Intubation Update #7: Tube's Out, But...

Somewhere around 4:15, they extubated.  He remains that way right now, but it's been a bit of a battle.  He's on vapotherm, which is one step up from a regular nasal cannula.  He's doing okay with it.  Things could be better, but they could also be worse.

As it stands now, it's still possible the breathing tube could go back in.  He's been moving around quite a bit, causing the pulse ox to read all different kinds of numbers, making it hard to believe what's real and what's not.  Before extubation, they stopped all of the sedative drips, so he's approaching the three hour mark without any sedation or pain management.  (Things that could be hurting:  his chest, both his incision and where the tubes were pulled; his throat from 4 days of intubation; his head, from a Glenn headache.)  That very well could be contributing to his constant movement.  Once it arrives from pharmacy, he'll be getting some Tylenol to hopefully help with that.  Unfortunately, he can't have anything in his stomach right now, so it'll have to go up his butt.

We're in an okay place right now, so I'm hopeful the tube will stay out.  I'm also preparing myself for the very real possibility it could go back in.  I know the doctors and nurses will do everything they can to avoid that, but he may eventually force their hand.  (I also know a different group may have already pulled the plug on this little experiment and put it back in.)

If you get a chance, please pray Ayden makes them happy with his saturation levels and the tube can stay out.  This will allow some other things - ART line, and maybe one other line - to come out, too.