Kyla Lanell Blanks
 |
ON JAN.6 2003, I KEISHA BLANKS, WENT IN THE HOSPITAL BECAUSE I FELT LIKE I WAS GOING IN TO LABOR, BUT I WAS ONLY 34 WEEKS. SO I TOLD MY HUSBAND LIONEL THAT I WOULD JUST GO TO THE HOSPITAL BY MYSELF BECAUSE THEY WOULD JUST STOP MY PAIN AND JUST SEND ME HOME. I END UP STAYING OVER NIGHT. THEN THAT MORNING, MY NURSE CAME IN MY ROOM AND SAID TO ME CALL YOUR FAMILY, BECAUSE WE ARE GOING TO TAKE YOUR BABY OUT. SO I ASKED WHY? SHE JUST SAID TO ME, "BECAUSE THE DOCTOR SAID SO," THEN SHE WAS GONE. I KNEW THAT I HAD TO HAVE A C-SECTION, BECAUSE I HAD ALREADY HAD FOUR OF THEM BEFORE. BUT I WAS NOT READY AND I KNEW THE BABY WAS NOT GOING TO BE READY. I CALLED MY HUSBAND AND HE ALSO ASKED "WHY?". HE HAD TO CATCH THE BUS UP TO THE HOSPITAL--HIM & MY OTHER KIDS--BECAUSE THEY WERE GOING TO TAKE THE BABY OUT IN 45 MINUTES AND I HAD THE CAR. BUT, THEY MADE IT RIGHT ON TIME, MY HUSBAND WALKED IN JUST BEFORE THEY STARTED TO OPEN ME UP. I WAS SO SICK, I JUST FELT SOMETHING WASN'T RIGHT. THEN MY HUSBAND SAID IT WAS A LITTLE BABY GIRL. I DIDN'T GET TO SEE HER, BUT MY HUSBAND DID. SHE WAS ONLY 4 POUNDS. ONCE I WAS ABLE TO SEE HER, SHE WAS ALREADY INTUBATED. SHE WAS DOING PRETTY WELL. I NAMED HER KYLA LANELL BLANKS.
KYLA STAYED IN THE HOSPITAL FOR 2 IN A HALF WEEKS. THEN THEY SENT HER HOME. I WAS SO SCARED THAT I DID NOT SLEEP, BECAUSE SHE WAS SO SMALL AND SHE WOULD ALWAYS HOLD HER BREATH. SO, I WOULD NOT LET HER OUT OF MY SIGHT. THE NURSE TOLD ME THAT IT WAS NORMAL FOR THIS TO HAPPEN. THEN KYLA STARTED SOUNDING CONGESTED, SO I TOOK HER TO THE DOCTOR AND SHE GAVE HER SALINE DROPS TO PUT IN HER NOSE. BUT SHE NEVER GOT BETTER. I CALLED THE DOCTOR AND SHE TOLD ME TO BRING THE BABY IN WEDNESDAY. BUT THEN SHE CALLED TO SAY BRING HER IN ON FRIDAY AT 3:00 PM. WHEN FRIDAY CAME, THE BABY WAS NOT EATING WELL AT ALL. MY HUSBAND LIONEL AND I, MY SON CAMERON AND KYLA TOOK MY HUSBAND TO THE BUS STATION, BECAUSE HE HAD TO GO OUT OF TOWN FOR A FEW WEEKS. LATER THAT DAY I TOOK KYLA TO THE DOCTOR APPOINTMENT AT 3:00 PM.
WHEN SHE SAW KYLA, SHE TOLD ME THAT IT SOUNDED LIKE KYLA HAD PNEUMONIA AND SHE HAD NOT GAINED ANY WEIGHT FROM WHEN SHE CAME HOME FROM THE HOSPITAL. THEN SHE JUST SENT US HOME AND SAID THAT IF SHE STOP BREATHING OR IF SHE THREW UP TO BRING HER TO THE E.R. AT THAT TIME I DIDN'T UNDERSTAND WHY SHE JUST DID NOT JUST ADMIT KYLA THEN. I JUST TOOK HER HOME, BUT BEFORE I GOT HOME, MY CAR BROKE DOWN, SO ME CAMERON & KYLA WERE ON THE SIDE OF THE ROAD. I CALLED MY HUSBAND'S FRIEND TO SEE WHAT I NEEDED TO DO BECAUSE I DIDN'T KNOW WHAT TO DO, AND I COULD NOT CALL MY HUSBAND BECAUSE I HAD HIS CELL PHONE AND HE SAID HE WASN'T GOING TO CALL ME FOR TWO DAYS UNTIL HE GOT WHERE HE WAS GOING. BUT HIS FRIEND TOLD ME TO HAVE THE CAR TOWED TO MY HOUSE AND HE WOULD COME EARLY THE NEXT DAY TO FIX IT FOR ME. HE SAID HE WOULD CALL ME LATER THAT NIGHT. THE TOW MAN CAME ABOUT 45 MINUTES LATER AND TOOK US HOME.
