ChloeWatts.com

Saturday, February 13, 2010

It all started the other night when the RT and Nurse assured Dana, more than once, and adamantly, that Chloe was safe with her trach leaking air from her nose and mouth. She was not safe. She was secreting into her lungs for 18 hours. Arrogance has no place, especially at a hospital and more specifically when it involves our Chloe.

Yesterday was a mess with fatigue and suction needs. Late afternoon and evening the secretions were so thick that it plugged the 10fr catheters on a few occasions. Then all night long it was 10 to 15 minute breaks between suctioning. This was all, night, long. By 5:30 I had to let the RT Jessica and nurse Joanna take care of the suctioning. I watched from the windowsill but moving wasn’t happening.

Lucky for Chloe she didn’t have anything on the schedule until 12:30. She slept until about 11:00… as the word “slept” is used very loosely. The secretions continued into the speech therapy. Then OT/PT we started slowing down but it did continue throughout the afternoon.

This morning, early, Drs. Shih and Cuyler both dropped by. Dr. Cuyler checked the cuff and site. The result of the sputum sample didn’t show anything at that time and, later, I was told there wasn’t anything that looked out of the normal.

Dr. Shih was his typical jovial self. Between his comic relief and his thoughtfulness it’s a help having him around. We discussed her case but nothing earth shattering came of it.

We finished up the therapies with a few games that she stood for mostly. This came after a good but not exceptionally long walk. The weekend team didn’t know Chloe’s progress too well but, with my description, they were able to go at a good pace.

This afternoon Chloe finally started reading her books again. She does have The Wizard of Oz to watch with Dana sometime this weekend. We will have a new nurse tonight with the hope that the night will go smoother. As of now we are still doing more than a reasonable amount of suctioning but, at least, it’s thin.

Okay, this blog rambled but that’s what you get from a non-slept out writer.

Be well,
Ron