Lucy Kate Update X

Lucy is continuing to make progress. Yesterday, the doctors put another chest tube in her right side to help drain the fluid near her lung, which helped dramatically. The large amount of fluid was restricting how much her right lung could expand to oxygenate her blood. Overnight, her respiration rate and oxygen level were reduced on the ventilator. This morning, her sedation drug dosage, Fentanyl, was reduced by half. Lucy is slowly beginning to become more awake and aware. Her sedation level is approaching a fine line, so it’s awkward to see her try to cough and cry, but still can’t.

The doctors will test her on CPAP (Continuous Positive Airway Pressure) today, to see how well she can breath on her own without removing the breathing tube. If everything goes well, she will be extubated later this afternoon and fully awake.

I’m so excited that I’ll soon be able to hold my little girl again.

Yesterday, the doctors took Lucy completely off the paralyzation drug, Cisatracurium, and it was the first time she moved her arms and legs in a week. A very big step in the process and she handled it well overnight. It’s been extremely difficult not to be able to hold her or give her much stimulation, but it’s a great feeling to see her move again. I can’t express how excited I was to see her little eyes open and feet wiggle. Finally, a glimmer of hope that she’ll soon be awake. Today, the doctors will slowly decrease the dosage of sedation drugs. The trick is to finding the right balance between keeping her comfortably sedated, but not too alert for her to realize there’s a ventilator tube down her throat. They have to ensure she’ll be able to safely breath on her own before they stop the ventilator. In several more days, we’ll soon have our little Lucy back.
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Yesterday, the doctors took Lucy completely off the paralyzation drug, Cisatracurium, and it was the first time she moved her arms and legs in a week. A very big step in the process and she handled it well overnight. It’s been extremely difficult not to be able to hold her or give her much stimulation, but it’s a great feeling to see her move again. I can’t express how excited I was to see her little eyes open and feet wiggle. Finally, a glimmer of hope that she’ll soon be awake. Today, the doctors will slowly decrease the dosage of sedation drugs. The trick is to finding the right balance between keeping her comfortably sedated, but not too alert for her to realize there’s a ventilator tube down her throat. They have to ensure she’ll be able to safely breath on her own before they stop the ventilator.

In several more days, we’ll soon have our little Lucy back.

Week In Review

Since Monday, Lucy has made slow progress recovering from the trauma of heart surgery. We have been through a lot of ups and downs and it’s been very long, emotionally and physically exhausting. We haven’t been home in a week and the funny thing is, we really don’t miss it, yet. We haven’t watered our plants or taken care of the lawn, and we could obviously care less. McDonald’s is the only 24/7 place to eat inside the hospital and it’s slowly killing my insides. I’m driven by a constant intake of caffeine. I’ve actually had the nurses start a continuous drip IV of pure caffeine into my veins.

My wife and I are never both away from Lucy’s bedside at the same time. We each sleep in four hour shifts at night and take naps during the day, if possible. Showering and living inside of a hospital for this long makes me feel like a 21st century hobo. I may look disheveled and out of my mind, but I have wireless internet. I’m officially now Lucy’s professional paparazzi blogger.