Here's an update... I may need to clarify some of this later... as I was talking to Teresa, Kevin called her back in because there was an urgent issue he needed to discuss. I have no idea what that is, but you can be praying...
They were about to inject surfacant into her lungs. Pulmonary surfactant is an oily substance (a mixture of lipoprotein molecules) produced by the cells lining the alveoli. All parts of the respiratory system are coated with a thin watery layer. The surfactant coats this layer and reduces the surface tension within the alveoli. This helps keep the alveoli open for gas exchange.
The attending physician in the NICU would like to wean the ECMO tonight in hopes of doing the bridging tomorrow. They would like to see her come off of ECMO this side of 14 days. The doctors in the PICU differ with this decision and would like her to rest more before doing the bridging. Teresa & Kevin's prayer is that the two groups will come together and reach some consensus.
They will be doing an ECHO tomorrow to check on her pulmonary hypertension levels.
Averi's blood pressure is better today. The issue with the right side of the heart that I mentioned the other day is that the hypertension was stressing that side of the heart too much, and they didn't feel that her heart would be strong enough to handle being off of ECMO. That problem seems to have resolved.
Teresa has some concern about the dialysis. The doctors are saying she is still +4 liters from where she should be, (I start envisioning 2 2-liter bottles of soda...) and the nurses don't see how that's possible. We just don't want them to take too much fluid off!
As far as I know, Averi is stable, her lungs are continually expanding, and she is still on the high frequency ventilator with iNO. I didn't get a chance to ask her how the liver is doing. As Teresa said, our hope is NOT in the doctors, the hospital, the medications, or the machines. Our hope and faith is in the Lord, who uses all of the above (or not, if he chooses that!) to accomplish HIS purposes.
As always please pray for the doctors to have wisdom in the decisions being made for Averi... that everything will be done at precisely the right time and in the right order. Pray for Averi's little body to be strong and feisty as she fights! Pray for the entire family. As we head into Christmas, and the family is separated by a few hours, I am sure that their other children are having a really difficult time. Thanks, everyone! I'll let you know if I hear anything else!
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
No comments:
Post a Comment