Ella had a restful night. She did a lot of sleeping.

When we were there for her last blood gas around 10pm, it was great.

When they drew the next blood gas at 4am, it was not good.

Her pH level was 7.0, cO2=83, pO2=123. They paged Dr. Kays with the information. He made some slight ventilator changes and re-took the gas at 6am and it was a little better. Her pH level was 7.14, cO2=73, pO2=99. They repeated another gas at 8am and it was still creeping in the right direction. Her blood had a pH level of 7.39, cO2=49, pO2=96. They plan to take another one at 2pm.

Dr. Kays came by this morning and removed the right chest tube that we just experienced him replacing Saturday evening, since it was no longer draining. Her fluid output on the right hand side, from the tube he put in last night after the CT scan, released a total of 107ccs, as of this morning at 7am (that is a lot for a 12-14 hour period). 23ccs were released from the new left chest tube and 19ccs from the previously existing chest tube, for a total of 42ccs.

So, 149ccs off of Ella! That is why she is responding so much better. I can’t even imagine what that must feel like for her.

Dr. Kays recognizes that this fluid issue is holding her back from her lungs developing. So, he has ordered another CT scan for today. He doesn’t like to do that because they have to transport her down to radiology with the ventilator, drips, nitric oxide, etc., attached to the bed (see picture), but at this point, he cannot tell exactly where the fluid resides unless he gets the CT scan. Also, he knows that the fluid builds up and accumulates and it is confirmed directly in Ella’s numbers.

We are still waiting on the report from radiology to see what the results are from the contrast x-ray concerning her superior vena cava.

Please pray that Dr. Kays will be given insight and wisdom for this issue. Also, that Ella will maintain her strength today and remain stable through the transport to get the CT scan.

This verse came to my mind this morning. Although this fluid issue is a mystery to us, God knows exactly what Ella needs. It also reminds us that He is ever-present with Ella, ALWAYS. And that He made Ella with His own hands, just perfectly.

Psalm 139

1 O LORD, you have searched me
and you know me.

2 You know when I sit and when I rise;
you perceive my thoughts from afar.

3 You discern my going out and my lying down;
you are familiar with all my ways.

4 Before a word is on my tongue
you know it completely, O LORD.

5 You hem me in—behind and before;
you have laid your hand upon me.

6 Such knowledge is too wonderful for me,
too lofty for me to attain.

7 Where can I go from your Spirit?
Where can I flee from your presence?

8 If I go up to the heavens, you are there;
if I make my bed in the depths, you are there.

9 If I rise on the wings of the dawn,
if I settle on the far side of the sea,

10 even there your hand will guide me,
your right hand will hold me fast.

11 If I say, “Surely the darkness will hide me
and the light become night around me,”

12 even the darkness will not be dark to you;
the night will shine like the day,
for darkness is as light to you.

13 For you created my inmost being;
you knit me together in my mother’s womb.

14 I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made;
your works are wonderful,
I know that full well.

15 My frame was not hidden from you
when I was made in the secret place.
When I was woven together in the depths of the earth,

16 your eyes saw my unformed body.
All the days ordained for me
were written in your book
before one of them came to be.

17 How precious to me are your thoughts, O God!
How vast is the sum of them!

18 Were I to count them,
they would outnumber the grains of sand.
When I awake,
I am still with you.

19 If only you would slay the wicked, O God!
Away from me, you bloodthirsty men!

20 They speak of you with evil intent;
your adversaries misuse your name.

21 Do I not hate those who hate you, O LORD,
and abhor those who rise up against you?

22 I have nothing but hatred for them;
I count them my enemies.

23 Search me, O God, and know my heart;
test me and know my anxious thoughts.

24 See if there is any offensive way in me,
and lead me in the way everlasting.

UDPATE (4:00pm EST): We just called in to check on our girl. Ella had another CT scan done, and at this moment was being put back in the NICU. Dr. Kays has yet to see the results of her CT scan. We did find out that Ella’s blood gas at 2pm looked good, similar to the better one she had this morning. We continue to rest in the peace of our Saviour.