A Little Eye Candy

I made it! That's right, I abandoned my hacking but no-longer-feverish kid to go hang out at the hospital next to my unconscious, paralyzed kid. Quite a pair, aren't they?

I'm happy to say Jane did have another nice, stable day. Her oxygen stayed at 40-45% when they weren't messing with her. Oh, and I got to see them mess with her! I mean, suction her! Listen to this: every time they suction her (every four hours, it turns out, not three), they detach the air tubes from her trach and bag her. (The bag is attached directly to the trach, instead of to a face mask.) While they're manipulating the bag, they shake her chest. And then they take the bag attachment off the trach and stick the skinny suction hose into the big old trach hole and suck out whatever they've shaken loose. I don't know how bizarre that reads, but it is a weird thing to witness. Happily for us all, they're hardly getting anything out anymore, and what little they do get is thin and white, like spit. Like it ought to be.

I spent the whole time there today waiting for them to discontinue the paralytic. I got there at noon -- she was still out. Knitted and chatted with Darned Good Nurse Tammy (oh, she's awesome, but I'm missing our Truly Awesome Nurses; these Boston gals are going to have to earn their own accolades) -- still out. Left to pump -- still out. Wandered down to the cafeteria for a snack (note to the hospital up North: they feed lactating mothers here. For free. Look into it) -- still out. Finally, at five o'clock, 1700 hours in hospital time, they stop the paralytic meds (Pavulon was what she originally got, for those keeping score, but they switched her over to something long that begins with a 'c', but as usual I have forgotten the name) and... nothing. Because Tammy gave her a big old dose of morphine and Versed before Jane went off the paralytic. I did NOT poke or pinch my child, but I did stoke her cheek and hair and hand for about 15 minutes. Alas, I am not Prince Charming, and Sleeping Beauty kept on a-sleepin'.

Tom called in later, and Darned Good Nurse Rachel said Jane did wake up a bit later in the evening and looked around before calling it a night. Her oxygen is up to 50%, but she's been tolerating all of this really nicely. And good girl that she is, they're finally going to start feeding her again tonight!

Since tomorrow's Sunday, I doubt they'll have lined up much anything for Janey. Sunday is Sunday, I don't care how fancy-pants the hospital is. Tune in tomorrow to see me eat my words!