Intubation Update #2: Settling

When I saw Ayden at 2AM this morning, he was writhing. His legs and arms were flopping all over the place, and he was very obviously uncomfortable. When I saw him again after the morning shift change, he looked absolutely no better. I had to escape the room and go for a good cry.

The day has been riddled with Ayden becoming upset and desatting. They performed an ECHO, and he became annoyed. They had to come back and get better ECHO pictures, which didn't make him any happier. The nurses and respiratory therapists have made him angry countless times... sometimes all they have to do is change his diaper. One of the unfortunate incidents happened because he woke to my voice. Heart wrenching.

The hardest part about today has been observing a typically joyful baby respond to his situation with anger and sadness. (I have even seen tears roll down his face.) Ayden's nurse, Maribeth, has worked all day to find the right cocktail of medication to make Ayden feel more comfortable. It is now time for another shift change, and she has finally gotten him where she wants him. His saturations have been 74-79 (we have seen 67-72 all day), and Maribeth has begun to wean the ventillator. His Lasix drip has helped him to pee well, which should decrease fluid around his lungs and allow them to fully expand.

I am hopeful of two things: 1) Ayden will continue to diurese, and 2) they will be able to continue to wean the ventillator overnight. Both should make him ready for extubation by the morning. They have decided that, when that time comes, they are going to wake him up and just yank the tube. They know that if they wait around to see how he does with waking up, he won't respond favorably to the situation, and extubation will never happen. As one of the doctors said, "We are going to say, '1, 2, 3. Go!'"

"Why are you downcast, O my soul?

Why so disturbed within me?

Put your hope in God, for I will yet praise him,

my Savior and my God."

Psalm 42:5 NIV