Back to Stories
Kaden’s Story
"I found out I was pregnant with Kaden in May of 2005. My boyfriend and I were very happy and started to get baby things together. I was already a month pregnant but had no idea..."
This was both of ours first child and while I had younger brothers and sisters, I really had no idea what to expect. The first 3 months were pretty normal. No huge problems, just the regular morning sickness and nerves. My first doctor appointment went well. I was given a book with all the do's and don'ts of pregnancy and we were so excited to hear the heartbeat. A few weeks after seeing the OB/GYN I got sick. I had a high temp and was just miserable so I went back to see the OB/GYN who said to just take some Tylenol and rest. They said I would be a little tired, but it seemed like I just couldn't wake up. Even after the cold went away I could barely stay awake during the day. I knew I would be a little more sleepy than usual, but this seemed to never go away no matter how long I slept.
At about 5 months pregnant, I started getting really sharp chest pains and severe nausea. After a few trips to the ER they said I had heartburn, gave me some sleeping pills, and sent me home. (Please keep in mind they were military doctors and as long as I was still breathing, they said I was fine.) I took a few pills but it never helped me. I know I am not good with pain. But it was much worse than heartburn and I was constantly throwing up. I was also worried because I was not gaining any weight. I was actually losing weight. My stomach was just about the same size as before I was pregnant so I called and asked the doctor. They said loosing weight is not unheard of so it was no big worry.
I went back for a normal check up around 6 1/2 months, which was supposed to include an ultrasound. They told me I was having a boy and that everything looked perfectly normal. At this point I had lost about 7 lbs. I had all my blood tests done and everything came back normal. I was anxious about the small stomach and no weight gain, but after the ultrasound, I thought if there were any big problems someone would have said something. So we went back home, happy to have the pictures of out little boy.
The next few months were hell. I spent the days in bed because I never had any energy and spent the nights being sick. If I ate more than a sandwich all day I was lucky. I had no appetite and when I did eat the chest pains came back. The meds I was given really didn�ft help anything. Kaden’s father and I had been living together in Texas, but when I was about 7 months pregnant our relationship fell apart for many reasons, so I went back to New Mexico to live with my family. Since I was no longer near a military base, I was able to see a civilian OB. The first appointment I had didn’t go so well. I had lost about 10 lbs and my stomach was still very small. At 30 weeks I went into pre-term labor with Kaden that stopped just as quickly as it had started. Kaden had dropped very low and that was bothering the ER doc so they had me make an apt. with my regular doc. At that appointment I was told I needed to have a stress test done 3 times a week to see how the baby was doing. I made it to my first stress test and not more than 10min after getting all hooked up to every monitor they had, was told to go to the hospital because there was not enough amniotic fluid. Kaden’s heart rate was dropping and mine was going up. It was time for Kaden to make his entrance into the world.
I was in shock. I had no bag, nothing set up for him yet, and everything was falling apart very quickly. Once at the hospital they gave me my last meal! I laugh because they said it would be the last time I was able to eat til Kaden was born, who knew it would be 2 days! After 2 days of fighting and drugs, I wasn’t even dilated to 4 cm! The on call at the hospital decided that by midnight on New Years eve, if I had not dilated they were going to do a C-section.
On January 1st 2006 at 2:17am at 36 weeks, Kaden was delivered via C-section in Albuquerque, New Mexico. The doctors had estimated he would be around 5lbs. but he was only 3 lbs. 10oz. and was 16 in long. His cry sounded like a cat meow. It was so faint. I got to say hi and kiss him before they took him to the NICU.
A few hours later I was wheeled down to see him. Other than being small, he looked perfect. I was able to visit for a little while then taken to my room where I slept for what seemed like forever. I was able to sit and watch Kaden but not hold him. That was pretty much it for the first day. I was told they were running some tests because there was no good reason for him to be so small.
The next day I went down stairs to visit Kaden and see how he was doing. The nurse told me that the NICU doctor wanted to sit and talk that she would be right back with him. He came, and several other nurses as well. I was nervous because there was no reason for so many of them to be coming over. Once the little cover things were closed he told me that Kaden had tested positive for CMV and that he got it while I was sick. The CMV is what caused most of my problems and the other problems were due to an infected gallbladder.
I just sat in a chair holding him, like a ton of bricks fell on me. I couldn’t breathe or move. It felt like hours had passed, but it was only a few minutes. My life was going in slow motion and I can honestly say that during that conversation I stopped listening to him. I just kept looking at Kaden. I did not cry, I had no emotion. He told me everything that COULD happen and the things that USUALLY happen. Not a huge difference between the two. The list seemed to go on for days and at the end he shook his head and said he was sorry there was nothing they could do for him at that time.
To the best of my understanding, the virus was not active at the time of Kadens birth. He had very high platelet counts then very low, jaundice, respiratory problems, and a series of other tests the first week. A CT showed he had brain bleeds and some areas with calcifications. While in the NICU he stopped eating and a Ng tube was placed through his nose. It was a rough month for all of us. Kaden was such a strong baby. He hardly ever cried and just seemed to take everything that was thrown his way. It was very clear he was going to be a fighter. His head and stomach were slightly bigger than his arms and legs, so he was nicknamed peanut by his nurses. He had a hernia that went from the top of his chest to his belly button that stuck out and looked like a seam down his chest.
Kaden spent about a month in the NICU and faced different problems while he was there. Nothing too severe, mostly just preemie related things. He passed his newborn hearing screen and eye tests. The day he was released was such a blessing! He was slightly under 5 lbs and while I was happy to have him home, I was also scared to death. I was a single parent and none of the books I had read even came close to this kind of situation.
Once he was home I started to breathe a little easier. He seemed to be doing fine with only a few small feeding problems. I was just happy we were alive. By 2 months he was hospitalized again with RSV and almost didn’t make it through that battle. It took a huge toll on him since he was not even 5 lbs. He stopped eating again and was given IV nutrition, but was home a week and a half later.
At Kaden’s 5 month hearing screen we found he had severe to profound hearing loss in both ears. That was a long day! He was fitted with hearing aids by 6 months but they were not really benefiting him at all. Our next step was to talk about Cochlear Implants and in May of 2006 he had his first surgery and implant. Once it was turned on and he got used to it, he loved it. It was clear that he liked to hear which is not always the case. After it became obvious that he would loose all hearing on the left side, I choose a Cochlear implant on that side as well. We like to call it surround sound!
Throughout the first 2 years of Kaden’s life we learned more and more about cCMV and what it had done. A little after he was 2 he was diagnosed with Cortical Vision Impairment. Kaden also has a list of other things associated with CMV. The bigger problems are sleep apnea, developmental delay, he had always been underweight and has eating problems, and he has needed leg orthotics. His legs are not very straight but until he gets a little older that won’t be addressed. The rest is just small stuff.
He has been in multiple therapies and has had more doctors appointments that I can count. It has been a roller coaster ride to say the least. Kaden, however, is an amazing child. He continues to amaze me everyday. He is a very smart child that loves football, cars, food, and getting into trouble. His speech is coming along fairly well and he attends pre-K at the local elementary school. The CMV has slowed him down a little but does a pretty good job keeping up with other kids his age. I am very proud of him and know we would have never made it this far if God had not been watching over us.
- Shared by his mother, Katie