The talk on the street is that we can go home tomorrow! I can’t believe how well Ella has recovered.

As I drank coffee and stared at the view this morning, I can’t believe that it will be 61 degrees on Sunday and then snow on Monday. Crazy!

Once the java took effect, I came up with a feeding plan to get Ella to her minimum “maintenance fluid” requirements:

8am (125ml)
10am (125ml +25ml pedialyte)
11:30am (100ml pedialyte)
1pm (135ml + 20ml pedialyte)
2:30pm (100ml pedialyte)
4pm (145ml +15ml pedialyte)
7:30pm (145ml + 20ml pedialyte)
11pm (145ml + 20ml pedialyte)

We left her IV on a very slow drip of 5ml/hour, just to keep it viable. But I’ll be excited to remove it tomorrow. Once again, another shock: that her IV lasted over a week. That is so rare. Plus, that we only needed to stick her once for a set of labs.

This morning, she had not yet gone to the bathroom, so we gave a 1/2 capful of Miralax. Then during rounds, we talked about the fact that she still had not gone to the bathroom yet. I expressed concern with delivering suppositories at home – she fights so hard. It does take 2 adults to put it in her and she is so strong at resisting and fighting back. You can’t blame her, but I was having trouble seeing how I would do this lovely job solo. So, the pharmacist recommended continuing to give Miralax (stool softener), but also using Senna (stool stimulant, from a herb called Sennoside). Since these are both administered via her g-tube, they take longer to take effect. By 4pm, still no poop so we gave another 1/2 capful of Miralax. It is now 11pm and still no poop. My thinking was to only give the suppository if she complains. I have waited for her to refuse a feed, be too distended and not tolerate a feed. But since she took all the feeds like a champ, we reached our goal feeds.

Besides increasing feeds slowly (which she has done incredibly well with them), I’m sure it is going to be challenging with her bowels. They need to wake up!!! I’m a bit worried about working this out at home, especially since the Miralax and Senna do not seem to be doing much, but I think we’ll get a dose of suppositories/magic bullets just in case. If I need another person, I can always wait until Josh gets home from work. It is just a good option since they take effect within an hour.

UPDATE since I started this post: It is midnight and Ella just pooped. You know it’s bad when you get excited over poop! The only challenge now: poop is loose! I have changed 3 diapers in the past 15 minutes. Ahh…the art of all of this with the intestines!

Since Josh will be at work tomorrow, Grandpa offered to come and help us leave the hospital. It will be nice to be back home in our own beds and get some feline and canine love too!

Also, please continue to keep Elijah in your prayers. He is headed to the OR at 11am CST, for his surgery to close him up from his diaphragm repair surgery over a week ago.

Thank you for the support shown in-person and virtually this past week.

Psalm 91:2
This I declare of the LORD: He alone is my refuge, my place of safety; he is my God, and I am trusting him.