Latest Tours

Last Friday we had the opportunity to take a tour of an In-patient Care Facility at San Diego Hospice. This facility was spectacular to say the least. It was similar to a nice hotel but with hospital beds. I never knew such a thing was made available to patients who were terminally ill. Our Hospice social worker led Dan and I on this tour. The building was beautifully designed and perched high on a hill overlooking all of Mission and Fashion Valley (you can actually see all the way to the ocean!). It was probably one of the best views I have ever seen of San Diego. The mood within this place was so calming and serene. Beautiful local art on the walls, comfy lounge areas for families, manicured gardens and statues in the courtyard, and nice walkways out to the look-out points. There were activities going on for patients who chose to come out of their rooms. They offer every type of therapy imaginable - pet, aroma, massage, etc. But even after seeing this facility and contemplating the idea we may be there with our little Samuel just did not seem real to me. It was hard to envision our family residing there even though Samuel has been given a grim prognosis to live. And I am not sure why.

I think the reality and gravity of our situation hit both Dan and I when we took a private tour of Mary Birch Hospital yesterday. Of course, I was so happy it was a private tour because we could ask the hospital’s social worker very specific questions applicable to our needs- our need for a private postpartum room, our need to know the neonatologist working the day of our induction (1/29), our need for specialized equipment for Samuel (such as a breast pump and specialized bottles for his cleft palate), and of course our need to know the locations of the NICU and Rady Children’s Hospital in the chance he is transferred. We had the opportunity to walk through the Mary Birch level-3 NICU. I remember feeling faint as all of the memories of being in there when we had Luke came flooding back. Of course, Luke was in a level-2 NICU at Scripps and his condition was so very minor compared to Samuel’s. I couldn’t help but feel completely overwhelmed…. looking at these beautiful babies all around just trying to live and get stronger for their mommies and daddies. I could see the emotion on people’s faces who were spending time with these little ones. They had expressions of concern and hope, and probably accompanied with a lot of exhaustion. All this was so very real to me. I felt like I was already in their shoes even though little Sammy is still safe and sound tucked away inside my tummy.