September 11, 2010

Intubation Update #8: Is "reintubation" a word?

Despite the valiant efforts of everyone involved, they are, as I type this, putting the breathing tube back in.  Ultimately, there was just too much build up in his lungs, causing him to have to work too hard to breathe.  They believe it was best to go ahead and put it back in now while he is stable then have to do it in an emergent situation.  And that makes sense.  I don't like it.  But it makes sense.

Where I have my doubts is as to whether or not this will make a difference.  They have been making him pee like crazy for the better part of three days now and, if anything, we have lost ground on the fluid build up.  I hope more time doing that will make progress, but I don't know how much confidence I have that it will.  I don't know if we're missing the source of the problem entirely, or what.  I don't know if this all would have been avoided if Wednesday night's fellow hadn't taken the conservative route.

There's a lot of "don't knows" and very little answers, which is very frustrating.  Regardless, the tube is going back in.  At this point, I highly doubt they'll be willing to even consider taking it out again before Monday.

This has not gone how we had expected, though I suppose it was foolish to come in with any expectations, anyways.  It is certainly hard to keep the appropriate perspective.  There are four children on this floor who are on ECMO.  Objectively, Ayden's issues are minor, by comparison.  Subjectively, it sure doesn't feel like it.

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