Week Four

As of yesterday, we are going on four weeks. I had really hoped we'd not go past three, but that's no longer an option. We had setbacks this week that will probably keep us here for at least another additional week. Katie Mei's drainage tube sutures slipped out. pulling out the tube, and she got air in her lungs which partially collapsed her right lung on Wednesday. She had to be taken in for a surgical procedure to put in another drainage tube under her right arm, and this new tube is very painful. So she's back on oxycodone and is not feeling very happy. She is alert and active, but in pain much of the time. This has caused her to breathe poorly (gasping breaths called splinting) and now her oxygen levels are low. We had folks in our room all night last night being fretful over this. They even called in the x-ray and cardiothorax surgical team members to check her out at 3 and 4 am. It was yet another night of no sleep.

Home life is also complicated now. Our cat is dying and Jay had to come home to take her to be euthanized. Then he's going to take M &J down to my parents' house for the rest of our hospital stay. It has just gotten too difficult to try to organize child care and other activities while I'm here. I cannot do it any longer and though many people have been so helpful in watching them, it still costs me much time and energy to organize it, and I just don't have the expendable energy any longer.

Katie Mei is not doing any better as far as the lung fluid is concerned. She is still producing a lot and there is no end in sight at this point. So we wait.

Love,
Petrie