31/05/10 - 01/06/10:
Monday morning rolled around and I was over at the hospital bright and early. Today was the day they were going to try and take Raphaela off ECMO again. They were also going to be checking the shunt.
This time they would be doing the surgery right in the ICU room. One o'clock came around and the team assembled to start so I was ushered out the room. I got a call at 3.45pm to say that they had been unsuccessful in removing her off the machine. Yves did have to change the shunt though. The original one was 3.5mm and her new one is 3mm. He also changed the position of it so now it is in the centre of her heart instead of the right hand side.
After the call, I was starting to feel really defeated. I knew that if Raffy doesn't get off this machine, she has no hope of survival. The doctors were baffled as her heart was functioning perfectly so they had no idea why she wouldn't come off it. Feeling a bit lost and down in the dumps, I ended up going home to Rosebud for the night so I could see Fred and the kids and bolster my spirits a bit.
Tuesday morning I got a call from Clancy our nurse saying that they are going to try again to get her off. I was told they would be finished about 12pm-ish so was going to time my arrival back at the hospital to coincide with this. Next thing I know, Igor rang me at 10am to tell me that she had come off the machine without a problem. My heart just soared and I was grinning from ear to ear. The next few hours would be critical though. I quickly got everything together and set off in the car for the hospital. I arrived just after 12pm and raced to PICU to see her. She looked absolutely marvellous and there is so much room around her cot now that dreaded machine has gone. Raphaela remained stable for the rest of the day. Her blood pressure dropped slightly which in turn made her oxygen sats go down also but it soon rectified itself. I am so proud of my gorgeous girl and now that we are over this little hump, I pray that the rest of her recovery is alot easier.
If all goes according to plan, her chest will be closed in 48 hours and then the ventilator will start to be weaned. I am looking forward to the day where we can move out of the PICU and back up to ward 7 West.
Monday morning rolled around and I was over at the hospital bright and early. Today was the day they were going to try and take Raphaela off ECMO again. They were also going to be checking the shunt.
This time they would be doing the surgery right in the ICU room. One o'clock came around and the team assembled to start so I was ushered out the room. I got a call at 3.45pm to say that they had been unsuccessful in removing her off the machine. Yves did have to change the shunt though. The original one was 3.5mm and her new one is 3mm. He also changed the position of it so now it is in the centre of her heart instead of the right hand side.
After the call, I was starting to feel really defeated. I knew that if Raffy doesn't get off this machine, she has no hope of survival. The doctors were baffled as her heart was functioning perfectly so they had no idea why she wouldn't come off it. Feeling a bit lost and down in the dumps, I ended up going home to Rosebud for the night so I could see Fred and the kids and bolster my spirits a bit.
Tuesday morning I got a call from Clancy our nurse saying that they are going to try again to get her off. I was told they would be finished about 12pm-ish so was going to time my arrival back at the hospital to coincide with this. Next thing I know, Igor rang me at 10am to tell me that she had come off the machine without a problem. My heart just soared and I was grinning from ear to ear. The next few hours would be critical though. I quickly got everything together and set off in the car for the hospital. I arrived just after 12pm and raced to PICU to see her. She looked absolutely marvellous and there is so much room around her cot now that dreaded machine has gone. Raphaela remained stable for the rest of the day. Her blood pressure dropped slightly which in turn made her oxygen sats go down also but it soon rectified itself. I am so proud of my gorgeous girl and now that we are over this little hump, I pray that the rest of her recovery is alot easier.
If all goes according to plan, her chest will be closed in 48 hours and then the ventilator will start to be weaned. I am looking forward to the day where we can move out of the PICU and back up to ward 7 West.
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