by Cheryl Silinskas | Feb 1, 2018 | Life after the NICU
Our 24-weeker first came from the NICU mid-flu and RSV season in 2008. We struggled to explain to people why we had to be so cautious and remain in isolation. We’ve spent 10 winters indoors with pneumonia, RSV, and hiding from epic outbreaks. Here’s what I...
by Cheryl Silinskas | Jan 11, 2018 | Life after the NICU
In a landfill somewhere there is a pale green Calvin Klein onesie. But I’ll get to that. Post-NICU, our 24-weeker was about nine months old, home with her dad and me. It was winter, and she had pneumonia. She was trached, on a ventilator with a three-foot...
by Cheryl Silinskas | Dec 18, 2017 | NICU Life
Our family spent our first set of fall and winter holidays in the NICU. As a tracheostomy patient, our daughter graduated to the PICU. We have celebrated every holiday at least twice in a hospital…so we know how to party! Here are a few things we did to make the...
by Cheryl Silinskas | Nov 9, 2017 | Life after the NICU, NICU Life
We never know when something random will become something important to know. This is my favorite example. When I was in eighth grade in 1988, I had to compete in Pennsylvania Junior Academy of Science (PJAS). I struggled to weave something I cared about into a science...
by Cheryl Silinskas | Jun 22, 2017 | Family Stories, Fatherhood, NICU Life
Our micropreemie, Zoey, was born at 24 weeks. She was our first child, so we were launched into the NICU with lots of questions and very different approaches to parenting. There are certain stand-out moments that in retrospect I appreciate, but at the time, I was...
