newbie,newbie!!!

[pleadingmom]

Hello everyone. I am new to the board, and had a hard time finding out how to post, but I figured it out. I am actually not a nurse as of the moment, but have been seriously thinking about it ever since my first daughter was born 9 years ago (did I say 9?).

I will give you a little history without making it boring. Was diagnosed with pre-eclampsia at 23 weeks, and emerge c at 26 weeks. She was so perfect, a perfect 1lb 3oz baby girl, her nails were the size if pin heads, her skin so transparent I could see every organ in her body, but she was mine and I stayed by her side 24/7. Fortunatley I was able to do this because we are self employed, and I told my husband that she needed me more than the business. 5 long months passed, and being with her for that amount of time, I learned so much, her nurses were fab, they became part of my family. I had to learn alot of her care, because we thought we were taking her home with her colostomy, but luckily they put her back together (she is actually in the canadian med journal for the 1st Canadian baby to have "poop and scoop", I guess it worked!

2 years later I had another baby girl, no problems, she was a healthy 37wker 7lb 41/2oz. Had to get use to buying so many pairs of shoes, because she grew so fast.

2 years after that, 23 weeks pre-eclampsia, emerge c at 25 weeks, again another perfect baby girl 1lb 4 oz, same and usual problems no nec though. She was 3 1/2 months then she had retinal hemhoraging, she was in neo for 7 1/2 months, so today she is completely blind, but she is amazing.

So long and short, that is why I am thinking of being in this feild, and I thought I would get some feed back from everyone. Is it worth it, especially getting into something new at 38 years old? Would you?

thanks for your responses:lol2:

[traumaRUs, MSN, APRN]

Wow - what a story. Hello and welcome! Several of the NICU nurses were NICU moms on this forum.

[EricJRN, MSN, RN]

Welcome aboard! Feel free to look around. The Nursing Career Advice Forum might be a place that you'd enjoy as well.

[truern]

Hi, mom!

I'm also the mother of a tiny premie...I was admitted at 27 weeks, induced at 28 weeks, she weighed 2#2oz and had to be vented. She's also blind, but she's now 28 years old and healthy as a horse!!

I also just graduated nursing school at 51 years old. Sweetie, it's never too late :)

[moorpark]

Wow...sorry to jump in this thread, but I just started school at 38 for nursing I don't have a single class under my belt yet..not even a pre-requisite course! I too will be older when I graduate...I would love to hear more about your story..and I agree..it's never too late!!!!

[pleadingmom]

Hi moorpark, good for you!! I think that's great, keep us informed as you go. I would be glad to tell you more, but do you have a year? LOL It's been a huge rollercoaster ride, and the nurses were not kidding when they told us that. Our first daughter had PDA ligation, perferated bowel, NEC, then a colostomy, collasped lung, pnemoneia (sp?), stage 1 ROP, RSV, septis, and I am sure there is more, it just has been such a long time. She stayed in Neo for 5 months, came home on New Years Day 1998.

Our 3rd daughter had about the same minus the NEC and colostomy, after her PDA ligation she got very sick, they called us into the hospital to pay our last respects, we spent the night at the hospital by her side praying, and amazingly enough God answerd our prayers and she started to pull through the very next day. At 3 1/2 months she developed retinal hemhorraging, she has a few surgeries, but nothing worked. Today she has no light perception, and is very developmentally delayed to say the least. But she is an amazing little 4 year old, who light up the room, and touches everyone he meets, there is not one person who does not fall in love with her. Anyway, she was in Neo for a very long 7 1/2 months and came home around my husband's birthday in May 2002, Wow what a birthday present.

And that's my story in a nut shell, thanks for your interest. Good luck in your courses.