Home Sweet Home...

We're HOME!
Met with the pediatrician this morning. We had a new one, and he was excellent! He spent a lot of time going over Ben's records, and then a lot more time explaining to me all of Ben's previous issues.
This morning Ben's bili level was up to a 13, but that is not bad for a 6 day old infant. We were able to go home on the condition that we have his bili level checked again tomorrow. We'll take him for blood work at Alton Memorial. We have an appointment on Friday with our pediatrician for more follow up.
The doctor today explained more about the problem with Ben's intestines. As of right now, they are chalking up his intestinal problem to what is known as a meconium plug, the thick, tar like substance that a newborn passes after birth. Some babies have a build up, and have extreme difficulty passing it. He explained to me that this would definitely have made the intestines look abnormal in the x-ray. He assured me that he looked at his most recent x-ray, and he thinks it looks perfectly normal now. He also assured me that most infants pass the plug, and then have no more problems. Ben obviously has passed it, and is having no current bowel trouble.
He went on to discuss Cystic Fibrosis. He explained that the meconium plug is a symptom of the disease that is present in newborns. He explained that though we have no family history of CF, if Andy and I are both carriers then there could be a 25% chance that our child would inherit both genes and be positive for CF. Again, Andy & I do not know if we are carriers. The test results should be back sometime next week. He went on to say that the test results are not 100% accurate, so he spent time explaining things I should look for during Ben's infancy. With that said, he did tell me that he thinks this is a slim chance for Ben. He assured me that he wouldn't be sending us home if Ben wasn't doing so well now, and instead would be ordering more tests.
The other disease he discussed with me is Hirschsprung's Disease. The meconium plug is also a symptom of this disease. It is a spontaneous mutation of genes, meaning neither Andy or I have to be carriers. This is a disease of the intestines, and can be corrected with surgery. He gave me more symptoms to look out for during Ben's infancy and childhood.
Needless to say, it was a very educational day. I feel much better about Ben's health, and much more prepared to face these issues should they occur again.
And, did I mention we're home?!?! Seriously, it feels SO GOOD!
Everyone is doing well. I promise to post pictures once things have settled down a bit.
As before, thank you all so much for the prayers and words of comfort. We are so thankful for your love and support. So blessed we are!