Thurs 02-03-05 - mid-day

Doing well. Slowing down a bit on the weening to extibate. They cut a medication (NO2) in half late this morning and she didn't like that too well (PA jumped up to high 70's), but the doctors were still pleased because that just meant that she's "reactive", which is good. So they bumped that medication back up a bit and her PA dropped back down to 50's. They've been continuing to ween the medication more slowly (NO2 is now down to 4) and PA's are staying in the 50's. So, all is well!

Bailey's very alert when she's awake - she's waving to visitors standing outside the glass door. Mimi Pierce (from WFMS) called to check on her progress today. I called back at the number she left and it must have been her home number because Jim Denney's voice was on the answering machine. (For those FMS fans out there, that's so cool! For those who are not country music fans, trust me - that's cool.) Child Life Services came to visit Bailey today and hung a poster on the wall that they made of Keith Urban pictures. Bailey couldn't see it very well because she's still seeing double, but it got a big smile out of her. She asked for her glasses, so we put those on her. She squinted and shook her head no and wanted them taken back off. She must have thought her eyes have gone bad through this whole process! We assured her it was just the medication.

She's really hungry, thirsty and has a sore throat. That's all she's complaining about. The incision in her chest and the wound where the Berlin Heart is are both healing very, very well. They tell us the Versed will keep her from remembering her struggles with the tube down her throat, and today I can believe that because she's asking the same questions she asked yesterday. So that makes me feel better! Every time she asks what time it is and what day it is, her eyes get really big when we tell her it's Thursday. (It is Thursday, right?)

So she might not get that tube out today after all, but it will be not a minute longer than it has to be.

If I don't do another post today, rest assured all is well!
Angie