DAY 35 – CHONY PICU

May13

Still slow and steady. Mom & Dad are not sleeping well. Too much good sleep the night before is allowing us to dream which is not a good thing right now, the nightmare of our days is getting into our sleep at night.

I’m writing this before rounds today so things may change, I will update you as they do. I did just speak with the fellow so my information is at least accurate.

  • She was trapping some excess CO2 overnight. Simple biology you need to exchange both CO2 and O2 when you breathe. If you don’t the CO2 actually prevents the O2 from binding with oxygen. Her tongue is very swollen not allowing the CO2 to escape easily, the put a oral airway in which seems to be helping.
  • She has needed more O2 overnight. Let me explain the most reasonable explanation why. 1st as I mentioned she was holding on to CO2, that’s become much better. They measure all these things by taking an arterial blood gas. They do them very often. Well she has been loosing blood because of that alone and the portion of the blood that carries oxygen is called hemoglobin hers is low and thus her blood can’t carry as much. They are giving her a transfusion of more red blood cells right now (only her second so far) which should help.
  • Some progress has been made with the kidneys if you want to know more about why they are not functioning as well as they should read about it here ATN. The good news is that she is starting to produce a little bit more of urine each hour. I can’t tell you if it is significant enough to make a difference yet as I don’t know. Lets just hope that slow and steady still wins the race.

If we can get through the day today on the same course we have been following I promised the other kids I would come home tonight. They need me and have been doing OK but it’s just not the same with both Mom & Dad away. We need to try to reestablish “our normal” as best as we can as soon as possible.

I will post more after morning rounds if it is significant otherwise again this evening. And we WILL be celebrating Mothers & Fathers day together when we are ALL home with ALL of our children.

“Faith is the strength by which a shattered world shall emerge into the light.” – Helen Keller

2 thoughts on “DAY 35 – CHONY PICU”

  1. praying that you day has been peaceful and uneventful. Blessings to all of the “mothers” in Faith’s life, in school, in the hospital, at home, and most of all to Sue, for your truest reflection of selfless mothering

  2. Praying for continued postive progress and restful sleep for you and Sue. Happy Mother’s Day to Sue

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