July 12, Day 1 OFF the vent.

1:00 pm
Yes, this is day 1 OFF the vent.  A lot can change in 12 hours.  I stayed with Lindsey last night.  I think I have figured out how to sleep in these CVICU rooms.  It takes 3 chairs (none of them recline), 3 blankets, 4 pillows, ear plugs, and Lindsey to sleep to be able to sleep in the room, and happy to do so.   At 2:00 am someone's humble prayer was answered.  Maybe it was a prayer given in Haines, Vale, Provo, Sugar City, Burley, Korea, North Powder, Salt Lake, Palo Alto, or somewhere in between. A doctor came in and asked if we wanted to take out the vent.  Heck yeah!  Lungs have improved enough from the 2nd chest tube that they were OK with extabating (taking out) the tube.  We were all pretty excited.  Right now Lindsey talks with a faint whisper.  She will talk more (a lot more I am sure) as her throat feels better. Lindsey still didn't sleep much.  I think with all the pain meds and 'stuff' going in her body, her clock has to be off. But I went back to sleep just fine. (That's not mean, I was just tired).  I did get a smile from the 'Fly' joke. 1 out of 50, not bad.

This morning Stacy and Megan were over, painted Lindsey's nails and even painted Bernstein's nails. That was funny. The surgeon, Dr Meada is going to change the Berlin pump out today at 2:00 pm.  She has been off the blood thinner for 5 days and the risk is getting pretty high. So instead of waiting until its an emergency to switch the pump, they are just going to go ahead and switch it out. There are enough small / medium clots in the pump they don't want to take any chances. I am way good with that.  They will do the procedure in her room, but she will be lightly sedated.  The pump will be 'off' for about 90 seconds as the device is switched.  Look, no fumble fingers, no shakes, no oops, no 'where is my leatherman'.

They had her sitting up for about 25 minutes, and should have her up again after the procedure.  Walk tomorrow.  She has had a popsicle, but to every one's disappointment, she still doesn't have an appetite and probably won't till transplant.  They don't know why, but that is why she has the feeding tube. Not sure when they will start the feedings.

Remember the highs and lows.  Yesterday was a low, today is a high.  Now we need to get the Berlin changed, get her back on appropriate level of blood thinner, keep the internal bleeding under control, get her up, and maybe start the feedings.  Now THAT would be a good day.

Later
Daddy

 It's 2 am and its a coming out!

Nice big cough to clean the junk out.

  My girl is back with a smile.

Megan spending "time" with Lindsey.

 

Lindsey after her "make over." Like the blue hair?

 

Dr. Bernstein getting his fingernail painted HOT PINK! The deal was that he had to show it to us in the morning to prove that he wore it all day.

 

Fun story to share regarding report. This morning in rounds the doctors were extra jovial. When Lindsey is doing better, the Dr's spirits are also up.  Everyone was kidding around and in a funny mood.  There was a first year fellow leading the rounds, Dr. Bernstein and the transplant fellow Ashwin, Dr. Roth the attending intensivist, and another intensivist fellow along with Mandy and Sandra from PT and OT.  The fellow leading the rounds goes through all of the major assessment topics, such as; neurological status, lab values, major organ functions, etc.  Dr. Bernstein chimes in and says you forgot the most important system.  The fellow intensivist was standing behind Bernstein giving her cues as to what it was she missed.  The fellow leading the rounds was frantically searching the computer for what she missed.  Dr. Bernstein says, "The fingernails and toenails," that had just been painted. They all laughed and moved on to talking about the changing of the Berlin. Ashwin (transplant fellow) was commenting on how fast Dr. Meada (the surgeon) has gotten at changing the Berlin and is ready to challenge him blind folded.  I raised my hand and said, "Do you mind if it is not on this procedure."  Everyone laughed.  It was a relief to see everyone up beat and feeling good about our status.