I MADE KYLA A BOTTLE AND SHE ATE BUT SOON AFTER IT ALL CAME UP, SO I CALLED A CAB TO TAKE US TO THE E.R. WHEN WE GOT TO THE E.R. THERE WERE A LOT OF PEOPLE IN THERE, SO WE HAD TO WAIT A WHILE. THEN THEY FINALLY CALLED KYLA AND AS SOON AS THE NURSE TOOK OFF KYLA OUTFIT SHE STOP BREATHING. SHE CALLED FOR HELP AND EVERY DOCTOR & NURSE IN THE E.R. WAS HELPING IN THERE. I COULD NOT UNDERSTAND, WHY MY BABY? I THOUGHT MY BABY WAS GONE. THEY TOOK ME IN A SMALL ROOM TO TRY TO CALM ME DOWN. THEN A CHAPLIN CAME IN AND I JUST KNEW HE WAS THERE TO TELL ME MY BABY WAS DEAD! SO, I JUST SCREAMED, "LORD DON'T TAKE MY BABY FROM ME". BUT, HE WAS TELLING ME THAT SHE WAS OKAY, SO I KIND OF CALMED DOWN. HE WAS THERE JUST TO COMFORT ME AND TO HELP ME GET IN TOUCH WITH MY FAMILY. I WAS SO NERVOUS I COULDN'T THINK OF ANY NUMBER.
FINALLY, THEY TOOK ME BACK TO SEE KYLA. AT THAT TIME THEY HAD INTUBATED HER, BUT SHE STILL WAS NOT DOING GOOD. FINALLY I REMEMBER MY OLDER BROTHER AND HIS WIFE'S NUMBER. SO THEY CAME TO THE HOSPITAL TO BE WITH ME. THEN THEY SAID THAT THEY NEED TO MOVE KYLA TO A DIFFERENT HOSPITAL BECAUSE SHE HAD RSV AND THEY DID NOT HAVE THE RIGHT STUFF TO HELP HER. THEY SENT HER TO ANOTHER HOSPITAL IN SAN JOSE, CA., DOWNTOWN ABOUT FIVE MILES AWAY. SHE STAYED THERE OVER NIGHT AND ME & MY BROTHER STAYED WITH HER ALL NIGHT NEXT TO HER BED.
THE NEXT MORNING MY BROTHER TOOK ME HOME, SO I COULD CHECK ON MY OTHER KIDS AND GET DRESS. I WAITED TO SEE IF MY HUSBAND FRIEND WAS GOING TO COME BY AND FIX MY CAR, BUT HE DIDN'T. THEN ABOUT ONE HOUR LATER MY HUSBAND'S OTHER FRIEND CALLED TO SAY THAT HIS FRIEND THAT WAS GOING TO FIX THE CAR FOR ME HAD JUST BEEN SHOT AND DIED! I COULD NOT BELIEVE ALL THIS HAD HAPPENED IN LESS THAN 24 HOURS. AT NOON THAT NEXT DAY THEY SAID THAT THEY WANTED TO SEND KYLA TO LUCILE PACKARD CHILDREN HOSPITAL AT STANFORD IN PALO ALTO, CA. THAT WAS THE BEST PLACE TO SEND HER, BECAUSE THEY HAD EVERYTHING TO HELP HER. MY MOM CAME DOWN FROM WASHINGTON TO BE WITH US.
THEN IN ABOUT A WEEK AND A HALF KYLA GOT BETTER. THEY TRIED TO EXTUBATION, BUT SHE WAS NOT READY TO EXTUBATE YET. FINALLY, AFTER EXTUBATION, THEY WERE GOING TO SEND HOME, BUT THEY FOUND OUT SHE HAD A VERY BAD CASE OF ACID REFLEX, SO THEY RAN TEST. THEN SHE HAD A SET-BACK AND HAD TO BE RE-INTUBATED. THEY DIDN'T UNDERSTAND WHAT WAS GOING ON WITH KYLA.
MY HUSBAND AND I STAYED WITH KYLA EVERYDAY FOR FOUR MONTHS. FINALLY, THEY DECIDED THAT SHE HAD TRACHEALMALACIA AND THAT WAS WHY SHE HAD TO GET HER TRACHEOSTOMY. I WAS HAPPY TO SEE HER GET A TRACH, BECAUSE I DIDN'T WANT TO SEE HER LAID UP INTUBATED ANY MORE. AFTER THEY GAVE HER A TRACH SHE STARTED DOING REALLY WELL. THEN THEY GAVE HER A G-TUBE, WHICH MADE ME A WHOLE NEW LITTLE BABY GIRL.
WE MOVED TO WASHINGTON IN MAY OF 2003 AND LUCILE PACKARD MOVED KYLA TO MARY BRIDGES CHILDRENS HOSPITAL IN WASHINGTON. THEY LET HER COME HOME JUNE 9, 2003 WITH 16 HOUR NURSING CARE. SHE IS DOING VERY WELL. IT IS NOT HARD TO TAKE CARE OF HER, BECAUSE I DID A LOT OF HOME WORK AND LOTS OF LOTS OF PRAYING.
 |
IT IS NOW OCTOBER, 2003. KYLA IS ONLY 12 POUNDS NOW AND HAS TWO TEETH. SHE LOVES TO ATE AND STAND UP ON EVERYTHING. HER DOCTOR SAID HE WANTS HER TO GAIN A LITTLE MORE WEIGHT BEFORE HE TAKES THE TRACH OUT. BUT I'M IN NO BIG RUSH, BECAUSE I KNOW THAT GOD HAS BLESSED ME TO TAKE CARE OF MY LITTLE LADY BUG.
