We were having a hard time choosing a pediatrician which happened to make the first visit land on day eight of Evelyn's life. While some might think that is irresponsible, I think it was blind luck. Evelyn looked great on days four and five, the typical day for the first doctor appointment. It wasn't until days seven and eight, that it was clear something was wrong. Her skin was orange and eyes yellow. We didn't fret since we were headed to the doctor.
The doctor sent us away for labs with the prediction of a high bilirubin but not so high that Evelyn would be hospitalized. The prediction was wrong. Our doctor was going to admit her only if her levels were close to 18 or 19. Miss Evelyn Rose came in at 22.7. Dangerously high. Toxins can be deposited on the brain at 25 which causes a multitude of developmental delays and cognitive deficits. We couldn't believe we were flirting with going down this road AGAIN!
We drove straight to hospital, still unaware of the above. After Evelyn was put under the lights and on the blanket, the doctors explained the situation. Evelyn took longer than most kids to come down on her numbers. She was under lights the entire night. I struggled to get her to sleep in that tiny bed since all she knew up until that point was sleeping in our bed and on our chest. It was a long night. It was a tough night for the big girls too. I had just come home from the hospital and now was headed back with Evelyn. Just a lot of juggling for them.
The next morning, Evelyn's numbers dropped and we were discharged later that afternoon. She stayed a nice orange color for a couple of weeks and her eyes yellow. Hopefully, that is the first and last of her hospital stays for many years.
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