Oxygen is off

6:00pm

45 minutes ago the Respiratory Nurse came in lower the oxygen level to 1/4 liter - very little oxygen and a low flow. I told her, when Abi is ready to be taken off the oxygen to see how she is maintaining the saturation, I wanted to remove the nasal canula from her nose to give a real chance to breathe without any obstacles in her nose. Last time we were here they kept it on, but it's like breathing with your fingers in your nose. Now we know better and we take charge of things and decisions. We are a lot more comfortable and we know what we are doing, what Abi prefers and is best for her. After all we are her best and loving advocates.
Abi is eating very well, not like last time, when she got the NG tube in and struggled to eat from the bottle.
She's resting now.
The 2 main things that keep us in the hospital are:
- the saturation - should be in high 90's
- drainage from the area around her heart. She's got the chest tube in, but the bleeding is very minimal (less than 50ml within 24 hours and it decreases every day. We need no drainage to remove the tube.
Once those 2 are checked, we can go home.

Who knows maybe we will be home for the weekend!

Thank you for your prayers and support.
Greetings to all, family, friends and B&T folks!!

J.

The Room

4.09pm

Abi just got her room on the floor. She's out if the CICU. She started eating really well and when we talked to the surgeon about 2 hours ago he said it's very possible they would take the chest tube out today.

She is doing great. Still on oxygen 0.5 L so we hope she will be able to get off of it tonight or at least tomorrow morning.














Art

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Morning visit

11:45 am
Abi is sleeping now, relaxed and full after eating 4 oz twice this morning from the bottle with no problem. As she's sleeping she's snoring and moving her lips like she was sucking on a pasi.
She looks so cute and peaceful.
We are coming back around 1 pm to feed her again. The hospital ordered Abi the formula she likes and some solid food. I didn't realize hospitals do that.
Art is going to get Abi some fresh avocados she loves.
We are now just waiting for the room available for Abi in the step down today, as she is ALREADY ready to go there!

J.

First Drink

6.49am

We just left CICU (according to the policy parents can't be with their child during shift changes and rounds) but we had great time with Abi.

She is doing great! Since they extubated her, her stats are in high 90s to 100 (that's excellent), she got Tylenol once only and was not showing any signs of discomfort or pain. She's off all meds and just got some antibiotic. The antibiotic is administered routinely so she doesn't catch any infections. When we were moving her to get her ready to drink she started crying; this could be pain related or jut simply the fact we woke her up (she doesn't really like it) so since she could get some painkillers wr decided to gi with this. Afterall she had her chest cut open yesterday.

When she woke up we gave her pediolite but she wanted to bite on something rather than suck from the bottle so we dipped mouth swabs in it and she was munching on them taking all 5oz in ;-)

The bleeding is nothing to be concerned with and they may remove th chest tube tomorrow or maybe even today. This tube, central line, 2 IVs and pacemaker wires are the only things she still has going in to her body. The central line will go out today. The IVs and pacemaker wires will stay till about the day she is discharged.

After drinking the pediolite Abi fell asleep and we could leave without feeling bad about leaving her there.

Everyone says she's doing great!

We will be back to see her about 10am ad will know more then. Any wait to move to the stepdown room.










Art


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Vent Is Out

1.17am

Abi's breathing tests went well and she was just extubated. Her sats were between 94 and 97. Once they extubated her sats are 100. She's doing great breathing on her own and still sleeping. Blood pressure and heart rate are great and they are taking off the two heart meds she was on after the surgery (NitroPrusside and Milirone)

We will try feeding her about 5.30am. Seems like she will be going to the floor today! ;-)

Art


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