Up and Down

Avery was having a hard time yesterday and this morning her nurse called to say she went back on the CPAP machine (headgear high flow oxygen into her nose). This morning the nurse thought she would probably be intubated again (vent):(, but thankfully she has been doing okay with the CPAP and her levels are okay as well, so as long as everything looks good on tests & monitors and she doesn't seem to be working too hard to breathe - no vent. She hasn't eaten all day, in case they have to intubate and so she's cranky/hungry. One more good blood gas and she can eat.

All along I've been hoping to not get a trach. Avery can't go home on a CPAP, so if she's not stabilizing well, she'd have to get a trach to go home. I hope she gets strong and can keep her lungs open either on her own (ideal of course) or on a low flow air in her nose. You have to do what you have to do sometimes.

Who is this? Sometimes I feel like I'm looking at someone else's life and I'm standing beside myself.:)

Avery has one roommate, a baby boy from the Dominican Republic! After he was born they found out he had heart problems and flew him and his mom here for surgery. She has a little girl at home who keeps telling her to come home. :( The mom, Maria, only knows a little english and thankfully there are some people here who speak spanish. I try to talk to her, she's so nice and smiles a lot, but I'm not sure how much she's understanding. I'm trying to remember spanish from high school and portuguese. I even caught myself signing to her :). Maria seems very positive and I'm glad our kids are in a room together.