Extubation Attempt

 



During Monday mornings rounds, Dr Ratajczak asked the young Dr why we shouldn't try extubation tomorrow. Since Sunny had been doing well during the cpap trials, he suggested just doing it.  He said something like the longer the tube is in, the more her brain will get used to not breathing. And then how some kids when extubated have issues right away & some have issues in a day or so - the only way we'll know is if we try.  I had thought they might not try anything until after the Holidays, & was nervous but hopeful for her.  She HAD been doing well during the trials, and I'm sure he breathing tube is uncomfortable.  

During the first extubation attempt, they had us leave & called us to let us know how it went and that we could come back.  This time, maybe because she'd done it before, they let us sit in her room with them.  Around 2pm is when they began. They finished & stood back to watch her numbers, abdomin and nasal canula placement.  So far so good.  

Everyone kept a very close eye on her. Sunny slept most of the time, and would wake up cranky, & it seemed as though she got more irritable as time went on. By the time I left her side at 11:30pm Christmas Eve, visually her breathing looked very labored. Her head tilted a bit & her mouth even seemed to open.  I cried the whole way back to the Ronald Mcdonald House.  I felt bad asking her to do so much work without being able to help her. Chris woke up to spend the wee hours of Christmas morning with her, & found they had changed her from a nasal canula to more of a scuba mask situation in efforts to try and help her.  

Around 9:30am they called and said they were going to intubate her again.  She wasn't having any apnea, but some of her numbers were off because of blood flow issues and she was working too hard to breathe because of it. The doctors had said early on that if she's not able to breathe on her own, it'll be a good indicator of her mental capacity. Generally, we're encouraged by her not having apnea & are feeling pretty at peace with this next step.  

Her body is still working on recovering & recalibrating. She's scheduled for her tracheostomy early in the New Year, hopefully that will make her more comfortable.  


Prayer requests:

- Sunny's body to recover swiftly and smoothly.

- For Chris & his Papa's heart as he goes back to work. 

- Wisdom for the Doctors, Nurses, Respiratory Therapists & Surgeons. & her parents. 


Thank you so much! We hope you had a very Merry Christmas!

Love, 

Chris, Alyssa & Sunny buns




Extubated 


Christmas Eve


Christmas Morning scuba mask

Back with our breathing tube & 
Heat Miser hair:)








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