It’s 7am EST. Shift change time at the NICU. I was hoping to catch Michelle before her shift was over. She was gracious to give me the 5 minute rundown right before she handed things over to the next nurse.
Ella did well last night. Her cO2 fluctuated, but kept within an acceptable range. Her PH level was down (more acidic) without being related to her cO2 level, so they’re giving her some sodium bicarbonate to bring it back up. Her potassium is a little high, possibly from the couple doses of vecuronium she received for her procedure, so they’re managing that by reducing her feeds that contain potassium.
Her chest tubes have not drained that much, but so far she has had no episodes like we saw yesterday, and overall looks a lot more stable (Praise God).
Tina was able to give Ella another manicure last night. Dr. Kays was getting ready to do her chest tube procedure, when another critical baby needed his attention. While he stepped away, we figured it would be a good time to take care of her long nails. It’s a lot easier to file a baby’s nails when she’s heavily sedated and been given a dose of vecuronium (a paralytic). =)
If you didn’t get a chance to read the heavy post yesterday morning or the evening update, you should do so. Be sure to catch the comments as well.
Yesterday was an incredible roller coaster ride of emotions. Seeing our baby girl not do well throughout the day, and having the visual of her suffocating was the toughest thing I’ve ever experienced. We were so raw throughout the day, and the tears flowed constantly.
The Lord’s peace was known after reading your comments on our blog. It fell upon us like an afternoon rain, washing our anxieties away.
The value of your prayer support is beyond measure and I can’t imagine going through this without the support of friends and family.
Thanks to all of you who write the comments, who send us encouraging emails, and to those prayer warriors who may not post comments, but are doing incredible battle on their knees for us!
God Bless you all!
Ephesians 6:12
For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms.