Michalski, Melissa

[left:a68ab4822b]http://www.cherubs-cdh.org/Album/new/michalski2.jpg[/left:a68ab4822b]My daughter was born with a diaphragmatic hernia. It came as a total surprise. When she was born (a normal delivery) she wasn't breathing on her own. We all knew something was wrong. After being diagnosed, she was taken by ambulance to a childrens hospital an hour away. I didn't see her again until the next morning. She was placed on ECMO for four and a half days until surgery was done. She recovered well from the surgery. She was in the hospital for two and half months before we got her home mainly because of digestive problems. She constantly vomited her formula. She has always had severe reflux and still does. She has never accepted a bottle (which is very common for babies in this condition at birth) so she had G-tube put in to feed her. That lasted only a few months because she still vomited at home and wasn't gaining weight. She's been hospitalized twice for dehydration. She now has a J-tube and drip fed by a pump and is gaining weight like crazy. Anyway, my daughter just turned 12 months and still refuses to eat by mouth. She still has digestive problems that we're hoping will get better as she gets older. The doctors don't think it's related to her CDH but I think so. Maybe if she eats soon by mouth, her system will correct itself. Only time will tell (and a lot of praying).


Written by Melissa's mom, Sharon Michalski (Wisconsin)
1997