UPDATE, MARCH 2004: KYLA IS NOW WALKING SHE IS DOING VERY WELL. ATHOUGH, SHE DID END UP IN THE HOSPITAL FOR A WEEK, WHICH WAS THE WORST STAY EVER. THE NURSES THERE WERE THE LAZIEST NURSES I HAD EVER SEEN. I HAD TO CARE FOR KYLA THE WHOLE TIME SHE WAS IN THE HOSPITAL. ONE EVENING I HAD TO GO TO WORK SO I TOLD THE NURSES THAT I NEED TO LEAVE FOR AWHILE TO GO TO WORK AND TO KEEP AN EYE ON HER UNTIL I GOT BACK. I TOLD MY MOM TO GO AND CHECK UP ON KYLA UNTIL I GET BACK. WHEN MY MOM WENT TO CHECK UP ON KYLA, SAID SHE HAD TO GO OFF ON THE NURSES BECAUSE KYLA HAD BEEN SITTING ON THE END OF THE BED LOOKING IN THE WINDOW TRYING TO GET SOME ONES TO COME AND CHECK ON HER. SHE HAS NEVER BEEN ALONE, SOME ONE IS WITH HER 24 HOURS A DAY. NOT SAYING THEY HAD TO STAY WITH HER, BUT TO JUST CHECK UP ON HER. BUT YOU CAN TELL THEY DIDN'T EVEN DO THAT, BECAUSE WHEN MY MOM WALKED IN KYLA HAD MESSED ALL OVER HER SELF AND SHE HAD VOMIT. SO I TOOK OFF TO COME BACK UP THERE I CALLED IN THE HEAD NURSE TO TELL HIM ABOUT HOW WE HAD BEEN TREATED AND TO ASK HIM IF THIS WAS THE DO IT YOURSELF ROOM. THEY DIDN'T WANT TO BRING US SUCTION, PAMPER ETC. I HAD TO USE THE STUFF I HAD IN MY DIAPER BAG. SO, HE SAID HE WAS SORRY ABOUT WHAT WAS GOING ON AND EVERYTHING CHANGED THEN. I AM HOPING SHE DON'T HAVE TO GO THOUGH THAT EVERY AGAIN IN THE HOSPITAL, NOR WILL I EVER LET IT GET THAT BAD BEFORE I SAY ANY THING.
KYLA IS NOW TRYING TO USE HER SPEAKING VALVES. BUT, SHE CAN ONLY BLOW IT ACROSS THE ROOM. SO, WE ARE NOT GETTING ANY WHERE WITH IT. PLUS, SHE TURNS PURPLE AND WE GET SCARED. BUT SHE DOES KNOW HOW TO GET WHAT SHE WANTS, WHEN SHE WANTS IT.
I TOOK KYLA TO THE DOCTOR ABOUT A WEEK AGO BECAUSE HER TRACH IS GETTING TO SMALL. HE SAID THAT'S WHAT HE WANTS TO DO BECAUSE HE WANTS TO TRY TO GET IT OUT BEFORE THE SUMMER. SO, I HOPE THAT'S WHAT HAPPENS BECAUSE YOU CAN TELL KYLA IS TIRED OF WEARING IT. SHE IS ALWAYS WANT TO TRY TO PULL IT OFF. IF YOU SAW HER WITH HER TRACH COVERED UP, YOU WOULD NOT KNOW SHE HAD ONE BECAUSE SHE IS A WILD CHILD THAT LOVES TO DANCE.
 |
Update June 2004: Hello, I'm excited to tell the world that Kyla's no longer wearing her trach. She pulled it out
on 5/21/04. Now the funny thing was Klya waited to pull the trach out when she got a new nurse, because she new that she could get by with a new nurse and not only that, I think Kyla got tired of seeing new nurses, plus her favorite nurse Cassandra was not there any more. We miss her.
I was not home when it happened I was at work when I got the call that she had pulled it out and they couldn't get it back in, but the funny thing was I wasn't scared when they called and told me.
I knew God was letting this happen for a reason because it was time. Kyla knew it was time, she didn't want it no more. I think it was bothering her more than any thing.
When Kyla and the nurse got to the ER, she had already had the trach out for over an hour.
They were going to try to put it back in, but I told them if it been out all this times and her
O2 sat was reading 99% - 100%, I didn't think it should have to go back in.
So they kept her over night in the hospital to see how she would do and she did
good. My baby girl past the test and I'm so thankful for that, no more trach, no more secretions
and no more suctioning.
I want to first thank God because he made it all possible, then I want to thank Mrs. Bissell for this web site because if it wasn't for this Tracheostomy Site, I would have been lost. And thank you to all that has prayed and been by my baby's side, we love you all and we will stay in touch and we will keep everyone in our prayers.
