Elena Update: 11.1.09, 11:59 pm, Sun

Elena Update: 11.1.09, 11:59 pm, Sun

Ok, so here’s the latest:

1. Today around 11:10 am, Dr. Finch & super staff, extubated Elena! In other words, they removed the ventilator tube! The actual procedure took about 15 min. Unfortunately we’re unable to be present during any of the procedures, so they ask us to step out and just wait in the waiting room that is approximately 23 paces down one hallway, do a “left-face”, then about 9 paces down another to the waiting room on the right…that’s “about” 32 paces in all.

2. Sooooo…being the incredibly calm, patient “TYPE-A OBSESSIVE COMPULSIVE” parents that we are and after not seeing the whites of our kid’s eyes for 2 painfully long weeks (or approximately FOUR EXCRUCIATING MONTHS in “dog time”), Kath & I stood right outside the PICU door waiting for it to crack just a teeny bit in anxious anticipation for them to poke their beedy heads out & tell us “mission complete”. Geepers crow…I almost knocked poor nurse, Suzanne, right on her little butt as soon as she opened the door…

3. Wow…wasn’t quite prepared for what we were about to see as soon as we went back in to check on our beautiful little “Precious Moments” angel. She looked more like Heavyweight Boxing Champ Evander Holyfield after the 15th-round with Mike Tyson. Since she literally hadn’t moved for 2 weeks, due to the heavy sedation so she wouldn’t pull her vent tube, all her normal body fluids that typically swish around, just pooled in her little face. Once they removed the 2-week old tape that surrounded her mouth to keep the vent tube securely fastened (see some of the PICU pics) & the ointment that attempted to keep her little brown eyes somewhat moist, her face ballooned up like a newly inflated little pink hot air balloon. She had a toddler O2 mask on, but her eyes were literally swollen shut, so we were unable to see her little baby brown’s.

4. THEN, to add to the moment, (also unprepared for), our little 2-yr old was writhing & twitching like a newly admitted Hollywood celebrity on the TV show “Celebrity Re-hab”…except it’s a lot different watching your innocent little 2-yr old doing the kickin’ chicken than some chucklehead who’s got more money than character.

5. Whew…it’s been brutal watching her go through the withdrawal process. They said to expect anywhere from 24-48 hrs of the post-Woodstock “dazed & confused” syndrome. HOWEVER…AGAIN…we are INCREDIBLY THANKFUL that she is on the healing side of this whole process!! We’ve said “Thank You, Lord” so many times that if we got paid for it we’d be millionaires! I’ve hugged just about every nurse & respiratory therapist in there so much for taking care of our little angel that they’re about to wave the white flag of ‘surrender’. They’ve reached their max hug limit for the year & they’ve only known me for about 2 weeks. I’m just SO incredibly thankful for their care & expertise of our little one that it’s just hard to express my appreciation of what they’ve done (& are continuing to do until she’s discharged). How do you thank someone for literally saving your kid’s life? (“Yes”…that’s how severe she was when she was first admitted and “No”…that is not an exaggeration.) Needless to say, they’ve all made our annual Christmas Card list…and we don’t even do Christmas Cards!

6. Over the first hour, fortunately her swelling subsided, so we were able to start seeing her beautiful little eyes. That was such a great feeling.

7. Then after about the first 2-hrs of post-extubation and monitoring, they gave her a little in-bed Ranger bath…that’s a “bath” using a wet wash cloth for all of you Air Force service members.

8. Once Elena was feeling as clean as a whistle, Courtney, our super nurse, scooted in a wooden rocking chair into the PICU and then handed our little bundle of joy to Mommy to rock to her heart’s content! WOW…I cannot even tell you what that picture looked like. When I saw Mommy holding little Elena in her arms in a rocking chair after being limp for 2 weeks in her little bird-cage-crib, I lost it. I mean…my eyes got really sweaty really fast…it was the most beautiful thing in the world. Even though Elena was still all hooked up with all her “Terminator-tubes”, to see her bundled up in a little blanket being rocked by the amazing woman who birthed her was just a beautiful site to behold.

9. I kept asking Kathy about every 30 seconds, “Are you done holding Elena yet?” “Is it my turn?” “Are your arms tired yet?” I even tried convincing the nurses that I had read in some top medical journal that “the post-extubation healing and recovery process is tremendously expedited if the father is able to hold the child at length…” For some reason, none of the female nurses in there bought it. Fortunately after about an hour or two (& two poops later), Kathy conceded and the big Papa was able to take over!

10. Since Elena is going through the sedation drug withdrawal process, she is very shaky & wiggly. She almost pulled her feeding tube out at least 5 or 6 times. That wouldn’t have been good. So, at least while she’s going through the withdrawal process, it will be back on to 24-hr ops for Kath & me.

11. God-willing after a day or two of the withdrawal process, they’ll be able to move her to a step-down (or intermediary) room across the hall from the PICU and then even be able to remove her two remaining chest tubes. That will be the next big step in the recovery process.

12. Again…THANK YOU all for your continued prayers & support. If some of you all lived closer, I’d be maxing out YOUR annual hug limit, because of how appreciative of you we are. (I know…for some of you A-Types, your annual max hug limit is ONE…and it would’ve come from me!)

13. Thank you for your continued prayers for Daylen, too! He’s coming along really well! PRAYER WORKS!

Noble

James 1:2 "Consider it pure joy, my brothers, whenever you face trials of many kinds."