This will be a short update for a very long day. Maddy was weaned off the vent overnight and extubated this morning at 6:30 after Dr. Haddad scoped her. Melissa was here overnight and was the first to see Maddy. Natalie came next and I was here shortly after her. Maddy had been sitting up in bed doing her breathing exercises when I got here, much like the first time they took her off the vent. But this time she looked much better and stayed awake chatting with me. She was in a little pain but in very good spirits. Oh, I forgot to mention that the surgeons came in midmorning and removed Maddy’s last two chest tubes. Now all she has are the little drains.
Maddy and I spent the day chatting and doing her lung exercises. She is allowed to eat a little ice but nothing else until she does her swallow test tomorrow afternoon to make sure when she swallows it is going down into her stomach and not her lungs. She spent most of the day trying to figure out new ways of talking her nurse, Jen, into getting her another cup full of Ice. See the above photo. Maddy has just been in the best of spirits. Anytime someone would come in and tell her they were going to do something to her or ask her to do something for them she would just say OK in this sweet little still kind of weak voice. No matter what they asked! She has just been the most agreeable person in the world. When Jen told her that Dr. Haddad had called and wanted her to move into a chair next to the bed Maddy said OK with the slightest of sighs. Then quickly parlayed her rapid and cheerful move into a sitting position for a new cup of ice. It was like watching a master at work! And I thought I was wrapped.
She moved to the chair with no problem and sat up in it from 4:00 in the afternoon to about 9:00 tonight. The doctor only asked for two hours. She is still in a little pain but the meds they are giving her keeps it in check. By the time the pain starts to affect her it’s time for another dose so they seem to have it just right. Maddy spent 2 solid hours chatting with Jen and I while sitting in her chair and her O2 sats did not drop below 98! At the Shift change Jen came in to say bye to Maddy because she will be off and won’t get back to work before Maddy is moved upstairs. She was crying and Maddy told her she can always come up and visit her on the 8th floor. Jen took care of Maddy for 4 of the 6 days she has been in the ICU. That little girl always makes an impression!
Anyway, it’s 11:20 PM and Maddy has been great all day. She knows it’s still going to be a long recovery but she is grateful she got to sleep through the hardest part of it. I think her new lungs knew how much Maddy had to go through leading up to the transplant so they acted up the first few days so the doctors would let the big giant hole in her chest heal up some while she was under sedation so she wouldn’t have to be awake through the worst of the pain. Good going new lungs, now keep up the good work!
Don’t forget about the photo updates at http://maddyslungtransplant.tumblr.com
More to come...
No comments:
Post a Comment