Extubation

I was going to update yesterday but I didn't sit down from 7am til 11pm. It was a busy day!  Most importantly... Owen was Extubated successfully!  He has done great and is much more comfortable.  His body is requiring 1-2 liters of oxygen, but we all know how he likes his O2.  The nurses searched high and low and finally found a stash of Tendergrips so we will switch the tape to those and make his cheeks feel better. 

I left for a while yesterday to spend some time outside these hospital walls and Daddy spent a lot of time with him.  It felt good to do normal household chores and snuggle Logi.  Then I was back on duty last night.  He had a ton of visitors in and out and we got his room all decorated Superhero style. 

He is starving and told me to "fight for my food" at rounds. ;) We just increased his gtube feeds and he's allowed to have some food orally.  He had some chocolate ice cream this morning which must have felt amazing on his throat and dry mouth! 

Kam found this Deadpool (DC Villan) Piggy Bank in the hospital gift shop.  I think it's totally creepy but apparently it's VERY cool!  He absolutely loves it!  It all started when one nurse put her spare change in him.  Then it escalated into him asking everyone to put money in.  Child Life made this fun sign for him yesterday and he let everyone know at rounds that if they don't have change.. he also accept dollar bills and credit cards.

I slept bedside, but his nurses said he didn't sleep much but mostly shopped on Amazon all night with his ipad.  Guess that piggy bank money will come in handy.   It's been stuffed with some dollars so we may have to empty it soon.  Just a fun little something to keep his mind focused on things other than the fact that he is still being supported by a mechanical heart/lung machine.

He has been the best patient ever!  To be extubated, eating, and totally alert on ECMO is just amazing.  The plan today is to start Cpap breathing treatments which just helps his lungs to work a little harder.. so far he really likes them and we have a great RT today.  He is getting an echo now and that will help them determine a plan.  Decannulation in the morning is tentative as of now.  We will allow him to eat orally and protect his airway so he doesn't risk aspiration.  He is also getting gtube feeds and we will increase that rate today as he tolerates to maximum his caloric needs. His chest xray showed some fluid in his R. Lung so we are starting him back on diuretics to help his body rid of that.

Today will be mostly a resting day...but I need to keep him up as much as possible so he will sleep for Daddy tonight.  I am going to go home and sleep in my bed with Kam and Logi tonight for the first time in a week.  I'll be back first thing in the AM before we do any ECMO trials.  We are trying to get PT up here to get him moving as much as we can while protecting the cannulas.  We are wanting to move his bed and ECMO circuit around so he can watch the tv as well, but he told us "This is my room and I like it just like it is."  So perhaps we won't be moving his bed after all.  One thing is certain... he verbalizes his feelings and lets us know exactly what he wants and how.  His little voice is still so hoarse and sweet too.  Such a sweetheart!!!