’s
like a family. There are six doctors and 110 nurses. Forty-five to 50
babies are in the NICU at any given time and more than 600 babies were
sent through the Mercy NICU last year. The NICU was built in the fall of
2006 and you have your own personal room that includes the baby’s bed, a
coach that pulls out to a bed for the parents, a recliner, sink,
refrigerator, monitor and supply cart. It’s a very homey place. We like
the individual room versus the old one room nursery-style for privacy.
Mike says, "We are so thankful for the Variety club and the
individuals that have donated to the Variety Club. Without those
donations, Craig wouldn’t be with us."
"We are so proud of Craig and the progress that he has made. The
doctors and nurses have made our stay in the NICU as enjoyable as it
could be," said Meg.
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Addition, February 27, 2007 - Grandma Polly Raasch proudly stated via
email that "The little guy hit 3 lbs. 9 oz. today.
That is triple his birth weight!" - B. Horak
