Colby had a great (i.e. uneventful) night last night. No emergency trach changes or other shenanigans. We got a sleep room (2 nights in a row, woot woot.) I let Mom have it and I stayed in the room with Colby. I took a big, fat nap today. Just helps the time pass quicker. After a week of being here, those PICU walls are starting to close in on me. Colby did have a fever last night, but luckily it has resolved, and he has been fever free today. Good grief, he's on scheduled Tylenol and 2 antibiotics, yeah, you'd think fever wouldn't be a worry!
Colby sat up at 45 degrees in his bed for almost 2 hours this morning. Then this afternoon after his cough treatments he sat up in his wheelchair for 1 hour 10 minutes. He was really struggling and uncomfortable, so I didn't push it. He was zonked out after that. Pretty much been napping ever since. I'm sure his stamina is diminished since surgery. But I'm very proud of him for sitting up as much as he has today.
We're lucky again this week to have an attending doctor I really like. We were talking about the drop in Colby's hemoglobin, and we both agree it's a WTH kind of thing. She said she knows they tested his hemoglobin twice, but she believes it was a fluke and nothing was wrong with his H&H. I agree with her 100%. But his hemoglobin is nice and perfect now, so hopefully that won't be an issue for us anymore.
Colby's PICC is working better also. That's good news. Since it took them 3 attempts to get it in, I really want to use the shit our of it, know what I mean?
So of course I can't do an update without talking about Colby's tummy and/or ileus. If I never hear the word "ileus" as long as I live, that'll be fine with me. Colby is holding a lot of fluid, everywhere. They are giving him Lasix, which I totally hate, but I didn't see that I had much of a choice. They said if they couldn't pull the extra fluid off Colby's lungs, they would have to put in a chest tube. I'd do about anything to avoid that. Colby's tummy looks some better. It's softer and not as distended. Of course he is peeing like crazy with the Lasix, but dangit, we just can't get this kid to have a poopy. I'm hating it for him! Everyone says it just takes time, that the ileus takes 7-10 days to resolve. His belly x-ray does look better. So we're going to take a chance and start Colby back on his home feeds. At a very, very slow rate - 5 mL/hour, haha. That's 1 teaspoon, by the way. We started with some Pedialyte at 5 mL/hour, now we're getting brave and trying the food. Keeping my fingers crossed his tummy is ready to play nice. Ileus be gone, damn you.
Mom and I went through the room today and reorganized, repack things, etc. There is a very good possibility we'll be heading down to TCC tomorrow. I packed up a few things to send home with her. The parent exchange is tomorrow. Dad will be here noonish and Mom will head home for a few days. Lucky Dad, he'll get to help us load up all the stuff and move down to TCC. I bet he'll be so excited to hear that.
That's it for now. I've felt really tired today, even with a nap. Of course I was up every hour or so when they came into Colby's room last night, so that would explain it. Doubt if we get a sleep room tonight. There have been a lot of admissions to PICU and those parents get first dibs. Come on Ronnie Donnie, give me a call!
More tomorrow after morning rounds. Toodles and goodbye and see ya, peeps.
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