Getting Better

2/26/14 Getting Better

Aubrey was finally moved to a regular room and out of Intensive Care on Tuesday.  I was so excited I could hardly stand it!!  Almost as soon as we got in the room, she had several teams of doctors coming in to see her.  We saw pediatricians from her office, an infectious disease team and a pediatric pulmonologist team.  The pulmonary team told us on Tuesday morning that the fluid around Aubrey's lung didn't seem to be going away, so they really felt it would be best to go in and remove it.

Luckily, they didn't think a chest tube was necessary.  they planned to do surgery Wednesday morning to go in through her back with a small straw that they could feed a camera through to look and see if the fluid was solidifying at all.  if it were they would need to try to vacuum it out.  Otherwise they could just drain it and it should be no big deal.  No parent ever wants to have to put their child under anesthesia, but we agreed it was the best chance and her getting better.

Tuesday night was rough.  Clint was going home at night to stay with Madelyn and I was sleeping in the room with Aubrey.  Most nights we slept pretty well. By 10:00 that night they had Aubrey down to only 30% oxygen with the high flow.  However, at about 11:00 or so she started having problems keeping her oxygen levels up and her levels dropped down to about 87.  The nurses came in and we moved her around and waited.  it would go up to about 92 for a minute or two, then quickly go back down.  I was super concerned.  After an hour or so of constant watching, they raised her oxygen to 35% again.  Even then she couldn't get it higher than 92.  She had been holding steady around 95-96, so I was definitely worried.  I think I watched the oxygen monitor all night and didn't sleep at all.  Aubrey slept, but you could tell she was really struggling to breathe.  She also blew her IV for the 3rd time since we had been there.  Her little veins just couldn't handle the constant stream of fluids and antibiotics they were pushing through them!

Wednesday morning they came to get Aubrey for surgery.  We were able to go back with her while they wheeled her down and got her ready.  Clint went to get her a gift from the bunny tunnel.  We tried to tell her that she was going to sleep and they were going to make her feel better, but she didn't understand what was happening.  They finally started to wheel her back to the O.R.  It was then that told me I had to leave.  Aubrey was screaming and crying for me, "Mommy, stay with me!  Mommy, no!!!!"  I was absolutely heartbreaking.  I began crying and as they gave her the "sleepy meds" in her IV they assured me that she wouldn't remember that.  However, it's a moment in time I know I will NEVER forget.

The doctors told us that we should go back up to Aubrey's room as it could be up to 4 hours before they were done, depending on how solid the fluid was.  We went up to the room and only 12 minutes later they called and told us she was finished!!!  Praise the Lord it was all fluid and they simply drained it.  As soon as I saw her you could tell she felt MUCH better.  She was no longer struggling to breathe, and seemed relaxed. 

By that afternoon Aubrey had dramatically improved.  She even asked to color a picture!!

They told her a couple of hours later that she could drink and eat something.  It had been 5 days since she was allowed to eat anything but broth!!  Some awesome friends of mine had sent an edible arrangement, and later that same day Aubrey received 2 more edible arrangements from some of her cheer buddies.  Good thing too, because Aubrey was SO excited to have some strawberries and cantaloupe.

After the surgery Aubrey just steadily improved.  By midnight that night she was down to 6 liters of oxygen at 30%.  Around 4am on Thursday her IV blew again, and they decided she had improved so much they were going to switch her to oral meds and not try for another IV.  That made us ALL happy!!  She was weaned down on the oxygen throughout the day and was moved from a high-flow to a regular oxygen mask by Thursday night.  Friday morning she was completely taken off the oxygen and was able to hold her levels where they needed to be!  Praise the Lord we were told we would go home that night!!!

I pray that we never have to experience anything like that week again.  I will say, as much as we didn't want to be at the hospital LeBonheur is an amazing place!!!  I just thank the good Lord that our baby is back to normal now!